Parking charges for NHS staff.

stayingpositive

Hi everyone!
This is my 1st post on here, so hope i'm posting in the right place and not upsetting anyone.
I would appreciate some advice from any of you knowledgable guys because I received a parking charge whilst at work for not displaying a parking permit. I am a nurse and I have parking fee's deducted from my salary every month, and my permit is displayed on my windsreen. On this occasion, the permit had fallen off and I was issued with a ticket. A couple of days later, the same thing happened and I got another charge! I ignored them, as I thought it was the correct thing to do, and it's what all my colleagues do.
Now I have received debt collector's letters and I'm starting to panic slightly, especially as the car is registered in my husbands name and the letters are addressed to him. After reading some of the posts on here I'm realising that ignoring them was the wrong thing to do, but what should I do now?
The Car Park company collects my fees every month, so they must know they don't have a leg to stand on. So should I carry on ignoring them or should I write to them? Hope someone out there can help.

Redx

send the template letter from the RK as shown in the NEWBIES sticky thread to the actual parking company - if this is in england or wales (you never said)

complain to the admin staff as the trust are responsible for these people and can get this cancelled for you

have a word with your union and try to find out how to get these dropped too (put pressure on the trust)

ignore the debt collectors, they are powerless (see post #4 of the newbies thread)

in future, if in england or wales, do not ignore, appeal

yes you are in the right place, my only complaint is not enough usage of the ENTER key on your keyboard

bod1467

#1 There was no loss caused to the Trust or the parking company simply because your permit slipped.

#2 Debt collectors are powerless twits - they can't take you to court.

#3 Complain to your management/NHS parking team about this harassment.

Who is the PPC? (Parking Eye?).

stayingpositive

Fair point about the ENTER key Redx.

It had just occurred to me to speak to the union actually. And if that fails I will speak the my HR dept as well.

Thanks for the advice

stayingpositive

Thanks for the advice bod1467.

No it's UKPC.

I was pretty sure myself that the debt collectors are powerless and that UKPC have to prove that they have incurred financial loss - which of course they haven't because they are still collecting my money whether I park there or not.

But it's still a bit scary when the letters start arriving.
I'm gonna try speaking to my union to see if they can get them off my back.

Fergie76

I think all NHS parking should be free, as it is in Scotland and Wales, but most definitely for staff.

fisherjim

stayingpositive wrote: »

Thanks for the advice bod1467.

No it's UKPC.

I was pretty sure myself that the debt collectors are powerless and that UKPC have to prove that they have incurred financial loss - which of course they haven't because they are still collecting my money whether I park there or not.

But it's still a bit scary when the letters start arriving.
I'm gonna try speaking to my union to see if they can get them off my back.

Are you sure UKPC are collecting your money, isn't it stopped out of your salary by the trust estate management?

Redx

worth moaning at the trust and HR and telling them you know all about the GUIDANCE given my Jeremy Hunt 6 months ago where he found this behaviour appalling and that trusts are jointly liable and accountable and should be putting a stop to it

have a read of it, download or copy it and arm yourself with those details and insist that genuine hospital staff are not harassed in this way as it breaches the government guidelines to the trusts - knowledge is power

stayingpositive

Thats a good question? I assumed it was UKPC, but you could be right. I'll have to check it out.

stayingpositive

Well worth checking out.
Thanks

Orangezorki

I'm an NHS doctor and have been in exactly the same position as you, on multiple occasions. Every time, I emailed and followed up (politely!) with the person who manages the parking for the trust, and it was always cancelled. I've heard that if you try and reason with the parking company you won't get anywhere.

I don't know about you, but for me it was always if I was working a weekend or had a long overnight shift, or had to come in to work at 'holy crap does this hour even exist? o'clock'. It just makes your day that little bit worse, and I don't see why there can't be a system of checking number plates before issuing that annoying sticky yellow parcel of doom.

Please don't give in without a fight - if it wasn't for us NHS workers there wouldn't be a point in having the hospital there or a parking service in the first place!