Dr Pam McGrathFindings from an International Program of Psycho-Social Health Research (IPP-SHR) study mirror concerns expressed by campaigners in Britain, (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6468251.stm) who argue that high hospital parking fees are placing undue financial strain on already distressed patients and families.

The Australian study found that hospital parking fees represent a significant yet unacknowledged monetary burden for the parents of children undergoing long-term treatment for childhood cancer.

The research findings suggest that most long-term hospital users have no option but to use costly on-site parking.  There was strong consensus in the study that the cost of parking is too high and is a cause of genuine hardship for some families.

Research participants reported that affordable access to parking should be seen as an important and vital aspect of treatment in the free public health system.  This perception is at odds with the present situation in which parking is seen as a profit-making enterprise, rather than an essential service.

According to IPP-SHR researcher, Dr Pam McGrath, "a commercial enterprise making a profit from a captured, acutely stressed population conveys a strong negative message about care provided by the public hospital system."

IPP-SHR is a collaborative initiative jointly funded by Central Queensland University and National Health & Medical Research Council. It aims to document and examine the human experience of serious illness and ‘make a difference' to those at the coalface of healthcare.