Hellllp please parking charge parking eye Preston hospital

KJR123 · 30 September 2019 at 4:35PM

I attended royal Preston hospital on 22 September 2019 with my 11 month old son following me & him falling down the stairs. We suspected that he may have fractures and a head injury, we urgently rushed him to Preston hospital by car & called 999 as he had blood coming out of his mouth & was sreaming. We were told to just carry on to hospital and they could not phone ahead for us.

We arrived at a&e and my husband dropped us at the door before parking in the adjacent car park and rushing in himself.

We were all very shaken and in shock and crying, the hospital staff saw to our baby promptly due to his injuries

Thankfully our baby was ok & but when we left the hospital were badly shaken and the baby was crying in need of milk, which they do not provide in a&e or sell at hospital.

On Saturday at my disbelief I received a parking charge notice for £70.

At no point did me nor my husband see any signs regarding parking. In fact, we were previously blue lighted to hospital by a paramedic in October 2018 & my husband followed in the car. When we left the hospital and tried to pay for parking the warden told us that if the barrier was up you didn't need to pay, so my husband had rightly assumed the same would apply here.

Given the emergency and the fact we saved the NHS a considerable sum of money by not incurring the cost of an ambulance, it is outrageous that we are expected to meet the cost of this so called fine for £70.

I have contacted my local MP and the hospital complaints department & asked for proof I have attend for the so called appeal.

Does anyone have any experience or similar situation? It seems absurd that a hospital would get involved with a company like parking eye. I'm fine with the small claims court & litigation process, but is it worth it? Am unlikely to be successful?

I'd happily pay for the parking costs I incurred (the car park was half empty) so not really any cost to them so far save for admin letter/PCN.

Redx · 30 September 2019 at 4:44PM

There are loads of hospitals employing parking companies like Parking Eye , sadly

You have done the right thing in complaining about this to your MP and to the trust

Ideally get PALS or the hospital facilities section to get it cancelled asap

If that fails , read the newbies faq sticky thread near the top of the forum and appeal as keeper using the blue text template with no changes , no explanations either before the 28 day deadline

Do not reveal who was driving , for now

If this went to court ( as many do ) you would likely lose