A nurse with a staff parking permit has been given £5,500 in fines while she helps save patients’ lives because there aren’t enough spaces.
Victoria Slayford, 38, works 12 and a half hour shifts as paedeatric nurse at Croydon University Hospital in south London.
But while she’s inside working, she claims parking wardens have issued her with over 80 tickets for ‘being in the wrong space’ – despite having a staff permit.
The single mother, of south east London, says she lives in fear of the hospital’s private parking firm Empark taking her to court.
Victoria Slayford (pictured), 38, works 12 and a half hour shifts as paedeatric nurse at Croydon University Hospital in south London
She told the Daily Mirror: ‘Most of the fines are because I had to work late and stay with a patient.
‘It’s incredible we have to go through this when we’re trying to do our job and save lives.’
Ms Slayford told the newspaper there are a limited number of staff spaces at the hospital, meaning the bays are often full by the time she gets to work.
She said she often drives around the car park for 45 minutes looking for a space, and is eventually forced to park in the public parking spaces – which cost £15 a day.
Despite paying £10 for a staff permit, she is regularly slapped with fines for being in non-staff bays.
She has even attached a note to her car window saying: ‘Really sorry, please do not fine me, call me on this number as there is nowhere to park’.
The nurse claims all ‘nearly all’ of her colleagues have suffered parking fines.
But while she’s inside working, she claims parking wardens have issued her with over 80 tickets for ‘being in the wrong space’
She lives half an hour away from the hospital and cannot use public transport to get there as she finishes work after hours.
Earlier this week a doctor at Croydon University Hospital tweeted to say he had finished a ‘night shift from hell’ to find wardens in the car park trying to fine people.
Dr Paul Robinson wrote: ‘Guy in a jacket making money for Empark as I finish my night shift from hell. 10 tickets so far and counting. I am wholly disgusted #hospitalparking.’
A spokesman for Croydon Health Services NHS Trust told the newspaper: ‘We are a busy hospital, and work hard to make sure our parking is fair.
‘We offer concessions for patients, including those who require regular hospital visits, and designated areas for staff.
‘Wardens will only ticket those cars that have stayed over their allotted time.
‘If any patient or member of staff feels they have been ticketed unfairly, we offer the chance to appeal.’
The single mother (pictured), of south east London, says she lives in fear of the hospital’s private parking firm Empark taking her to court
MailOnline has approached Empark for comment.
There has been wide condemnation of hospital parking charges, with patient support groups claiming they are a ‘tax on the sick’.
It was revealed last week that hospitals across England made a record £175million in parking charges last year, despite the Government trying to crack down on them.
The Freedom of Information request responses revealed £1million had been made in parking fines.
The Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guilford charged the highest fees – £4 an hour.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has previously admitted the fees were ‘unfair’.
In 2014, he introduced guidelines urging NHS trusts to offer free or reduced parking for cancer patients, the disabled, relatives and staff.
But the rules were not legally binding and many trusts chose to ignore them, because the fees are an important source of income.
A petition lobbying the Government to scrap hospital parking charges has gathered over 34,000 signatures.
Pictured: Croydon University Hospital, south London, is where Victoria Slayford works