Hospital Staff Car Parking

magster4

I am an 'Integrated Midwife' working in Exeter. This basically means I do 2 community shifts a week, and the other two shifts are 'on-calls' for the hospital or homebirths when a woman from my caseload is in labour or it is busy in the hospital. I carry a large amount of kit around in my boot such as scales, homebirth equipment and a large antenatal bag. This means I have no choice but to drive in as firstly my kit is too heavy, and also I may have to drive miles to get to a woman in my area (4 miles away from hospital). I live within easy walking distance to the hospital but have no choice but to drive due to the above reasons. We all, as on call midwives have to pay for a parking permit, even though we all have no choice but to drive. This is £21.28 a month, which is basically just for 1 day a week parking (the other shift is at night when there is no charge anyway). I recently did not display my parking permit in the allocated on call midwives space, but instead put my Council approved 'Midwife On Call' sign, and should there be any problems- a number to ring. This is OK to use when parking in Residential areas when we are doing home visits.
I got a Parking Charge Notice, however the car they stated as me driving was a Renault, I drive a Volkswagen- therefore I know that this is not right and after carefully reading all the information on this site I am going to ignore this, is this right?
HOWEVER, the next week I did the same, but I remembered to display my Parking Permit! On getting back to the car and receiving another ticket, I realised my permit had run out in the August, so basically I was proving I hadn't payed since then. I did not realise, as I dont recall ever having any information, that these expired every 6 months, I thought it was a year.
I am now refusing to pay parking and parking down residential roads around hospital with my on call sign.
How do I stand if not paying for the 'fine' even though I was in the wrong with an out of date permit? (I had rung car parking a bit miffed why they hadn't taken money out since August, and they never told me it had run out they just said they were investigated which is infuriating as perhaps I may have realised sooner!). Hope this makes sense, please help I know to ignore, but this seems different!

vax2002

Leave the car at home and tell your employer to provide pooled transport.

HappyMJ

I know a consultant at the local hospital who has hundreds of these PCN's. Keep on ignoring them.

magster4

Yes, thats what my fiancee keeps saying, its never going to happen! I think I might write to local MP about this matter. I do have a lease car, which is a lot of money but only option as driving around so much! What do you think about ignoring it even though my permit had run out?

HappyMJ

magster4 wrote: »

Yes, thats what my fiancee keeps saying, its never going to happen! I think I might write to local MP about this matter. I do have a lease car, which is a lot of money but only option as driving around so much! What do you think about ignoring it even though my permit had run out?

What will happen if you ignore it? You get letters in the post asking you for money and that's it. The letters are annoying but can be ignored. I wouldn't bother your MP. He/she will come back and say you should pay it as it's the NHS and they need the money to improve local parking services as the government doesn't pay for car parking. Load of rubbish....

Trebor16

If it is a private parking company then ignore them. Do you get paid mileage for performing your community midwife duties?

bondy_lad

you have not been fined, you have not committed an offence,,you have not recieved a ticket,,just a request to pay an invoice,, no matter what ignore and all the threat o grams that follow on or behalf of these clowns,,they will not do court,,because ,,they will lose 100%,,so relax, feet up,, watch the midwife on sunday evening with a glass of wine,, most of all dont worry, nothing can/will be done to you.

AlexisV

If it's a 'parking charge notice', simply ignore.

Is this on hospital grounds though? Personally I'd be giving the security monkey who issued the speculative invoice a piece of my mind if he's harassing midwives who are displaying any kind of on call permit.

Coupon-mad

What do you mean by a lease car? Leased from a company = danger of them just paying the scammers.

magster4

Thanks everyone. It is a lease car leased from the hospital through a private company, can't remember what its called Lease Car Plan? But all charges would go through me, so they wont know anything about it I hope. Just worried when I give my car back in July 2013 they might know somehow? Definitely wouldn't do a lease car again, as my PAYE has increased, and I only get 10p per mile for diesel, so basically I have to pay to do my job, so the same as paying to park when I'm ONCALL!
Will look forward to Call The Midwife on Sunday with my glass of wine

Trebor16

10p per mile for your diesel is not very generous. For you to break even on that your car would have to average 63mpg!!!