The incident occurred about 1pm Friday.

It took two fire crews some 50 minutes to first secure and then retrieve the car from its dangerous position, five levels off the ground, said a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said.

Mater Health Services reported just after 2.30pm the car had been towed back from the edge, and the area was now safe with temporary barriers in place.

A hospital worker said the driver vacated the vehicle soon after it had ploughed through the barrier.

About a third of the car, including the front wheels, poked out of the side of the car park and was above a two storey building in South Brisbane.