Visitors fuming over new parking-fee structure at three GTA hospitals

Family members of ailing loved ones staying at Trillium Health Partners hospitals across the GTA are decrying the new parking fee structure, arguing it flies in the face of recent provincial changes to make parking at hospitals more affordable.

Trillium, which operates the Mississauga Hospital, the Credit Valley Hospital and the Queensway Health Centre, eliminated its monthly $79 parking pass this month in favour of a $150, 30-day pass.

Lynda Greenman, who’s been parking at Mississauga Hospital every day for the past seven months to visit her sick husband, says the changes are devastating for her.

“I’m on a fixed income,” says Greenman. “It’s just gotten out of hand.”

Earlier this year, the province announced it is freezing hospital parking fees and requiring hospitals to sell multi-day passes that are 50 per cent cheaper than the daily rate for lots that cost more than $10 a day.

Those changes came into effect Oct. 1. Five-, 10- and 30-day passes at hospitals now allow in-and-out privileges, are transferable to family members and are valid for a year.

“I need the 30 (days) now,” Greenman said. “I mean this is ridiculous. I don’t want to spread it over a year when I’m in here every day with my husband.”

Health Minister Eric Hoskins argues the changes benefit a vast majority of people using hospital parking.

“I would argue that the value of that 30-day pass is considerably different than it was prior to the changes,” he said. “Now it’s transferable, that pass, it includes in-and-out privileges and it’s valid for an entire year.”

Pat Dewan has used Trillium’s $79 monthly pass multiple times to visit her fiancé in hospital over the past few years.

“He’s been in the hospital here two or three months at a time and, yeah, it’s totally ridiculous,” she said.

A Trillium spokesperson told CityNews Thursday the changes are within the guidelines set recently by the Ontario government.

“We consulted with our Patient and Family Advisory Council on the new, more flexible options, including replacing the monthly pass with the new 30-day pass, which is more versatile,” the statement reads.

“THP is providing our patient and visitors with flexible options, including a 100-use pass that is equal to $2.25 per day.”

Relatives of loved ones with ongoing health issues argue purchasing the 100-use pass doesn’t make sense as they often don’t know how long the patient will require hospitalization.

“It’s happening all over the hospital,” Greenman says. “People are just very angry about the whole thing.”