Oldham hospital: 'Exempt' mental health car hit with fine

NHS nurses and staff at the hospital are continuing to campaign for free parking within hospital grounds for workers after several claim to have been hit with parking fines.

Staff say they have been unable to obtain an NHS permit, which is provided by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, after the trust met its "quota" - which has been denied by the trust.

They also said enforcement on the NHS 'staff only' car park ramped up by the end of last year and that they "suddenly" started finishing their shifts to yellow penalty charge notices.

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NHS nurses say enforcement in the staff car park has ramped up (Image: Newsquest)

However, the NCA disputes having a quota and said the permit scheme was brought back in gradually after Covid.

NHS workers who require a permit have to meet a set of criteria which the NCA did not disclose to The Oldham Times but said permits are granted "fairly".

Yet nurses have said their bid for a parking pass has been denied by the trust for the first time in decades with one going so far as to launch a nationwide petition to rally against the car parking charges.

Also read: 'We weren't fined when people were clapping': NHS staff revolt against parking fines

Another nurse said he has been working in the Oldham community for more than 20 years, during which time he has always been granted a permit.

A car in the NHS car park with a parking fine (Image: Newsquest)

He said he requires his car to get to and from work and to perform his duties out in the community while safely carrying drugs and confidential documents between the hospital and his destinations.

But he likewise said his permit application was denied in December last year.

He continued: "I expected to get a permit without issue due to the nature of my role - community nursing and cars are inextricably linked.

"So I was surprised, as were several of my other community colleagues, when the NCA announced that they were fully subscribed and that no further appeals were to be considered."

The nurse said the "annoying part" is that he is unable to communicate with the trust "as phone calls go unanswered and emails are met with an automated response".

Also read: Oldham hospital nurses hit with parking fine after company refuses NHS permits

The fresh complaints come as a Pennine Care secure vehicle, which provides support to mental health and learning disability patients across the region, was hit with a penalty enforcement notice when parked outside The Cherrywood Clinic.

The clinic provides secondary care mental health services to adults with complex and/or severe and enduring mental health problems.

A sign in the car reveals it is exempt from car parking charges and permits (Image: Newsquest)

The vehicle itself is used by the mental health care provider across all of the trust's sites to transport people who could be potentially disruptive and/or unsuitable for transportation in a conventional car or ambulance.

A photograph of the ticketed car shows the vehicle had a sign, which read: "Pennine Care Trust Vehicle, exempt from parking and permit charges", while a yellow enforcement notice had been stuck on the passenger side.

The nurse added: "At least NCA's parking police aren't discriminatory."

A spokesperson for Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “We recognise that some of our staff are facing difficulties parking at Royal Oldham Hospital.

"Parking is a big challenge on the site and we’re talking to Northern Care Alliance, who manage the parking, to find a solution.”

Andrew Montgomery, NCA Deputy Director of Estates, Facilities & Capital Development, also said the "introduction" of a staff parking permit system helps the trust to "manage demand and ensure spaces are allocated on a fair basis".

Mr Montgomery said applications for a permit are reviewed against criteria which has been designed "in consultation with colleagues and trade unions" and that it is based on their working requirements.

He continued: “We appreciate how frustrating it can be for those colleagues who have not been issued with a permit and those affected were invited to appeal the decision."

The NCA has said appeals that were filed in the "first phase" of the permit scheme have now been processed and parking charge notices have been "reintroduced" for cars which do not have a valid staff permit.

However, fines can be appealed and those deemed incorrect "will be revoked", he added.

Mr Montgomery continued: “Our hospital sites are incredibly busy and the staff parking permit system helps us to manage traffic flow and ensure that there is fair share of parking spaces for both colleagues and our patients.”  

Got a health story? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @Livbridge