Midwife’s anger at parking fine while she visited patient
AN NHS midwife from Derby says she was furious after being fined for parking outside the house of a patient she was caring for.
Angela Newall had gone to see a patient in Adler Close, Normanton, on July 22 when she parked in the car park outside the residence.
The 52-year-old said she did not see the sign indicating the car park was for private parking only, and returned to her car after making the call to find it had a parking charge stuck to it.
She said she is upset for what she sees as being unfairly targeted for trying to do her job during a period when she was working 60-hour weeks amid the Covid pandemic.
“I was visiting a client in my role as a midwife,” she said. “I was probably in the home for about 15 minutes and I did not appreciate the fact it was private parking. I had to sort out my PPE, got my bag and came out to a ticket on my windscreen. It was only then that I saw a small sign telling me it was private parking.”
Ms Newall said she feels she should have been warned she was parking in the wrong place.
“We have a parking permit for the car at work but it’s a council parking permit,” she said. “I can’t be parking half a mile away – my equipment is very heavy and I can’t carry it that far.
“I think whoever gave me the ticket would have seen me in my uniform and I can’t believe they didn’t warn me.
“If it was a police car parked up and it was a police officer I don’t believe they would have supplied a ticket.
“A letter was sent to me on September 2, so about six weeks after the ticket had been issued. I had got 21 days to appeal but I didn’t do it in time.”
The Mickleover resident said she had intended to appeal within the time limit, but was “overwhelmed” by work.
“I couldn’t deal with it then and there. I had been working 60-hour weeks covering people away because of Covid,” she said. “It was very hard and I was shattered and I didn’t get my appeal in in time. I was overwhelmed.
Ms Newall then received a letter demanding £160 payment for not paying in time, leaving her “mortified”.
“I tried my hardest to contact these people, but I couldn’t find an email. There was only a phone number that was a payment line,” she said. “I did find one but they didn’t respond and then they sent a further letter threatening me with county court. I couldn’t believe they’re not being compassionate. I was there doing my job at a time when working is so hard. I understand I didn’t get my appeal in in time
“The fact is the parking charge was issued in July and the letter didn’t arrive until September, six weeks later.
“Then they demanded payment within 14 days and I have 21 days to appeal – how is that fair? That’s half the time the letter took to arrive.”
Vehicle Control Services, which sent the letter demanding payment, said the car park is well signposted. A representative for the company said: “The site where Ms Newall parked is a private residential car park for use by valid permit holders only, this is clearly advertised on the signage at the car park. The surrounding streets are also restricted to council permit holders.
“Clearly, as a non-permit holder, Ms Newall parked in breach of the advertised terms and conditions which resulted in a parking charge notice being issued through the post to the registered keeper.
“The delay in Ms Newall receiving the parking charge was due to the fact that the vehicle was registered in the name of a company who, in turn, named Ms Newall as the person responsible for parking charge.
“We therefore re-issued the parking charge to her address; she retained the same rights and timescales as if she had received the original parking charge, including the option to pay a reduced amount or appeal. Relevant timescales are in accordance with our trade association’s Code of Practice under which we operate.
“She chose not to respond and this escalated in the need for us to take further action. Although she did eventually submit a late appeal, no substantiating evidence was provided.
“Whilst we appreciate the circumstances described by Ms Newall, a simple call to our helpline number (advertised on our the signage) on the day may have avoided the unfortunate series of events. It also has to be borne in mind that Ms Newall’s actions could have caused inconvenience to permitted users of that private car park.
“As a gesture of goodwill, and in good faith, we have now cancelled the parking charge.”