Nurse's fury as she's hit with £70 fine after being called into work at short-notice

A nurse has blasted health chiefs after being issued with a parking ticket in the staff car park at the Royal Oldham Hospital after she was called into work to help out on over-stretched wards. She says she is one of ‘numerous’ nurses at the hospital who have been given penalty notices after having applications for a parking permit rejected.

The nurse, who does not want to be named, said parking permits were reintroduced just before Christmas, after they had been waived during the pandemic for stressed-out medics. But the nurse said the process to receive a permit was lengthy.

“To receive a permit you have to answer a series of questions on a form and someone will then decide whether or not you’re worthy of a parking permit,” she explained.

“If you’re not, you are advised to use public transport or car share, which is not appropriate particularly if people are working night shifts or if they can’t synchronise their working patterns with colleagues. Sometimes it can take two or three buses for staff to get to work from where they live, so they need to be able to park.”

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She said that for her to get a car park pass they would take more than £500 out of her salary. “That would give me the right to park at the hospital during my shifts for free,” she continued.

“But then there’s the problem of finding a space. I was called into work because they were short-staffed.

"I parked in the staff car park and when I came out I had a parking ticket on my car. It was for £70, reduced to £35 if I paid it within two weeks.”

She said she appealed against the fine, but it was turned down. “They said, ‘you need a permit’,” she said.

“But they’re not