Queen Elizabeth Hospital in P.E.I. to eliminate parking fees

Patients and visitors to P.E.I.'s largest hospital will soon be able to park for free.

The province announced Wednesday it will eliminate parking fees at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital effective July 1. Until then, it will continue to be free for the first half hour and $1.50 for each hour to a maximum of $7.

• Opposition health critic upset with inaction on QEH parking fees

• Charlottetown merchants upset about downtown parking hike

The QEH is the only hospital on the Island that charges for parking.

"By eliminating parking fees, we are helping to ensure that cost is not a barrier to supporting a loved one when they are ill," said Minister of Health and Wellness Robert Henderson.

About 1,000 patients and visitors access the QEH every day, according to the province. Eliminating the need to pay for parking will make this a better experience for everyone, said Queen Elizabeth Hospital CAO Jamie MacDonald.

"It can be stressful for patients and family members who must travel back and forth to the hospital on a frequent basis," she said.

The hospital's parking fees are currently waived for patients with long-term treatment schedules, including those receiving care at the P.E.I. Cancer Treatment Centre, theHemodialysis Unit and emergency department. Exceptions are also made for patients and families in unique circumstances, on a case-by-case basis.

The QEH first introduced parking fees in 1993 as a means to raise additional revenue to support further investments in frontline health services.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Lawyers clash at P.E.I. vice-principal's harassment sentencing hearing
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | P.E.I. Liquor Control Act change could help microbreweries