Editorial: Parking up a storm at University Hospital Waterford
Car parking at University Hospital Waterford remains an issue in terms of fees and availability.
When patients attend University Hospital Waterford (UHW), the last thing they should have to worry about is the cost of parking, or its availability. Often, these people and their families are dealing with very difficult circumstances, and lengthy periods where they need to stay in hospital to receive treatment. The priority for them should be their health, and not the concern of mounting car parking charges, or whether they will actually be able to find a parking spot.
Being able to park your car safely within the grounds of the hospital should be a given, but at UHW this has become a fiasco, with patients regularly forced to find parking in neighbouring shopping areas or housing estates.
The HSE has defended its parking rates, pointing out that there has been no increase at UHW since 2021 and that a 158% jump in parking revenue is as a result of increased use... which, in turn, suggests there should be an urgency placed on finding a solution to providing sufficient car parking spaces.
Notwithstanding the fact that charges haven't gone up, it does not detract from the pressure experienced by patients, such as cancer and dialysis patients - those patients and families dealing with longer and more regular hospital stays.
The HSE says that the income generated from car parking fees covers the cost of providing car parking services; including the initial capital cost of purchasing or renting parking areas.
While the HSE has ordered a national review group to examine hospital car parking charges, and a nationally coordinated approach to fees, addressing the issue of availability, disappointingly, does not appear to be high on the agenda.
In response to Cllr Joe Kelly's suggestion, when speaking at the Metropolitan District meeting of Waterford City and County Council, of multi-storey car parking for the hospital, and also for South East Technological University, which experiences similar challenges in terms of parking availability, Gabriel Hynes, Director of Services for Waterford Council, said this did not appear to be a priority.
Mr Hynes said that both the university and the hospital had been approached by the council on the matter and that a multi-storey carpark "appears not to be a priority" for either organisation.
As momentum builds around the harnessing of wind energy off the Waterford coast, we have launched a year-long series in the to examine all aspects of Tonn Nua, and its sister offshore energy projects.
We are delighted to have received funding from Coimisiún na Meán (the Media Commission) for this important body of work.
In this week's edition, journalist Danielle Barron provides an overview of the project, speaking to key people who are engaged in various aspects relating to Tonn Nua.
We look forward to providing our readers with a robust examination of Tonn Nua, of the challenges and opportunities, and of what Waterford can and should expect from a groundbreaking project of this nature, never before seen in the Déise.
