Nurses in Cardiff NHS face huge bills

Placitasgirl

In response to this case and some of the reporting of it, a spokeswoman from Indigo has said: “In April last year, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Indigo agreed a new set of measures to improve car parking on the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) site.

“As a gesture of goodwill towards car park users, parking charge notices (PCN) issued up to the end of March 2016 were cancelled. In addition, the cost of a PCN was reduced to £10, if paid within 14 days.

“Despite this, a number of people refused to pay for parking at the site. They also ignored the resulting PCNs and declined to use the formal appeals process.

“The recent court hearing related to three persistent offenders who have accumulated in excess of 100 PCNs between them since April 2016.

“As the company responsible for managing parking and ensuring the free flow of traffic at Cardiff UHW, we have an obligation to ensure enforcement of parking restrictions.

“For this reason, and with the full support of the health board, we took action against this small group of persistent offenders. The court’s ruling has justified our decision to take this action.”

To be honest I am unsure why some of these individuals (and they are not all nurses or doctors, but admin and housekeeping staff too) feel so badly treated. I and many of my friends work in Cardiff and know all too well the challenges of parking/finding parking and paying for it. At least parking at the hospital site is subsidised for staff, which it isn't for visitors.

It's also the case that a Park and Ride facility for staff and visitors to the UHW site has recently been relaunched. The site is an easy 10 minute ride from the hospital and the service is subsidised for staff, who pay £1 to park securely and travel by bus (service runs every 20 minutes) to and from the hospital. I have used the service several times (I'm not staff), and have been disappointed to see so few staff and others using it. I hopes usage increases after this case and the publicity it's generated as this really is a case of "use it or lose it" as happened in the past.

Coupon-mad

It's also the case that a Park and Ride facility for staff and visitors to the UHW site has recently been relaunched.

We know - in May I believe - that doesn't help the people unfairly ticketed in 2016/2017 and pursued like criminals.

You've quoted the NHS Trust as if their version is the correct one. Don't believe the spiel.

For example, it is not about refusing to pay for parking, as they would have people believe:

Despite this, a number of people refused to pay for parking at the site.

Really? But it's not about that. I understand - on good authority, by people who are not given to lying - that the truth is this:

Originally Posted by bargepole
The staff are not charged for the permits. They have to pay £1.05 a day to park in a designated car park, for which there are about five times as many permits issued as there are spaces.

There was also an issue over the time taken between applying for a permit and receiving one, in some cases as long as four months.

Most of the PCNs in question in this case, were issued because staff parked in a different car park, or hadn't yet received their permit. There were also some instances of pay machines not working.

Placitasgirl

I "don't believe the spiel", but am just trying to balance the argument by sharing Indigo's statement. The group lobbying for those taken to court are claiming one nurse owes "£150,000" in fines and filling the media here with claims that people will have to sell their homes because of the fines they received. It's my understanding, also from people who are not given to lying that this simply isn't true, they are facing these costs because they chose to launch a legal action to fight the fines.

Coupon-mad

I won't be commenting on why costs are a feature.

pappa_golf

Placitasgirl wrote: »

In response to this case and some of the reporting of it, a spokeswoman from Indigo has said: “In April last year, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Indigo agreed a new set of measures to improve car parking on the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) site.

“As a gesture of goodwill towards car park users, parking charge notices (PCN) issued up to the end of March 2016 were cancelled. In addition, the cost of a PCN was reduced to £10, if paid within 14 days.

“Despite this, a number of people refused to pay for parking at the site. They also ignored the resulting PCNs and declined to use the formal appeals process.

“The recent court hearing related to three persistent offenders who have accumulated in excess of 100 PCNs between them since April 2016.

“As the company responsible for managing parking and ensuring the free flow of traffic at Cardiff UHW, we have an obligation to ensure enforcement of parking restrictions.

“For this reason, and with the full support of the health board, we took action against this small group of persistent offenders. The court’s ruling has justified our decision to take this action.”

To be honest I am unsure why some of these individuals (and they are not all nurses or doctors, but admin and housekeeping staff too) feel so badly treated. I and many of my friends work in Cardiff and know all too well the challenges of parking/finding parking and paying for it. At least parking at the hospital site is subsidised for staff, which it isn't for visitors.

It's also the case that a Park and Ride facility for staff and visitors to the UHW site has recently been relaunched. The site is an easy 10 minute ride from the hospital and the service is subsidised for staff, who pay £1 to park securely and travel by bus (service runs every 20 minutes) to and from the hospital. I have used the service several times (I'm not staff), and have been disappointed to see so few staff and others using it. I hopes usage increases after this case and the publicity it's generated as this really is a case of "use it or lose it" as happened in the past.

I believe the last bus is at (i think) 17.15 and shift change (clocking off) is at 17.30 , , (or that might be 19.15 - 19.30 ) there is NO bus service for staff fefinishing shift , hence no one arriving on the bus

bargepole

Placitasgirl wrote: »

..., they are facing these costs because they chose to launch a legal action to fight the fines.

More misinformation. The defendants didn't "launch a legal action", it was the claimants, Indigo, who initiated the proceedings.

But not before the £20 parking charges had been inflated to £128 each with the addition of spurious 'fees' from a firm of dubious and unlicensed debt collectors, and the involvement of a firm of solicitors who appear happy to see their previous good reputation dragged into the gutter.

Then there is the management of the Trust, sending a senior manager to the court hearing to give evidence for the parking company that they signed up on a long contract.

Too many snouts in the trough, all trying to fleece people who work hard in public service. Absolutely disgraceful, the bosses of the Trust and Indigo should crawl back under the stone from which they emerged.

trisontana

Placitasgirl wrote: »

I "don't believe the spiel", but am just trying to balance the argument by sharing Indigo's statement. The group lobbying for those taken to court are claiming one nurse owes "£150,000" in fines and filling the media here with claims that people will have to sell their homes because of the fines they received. It's my understanding, also from people who are not given to lying that this simply isn't true, they are facing these costs because they chose to launch a legal action to fight the fines.

Why do insist in calling them "fines" when they are not?

pappa_golf

trisontana wrote: »

Why do insist in calling them "fines" when they are not?

coz the "man in the street" understands "fines"

Ryandavis1959

trisontana wrote: »

Why do insist in calling them "fines" when they are not?

Who knows the difference between a fine and a charge? To the common person they are one and the same, as is the decision on whether to pay them or not.

In Scotland we call them !!!! tickets. :beer:

Ryandavis1959

If the information on Parkind Prankster about a coordinated smear campaign against the nurses' Lay Rep is correct, it is only a matter of time before the media pick up on it as well as the Judge involved. I can see this ended up very badly for the parking firm and their chums. Don't forget your toothbrush eh?

Never mind the data protection claim that the nurses may be able to claim once they win their appeal.

Victory from the jaws of defeat is on the cards and an end to all hospital parking charges for nurses.