Hospital sues its surgeon for parking illegally

A SURGEON who parked illegally at a hospital because he could not find a space in time to see his patients has lost a court battle brought by the NHS trust.

Christopher Darby claimed the John Radcliffe Hospital’s “dysfunctional” parking system left him without a space when he was needed at his clinic.

The consultant vascular and transplant surgeon decided his only choice was to park illegally to ensure his patients were not kept waiting.

But Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) handed him a fine for breaching parking regulations and then, when he refused to pay, took him to court.

Mr Darby lost his fight at the civil court and was ordered to hand over £50 for the parking charge, as well as £6.18 in interest and £110 in court fees and fixed costs.

Speaking at his Oxford county court hearing, Mr Darby said: “I do feel that the trust would expect me to go and look after my patients.

“I did not intend to park illegally. I took the least worst option for my patients. I can’t believe I’m here. I did my best on the day for my employer.”

The claim was brought by OUH against the consultant after he parked partly within a disabled bay and on hatched road markings on Oct 7, 2015.

During the hearing, he admitted to parking unlawfully but insisted he had made a “reasonable attempt” to find a spot. The consultant drove to the area where his permit allowed him to park but found the site full with other drivers hunting a space, he said.

The OUH trust was unavailable for comment.