Posted 09 November 2016 - 16:50
Posted 09 November 2016 - 16:50
News
Nurses should not be forced to pay parking fines, say RCN Wales
Staff upset over hospital car parking fines at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
The RCN in Wales has called for nurses and other healthcare professionals to be exempt from paying the ‘extra burden’ of car parking fines at work.
A number of employees at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff have been sent letters ordering them to pay parking fines or risk being prosecuted, according to walesonline.co.uk.
One nurse told the website she received a claim form earlier this month from private firm Indigo, which is responsible for car parking at the organisation, stating she owed nearly £900 in parking fines.
Awareness of concerns
RCN Wales director Tina Donnelly said: ‘The RCN in Wales is aware of concerns raised about staff car parking at the University Hospital Wales in Cardiff.
‘Due to the unsocial hours that nurses and other health care professionals work they cannot rely on public transport.
‘Added to this the parking congestion at the hospital sometimes means that nurses and other healthcare staff are having to park in non-designated parking areas on hospital grounds because they do not want to be late for a working shift, which could have an impact on patient care.
‘We already know that some nurses and health care staff are already struggling to cope financially and car parking fees are an extra burden.
‘They should be supported and should not be forced to pay parking fines when they work unsocial hours.’
Facing charges
From 1 April employees of the health board were required to pay parking charge notices (PCNs) or face prosecution.
Adam Cairns, chief executive at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: ‘Anyone using the UHW site who does not comply with the payment of PCNs will be taken through the legal process by Indigo and I urge this very small minority of staff and visitors to contact Indigo to resolve any outstanding PCNs urgently.’
Health Minister Edwina Hart announced in 2008 that hospital car parking charges were to be scrapped in Wales unless external contracts were already in place.
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