Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Location and Specialty

One of the best facilities in Sydney that provides world-class healthcare is the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH) in Missenden Road, Camperdown.

Not to be confused with the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, the RPA Hospital is a premier public teaching hospital recognized for its excellence and innovation in healthcare. With a rich history that started more than 125 years ago, the RPAH is recognised to be among the “firsts” in providing technologically advanced patient care.

The RPA Hospital is credited for being the first to perform an open-heart surgery and coronary angiography in New South Wales. It is also the first to establish a Liver Transplant Unit in NSW, giving Aussies their first Perinatal Medicine Unit, with the first fetal heart monitor.

Today, the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is known to have the world’s largest Melanoma Unit, which addresses the type of malignant skin cancer. It is also recognized as Australia’s National Liver Transplant Unit and a major centre for haemophilia and sleep disorder patients. However, one of its more important contributions in healthcare is the sheer volume of medical research it has done. It continuously undertakes more studies to provide patients in Australia and beyond a better quality of life.

Visitor Parking Options

Being one of the largest hospitals in Australia, with the highest number of qualified staff to boot, RPAH provides professional healthcare to hundreds of patients on any given day. This also means that the hospital is almost always packed with, not only patients and staff, but also guests who visit their sick loved ones.

Unfortunately, hospital parking for visitors can be a nightmare. While RPAH has a paid parking facility behind King George V Building (opposite the hospital’s main entrance), parking rates can be a bit expensive, ranging from $5 to $20 for less than five hours. Any longer than that and you’ll pay the maximum $25 per day.

Long-term Stay Parking Optionss

Whilst the hospital also offers concession parking, it is available only for eligible patients and their respective caregivers. Concession parking eligibility depends on the type of medical attention or treatment the patient needs. Ongoing cancer treatment patients get the highest priority, along with patients (and caregivers) who require a course of hospital treatment that would last for more than a week.

Even when deemed eligible, you would still have to pay for the parking slot at rates ranging from $5.40 (for one exit) to $21.70 (good for 7 consecutive days only), that is, if there is still an available spot. Most parking slots are normally filled. In case you don’t find a space, you cannot demand a refund, as the hospital does not issue one.

Staff Parking Options

A nine-floor concrete carpark for the RPA Hospital staff has been recently built. This can accommodate up to 2,000 staff members who for the hospital. The carpark slots are still not enough, though, as RPAH employs more than 4,000 healthcare professionals and other working staff, and many of them bring their vehicles to work. Parking rates in the facility can also be very costly, with a maximum charge of $38 for 24-hour parking on weekdays and $11 on weekends.

Other Parking Options

With the limited parking space and costly parking rates in the vicinity of the hospital, many patients, caregivers, and hospital staff members choose to look for other parking options around the area. There are council-operated parking meters in the surrounding streets, but they are not considered a viable choice for those who need to park long-term. Another option is to buy a key card from the hospital’s parking cashier, but it costs $15 to $20, which is also subject to the availability of space.

Fortunately, there’s a mobile app that you can download to help you with your parking woes. Parkhound is Australia’s premier car parking marketplace that helps consumers find convenient and cheaper parking options.

For example, if you are a concerned relative of a patient who has been confined for more than a month, hospital parking can potentially blow a huge hole in your wallet. Imagine if your patient is not eligible for the concession parking (or if there is no more space available), you’ll be spending almost $800 on parking fees in a month.

With Parkhound, you have unlimited options for secure and inexpensive parking, from as low as $195 to as high as $322 per month. That’s almost 60% cheaper than the normal hospital parking rates offered within the RPA Hospital compound.

Whether you are a staff member, a patient, or a visitor at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, finding a secure and cheap parking space should be the least of your concerns. It does not matter if you need parking space for the short- or long-term, Parkhound will surely have you covered.