Patient parking needs relief: WA oppn

Chronic patients should be given special parking provisions at Perth hospitals, health opposition spokesman Roger Cook says.

Mr Cook said the recent reported hike of parking fees and fines at West Australian hospitals meant patients were being slugged with extra costs every day they received treatment.

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital used to issue patients permits but they were discontinued when the parking was privatised, Mr Cook said.

A WA Health Department spokesman said concessional parking of $5 a day was available for patients who received frequent treatment at hospital such as dialysis and chemotherapy.

The spokesman said the reported rise in parking fines was due to more fines defaulters being passed on to the Fines Enforcement Registry, rather than hospitals incurring the full cost.

Parking revenue at King Edward Memorial Hospital has almost doubled over the past four years, up to $6.3 million, according to Perth newspaper The Sunday Times.

The paper also reports revenue from parking fines is up by a massive 5400 per cent at Royal Perth Hospital, with significant increases also at Fremantle Hospital and the new children's hospital in the past year.