Don't get rorted by private parking fees at NSW public hospitals. The state government has recently introduced a new standardised parking policy for NSW public hospitals, where you can get deeply discounted rates if you're a patient receiving treatment over a long period of time, or if you are attending the hospital more than twice a week, or if you hold one of the following concession cards:
• holders of a RTA issued Disabled Parking Permit
• holders of a Pensioner Concession Card
• holders of a Gold Veterans Affairs Card
• holders of a Health Care Card
3 hours are free, and $5.40 for a single entry/exit within a 24 hour period.
You can also get unlimited entry/exit 3 day and 7 day passes for $11.90 and $21.70 respectively.
For reference, parking at Prince of Wales costs $28.80 for more than 2.5 hours. St Vincent's Hospital costs about the same, but rises to $50 for 6 hours. Westmead Hospital is $10 for 3 hours, $16 for 6 hours. And you have to pay every time you enter and exit the hospital.
I was at Prince of Wales hospital the other day and foolishly paid $9.60 to drop my mother off at the hospital for a little over 30 minutes. I noticed the new concession parking sign next to the information booth when arriving to pick her up, and slapped myself in the face. You'll need to approach the designated ticket validation place (there will be posters in the hospital saying where it is) as you exit the hospital in order for you to take advantage of the concession.
EDIT: You should check to see if St Vincents Hospital is covered by concession. It is not operated by the NSW Government, but rather by a not for profit corporation.
Last time I went to Prince of Wales the boom gates were open and I parked [illegally] for free.