November 18, 2020 5.32 pm This story is over 40 months old

Lincoln County Hospital staff still getting parking fines

Apparently over 20 fines to staff in November alone
The car park at Lincoln County Hospital. Photo: Connor Creaghan for The Lincolnite
By Local Democracy Reporter

Staff at Lincoln County Hospital are outraged as they continue to be given parking fines, despite being allowed to park for free on the premises.

Free parking for all facilities had been introduced at Lincolnshire hospitals in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but charges were brought back for visitors (albeit halved) at the start of November, but staff parking remained free.

Despite this, several staff members at Lincoln County Hospital have said they are still being fined, both for using the staff parking area and the visitor spaces when A&E staff work overnight.

Lincoln County Hospital staff have been getting fines despite parking being free for them.

Staff are told their parking should be logged automatically once they register their vehicle registration plates with the trust, but despite this fines are still happening.

The ANPR system at the hospital is subcontracted to private firm ParkingEye, and the car park has been blighted with issues from the start.

One staff member, who asked to be kept anonymous, told The Lincolnite that over 20 people who work at the hospital have been fined in November alone.

They said: “People are annoyed and upset. The staff are working tirelessly, putting themselves on the line to help everyone else, but literally nobody has their back.

“I have just done three nights, I’m exhausted, and then I get this in the mail? It is heart wrenching that this is the thanks we get.”

The member of staff also said that the appeals process took so long that fines would end up piling on top of one another.

“The hospital don’t want to take any responsibility and just tell their staff to deal with it directly, even though there is no direct contact number to call, so we are waiting for a reply via email.

“This takes so long that you get more fines in the meantime.”

Simon Evans, chief operating officer at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Car parking on all of our sites is free for colleagues so long as they have registered their vehicles and park in accordance with the rules.

“If anyone feels that they have received a parking charge notice in error, then there is a simple appeals process that we would encourage them to follow.”