Royal Oldham Hospital staff risk fines over lack of parking

Mental health nurse Emma Hopwood said staff were struggling to find spaces

A nurse has said she would rather face court than pay a fine in a row over a lack of hospital staff parking permits.

Emma Hopwood, who asked for a permit in July last year, was given a ticket after stepping in to work a shift at short notice at Royal Oldham Hospital.

She said a lack of permits had caused "anxiety" for colleagues who were battling for parking spaces.

Hospital bosses said using permits was the "fairest way" but admitted it was "frustrating" for those without.

The system was introduced at NHS hospitals last year after fees were brought back at the site's public car park.

Parking for NHS hospital staff in England was free during the pandemic.

Ms Hopwood said workers without permits faced a choice between parking miles away from the hospital, trying to find a space in the busy main car park or risking a fine on the resident-only roads nearby.

"I have got colleagues that don't want to go to work anymore as it's just not worth the hassle and the anxiety that they're facing," she said.

Parking for NHS hospital staff in England was free during the pandemic

In a statement the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) said those who had not been given a permit should "speak with their manager who will support them in finding a solution".

The statement added: "We are continuing to review all our staff transport options, including parking, to improve the experience of both our colleagues and patients."

Ms Hopwood said her appeal against her fine had been refused but she would continue to oppose it.

"If they send me to court, I'll go to court and appeal it there," she said.

"We're trying to serve the public and we're being penalised for it."

Hospital staff say they are facing fines due to a lack of public space and staff permits

Debbie Abrahams, Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said she had sympathy with the trust's problem but said a solution needed to be found.

"We have a problem around staff retention in the NHS as a whole, all sorts of safety issues, and we need to make sure that staff are safe," she said.