Angry hospital staff are ‘being persecuted’ over parking fines
DOCTORS and nurses who pay up to nearly £1,000 a year for parking at Stepping Hill Hospital say they are being hit with fines – because there aren’t enough staff spaces.
Staff must pay to use the Stockport hospital’s parking facilities with an annual fee based on their salary.
However, there have been numerous complaints that there are not enough spots for staff on duty. As a result, some staff have been using the designated visitor parking areas, leading to some receiving a £45 fine.
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust say they have 1,173 on-site spaces for the 2,127 staff with permits but said not all worked at the same time and staff were encouraged to use other ways to get to work.
But one nurse, who asked not to be named, said staff felt ‘persecuted’ by the lack of parking.
She said: “Nurses pay around £500 while a consultant has around £1,000 taken out of their salary. But because there aren’t always spaces in the designated area we feel there is nowhere to go. The estates around the hospital are mostly residents only and it’s not right for us to park there. We have no alternative but to park in the visitors’ car park.”
But for many, this has lead to a hefty fine, and if ignored, a huge bill.
She added: “We have had the advice to ignore the fines, but then get an order to pay £269. This has happened to quite a few colleagues.
“The chief executive is aware but the trust says it’s nothing to do with them, that it’s the car parking company. They say we are breaking the contract by parking in visitor spots. But where are we supposed to go? Many of us come from far away and are on strange shifts. We can’t all just catch a bus.
“It feels as though staff are being persecuted, all we want to do is come to work on time.”
Parking at Stepping Hill is managed by private firm Gemini, which was contacted for comment.
A spokeswoman from the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said all colleagues know to only park in staff car parks and leave other spaces free for patients. She said they were aware of the reason for parking charge notices, adding: “In line with every other hospital, there are more permits than spaces to cover for people working part-time or different shifts, on holiday, or ill or working off-site.”
Almost 50 per cent of the workforce is part-time, she said, adding: “We actively encourage staff to use other ways to get to work where possible and practical.”