Nurses outraged as 25,000 NHS staff hit with parking fines

Thousands of NHS staff have been given parking fines at work, new figures suggest (PA) Gareth Fuller

More than 25,000 NHS workers received parking fines while at work during 2024, according to new data. The figures come from just 17 NHS trusts, suggesting the true national scale could be far higher.

Many healthcare organisations could not provide complete information because third-party companies handle their parking enforcement. Others said they do not distinguish between fines issued to staff versus patients or visitors when recording data.

Scale of the problem

The Royal College of Nursing has called on the government to ensure NHS staff have access to safe and affordable parking. Leading nurses described staff as "regularly being fined for being at work".

Patricia Marquis, executive director of RCN England, expressed shock at the findings from Channel 4 News FactCheck. She told Channel 4: "It's really shocking to see it laid out like that, to see the scale of it across only 17 trusts - and imagine what that looks like when you multiply that by the 300-plus trusts that there are in England."

Marquis emphasised the broader concern about nurses facing regular fines simply for attending work. She stated: "Our absolute clear message to both the Government and to trusts themselves is they should be providing safe, cost-effective parking or travel means so that everyone can get to work without worry and without actually it costing them an extortionate amount."

Individual cases

Neonatal nurse Lisa Duggan experienced the parking system's harsh reality when she couldn't find space in her designated staff car park. Despite having a valid staff permit, she parked in another hospital car park to reach her shift on time.

Even though her staff parking permit was clearly displayed, Duggan received a fine. Delays in contesting the ticket through the third-party parking operator meant she ultimately paid nearly £300.

Duggan criticised the system's lack of compassion, telling Channel 4: "I don't think there's any care and compassion. I don't think it's fair for staff to be put in this situation."

Official response

The Department of Health and Social Care defended current arrangements, stating that free parking remains available for those in greatest need. A spokesperson said: "Free parking is available for those in greatest need, including all NHS staff who work overnight."

The department acknowledged that individual NHS trusts control car park charges but expects all fees to be reasonable and reflect local area pricing. They added: "Exploitation or mistreatment of hardworking NHS staff is unacceptable."

Sources used: "Channel 4 News FactCheck" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.