Managed NHS car park: can ppc inform hospital of my details?

gasman101

Hi,

Quick question for the forum.

I get the odd ticket issued by CP plus parking when I leave my car
In the car park at work (p&d or staff permit zone - depends what's free).

Obvioustly I file them all in the bin, get the usual debt collection paper trail - again which I file in the bin.

My question is that the registered keeper details have been obtained from the DVLA, but can CP Plus parking give those details to the hosptial (my employer), or would this be a breach of data protection? Basically I'm wondering if the trust could try and hold disciplinary action against me for not paying the parking invoices! Obviously they need to prove I was the driver etc.

Thanks

Gasman

Oldfatgrumpy

I would be interested in thoughts on this too. Once or twice work colleagues at the hospital site where I work (on the site, but for a non-NHS company) have received tickets and have been told by the boss "You must pay them or the NHS Trust can bar you from the site".

taffy056

In theory they could stop you from parking on site, but if you have paid for parking say via a staff permit scheme and there is no space to park then I believe they are failing their obligations. They cannot force you to pay invoices though, and for a PPC to pass on your details could be a breach of the data protection act, and should be reported to ICO .

If the trust is putting pressure on you, get things in writing as it could be deemed harassment and involve your union in this. And again don't pay the PPC anything.

Trebor16

This seems to echo the recent case involving Aintree NHS Trust, where they tried to claim £1600 from a person who I recall was an employee. If the member of staff is paying for a permit then I don't see how the NHS can bar a member of staff from the site on the basis of unlawful demands by a PPC.

gasman101

not getting any direct pressure from the trust to myself as a named individual - i dont pay for a parking permit (not entitled - suppose to use the park & ride service - which is ridiculous as some of my shifts finish @ midnight and the last bus is as 2300!)

a lot of staff are starting to realise that the parking thing is a joke and not paying tickets - so the trust placed a warning on the intranet home page warning of disciplinary action if staff fail to pay fines etc.

Essentially the trust do not know that my car is mine, and the only way they could find out is it CP parking provided them with that information. Even if they did i will simply refer the trust to the driver at the time and not myself as the registered keeper.

ps i'm located in the SW of England - nowhere near to aintree

Trebor16

gasman101 wrote: »

a lot of staff are starting to realise that the parking thing is a joke and not paying tickets - so the trust placed a warning on the intranet home page warning of disciplinary action if staff fail to pay fines etc.

If the Trust have actually stated "fines" then no member of staff has a problem, given that the PPC have no legal power to issue fines. Any attempt to discipline a member of staff for refusing to settle an unlawful demand should easily be rebuffed.

gasman101

what was even more comedy was the intranet message stated:

"you will be issued with a penatly charge notice..."

dont get me started on how to tear that one apart!!!

Trebor16

Perhaps it is time to "educate" the local union reps on this one and get them to start making representations?

taffy056

And of course if they tried to take displinary action for unenforceable invoices being unpaid there would be grounds for taking actions against them for constructive dismissal . It's not their responsibility to chase alleged debts to third party companies, basically it has sod all to do with them.

I would take this to the local press and whoever oversees nhs trusts because they are overstepping their powers, even it's their car park.

gasman101

you wonder if they ever did try to take disciplinary action whether they would do it on grounds on breeching trust car parking policy.

However i have never been asked to sign a form to say i have seen, read, understand, and agree to comply with such a policy, so i dont think if they went down that route they would get very far.

vax2002

The hospital contract out the parking fines.
they get a cut of the scam money, hence why they demand you pay, someone wants his backhanders keeping up.
Dont take it to seriously, just look who signs the mail and send them a nice card.
"crook"
should suffice