Parking Eye - Barnet Hospital - ANPR Error

Umkomaas

2. To undertake a freedom of information request (they are operating on behalf of a publicly run body) 

That's an interesting tack in relation to any PPC operating at a hospital or council-owned car park, plus outfits like Wing Parking (and what about car parks owned by local authority pension funds?). From my reading, any request would need to go via the public body rather than direct to the PPC and much would ride on the contract between the public body and the PPC (such FOIs are likely to expose failings in the contracting process and the actual agreed contract). Unless there is a more definitive publication, this one seems to cover things (para 34 et seq especially):

https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1043530/outsourcing-and-freedom-of-information.pdf

Q: Should the issue of a FOI to the relevant public body be part of general advice?  (It probably gives our Diplomat (Ret'd) an excuse to wordsmith a new copy and paste ready for hospital cases!). It's going to need a determined and resilient individual to plough through this and operate against barriers and smoke screens that will no doubt be put in their way. While not for the faint hearted, snowflake or anyone incapable of stringing a few words together, just the issue of a FOI might give the Trust sufficient hassle to make them think twice as to whether a PPC is still the answer to their prayers!

Johnersh

There's EU law on this. It's a contract being performed on behalf of an emanation of the state. There may be resistance, but I think they'll have to cough it up.  Naturally everything depends on the way the issue is raised and what information is asked for. And yes, it should properly be directed at the Trust in the first instance,  now that I think further about it. 

Coupon-mad

Don't bother with this person:

dee.davies@nhs.net 

Absolutely USELESS when she replied to me a few times; she was horribly biased towards P/Eye and away from patients.

Good to have the other names posted, though.  Just forget Dee.  Her replies beggared belief.

MothballsWallet

Coupon-mad said:

Don't bother with this person:

dee.davies@nhs.net 

Absolutely USELESS when she replied to me a few times; she was horribly biased towards P/Eye and away from patients.

Good to have the other names posted, though.  Just forget Dee.  Her replies beggared belief.

Were they just copy & pastes (C&Ps) from the PPC handbook, C-m?

Coupon-mad

Not really, she was just dismissive and rude in her own style, every time.  Totally useless for patients.

dadsma

Coupon-mad said:

Not really, she was just dismissive and rude in her own style, every time.  Totally useless for patients.

Would being dismissive and rude warrant a complaint to the trust?

Coupon-mad

Yes if it happens now, but it's too long ago!  It was a time when POPLA was easier to win, so I just beat ParkingEye at POPLA instead.

erictheviking_3

The Hospital have now said they will rescind this. All credit to them but they have more important things to do. Mr Mustard & I are both of the opinion this is worth pursuing further. All credit to him - he even walked to the hospital to try to identify where the ANPR pics were taken. We will keep you updated on any progress.

D_P_Dance

All credit to them but they have more important things to do

This is important, vulnerable people have been driven to suicide due to the actions of these companies.  

Coupon-mad

erictheviking_3 said:

The Hospital have now said they will rescind this. All credit to them but they have more important things to do. Mr Mustard & I are both of the opinion this is worth pursuing further. All credit to him - he even walked to the hospital to try to identify where the ANPR pics were taken. We will keep you updated on any progress.

I am so glad you got in touch with Mr Mustard, who is the local Barnet ticket fighter who previously helped that other person who won in court.  You could have grounds to sue ParkingEye for abuse of surveillance camera images and obtaining data they were not entitled to, and the court case is evidence that these ANPR 'errors' are not a one-off and this issue has continued at Barnet Hospital for years.

I bet Mr Mustard could write you a storming ICO complaint using the other case as evidence too...