A proposed €10 a day cap on car parking at the new National Children's Hospital is “no improvement”, the mother of a regular patient has said. 

Yvonne’s four-year-old daughter has Down Syndrome and Edward’s Syndrome and usually has a hospital appointment every three weeks or so. 

The proposed rate would be the same as charged by Crumlin’s Children Hospital and Yvonne thinks it is a missed opportunity to help struggling families. 

“There’s been no improvement,” she told Lunchtime Live. 

“At Crumlin at the minute, [it’s still] €10 a day as it is - so where is the improvement? 

“This new hospital is meant to make things easier for families but I think people forget that when you go into hospital, there’s so many other costs. 

“It’s not just the cost of parking; it’s the cost of food, drinks - it’s keeping a child entertained and then there’s the petrol just to get up there… It’s like running two households.” 

DHJ4CR Hospital Car Park, parking, Addenbrookes NHS hospital Cambridge UK

Yvonne believes that families who regularly have to attend hospital appointments should be offered a cheaper rate. 

“The cap that they have put out now is €10 but we haven’t heard any more about reduced rates or long-term rates,” she said. 

“There’s no yearly rate for families like ours - which would be a help. 

“Realistically for families, there should be no car parking charges for parents who have sick kids in hospitals. 

“I think people forget, once your child is sick, it’s the worst thing in the world - you’ve so many other things to worry about.”

Yvonne is a single parent and her daughter requires 24 hour care; she is still repaying a loan from when her daughter was born and says other families are also struggling financially. 

“Families like ours, we have to turn to charities or set up GoFundMe pages just to cover the cost of having a child in hospital,” she said. 

The new National Children’s Hospital is scheduled to open at the end of 2024.

Main image: New National Children's Hospital. Picture by: Alamy.com