Hospital’s $1.2m car park profit

THE Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s annual report has revealed some interesting findings about its operations over the past 12 months.

The report, which was tabled in State Parliament on September 29, outlines and assesses how the hospital performed over the past financial year.

One of the key talking points was the hospital’s car park.

The report’s financial summary outlined that the hospital made $1.7 million of revenue from the car park, resulting in a net profit of $1.2 million.

That figure is a 23 per cent increase on last year’s numbers, with parking prices at the hospital varying from $2.60 for half an hour to $14 per day.

The rise, according to the report, was due to the “utilisation of existing technology in the car park and improving operating efficiencies”.

The report comes fresh on the back of a response from the State Government to backlash regarding car parking prices at Queensland hospitals.

On October 1 the government announced that free on-campus parking would be offered to eligible patients at the hospital.

Holders of disabled parking permits, ongoing cancer and dialysis patients and patients and carers who visited the hospital more then three times a week can now all park free of charge.

Geriatric adult rehabilitation, stroke service attendees, and patients with long-term hospitalisation or treatment were also offered free parking.

The State Government also suggested that concessions were being considered for other patients.

The report also noted that donations to the hospital were down to $232,984 from $334,987 last year.