Mayo hospital lauded for giving free parking to cancer patients

THE Irish Cancer Society has lauded the management at Mayo University Hospital for its car parking scheme for cancer patients.

Unlike most other hospitals around the country, the Castlebar facility permits cancer patients going through treatment to park free of charge.

The Cancer Society explained that patients could be paying up to €63 per week in car-parking charges in other hospitals which is an additional financial burden on patients and their families.

The average cost of parking at the designated cancer centres, such as Galway, is €8 for a four-hour stay.

The society is requesting the HSE to issue guidelines to hospitals to extend free car parking for cancer patients, which is currently available at Mayo University Hospital, to all hospitals around the country.