Nurses and NHS staff in East Lancashire have described receiving £267 fines dating back more than five years as ‘heartless’ and ‘greedy’.

Staff have also been told they must pay the fines or face getting a County Court Judgement (CCJ) against their names.

The situation came to light after a parking firm chased up fines for staff who had been parking at Burnley General Hospital more than five years ago.

People who had paid for parking are now being told they were parked in the ‘wrong spot’ within the car park itself.

The car park is managed by UK Parking Control Limited on behalf of the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust (ELHT).

ELHT admitted parking for ‘NHS employees has been a long-standing issue’ and places were limited at sites.

It said the fines were issued to those who had parked ‘in an anti-social or unsafe manner’ and the drivers had not responded to correspondence, leading to eventual court action.

ELHT said it ‘does not benefit from the process’ and urged any staff who were facing any sort of financial difficulties to seek assistance from relevant NHS departments.

According to documents seen by the Lancashire Telegraph one driver is being chased for a contravention back in January 2018, and another was believed to being chased for a fine from 2017.

More than 15 people have been contacted in the past week and are asked to pay £267 or face having a CCJ against their names.

The initial amount claimed is £182, with a £35 court fee and £50 legal representative costs, making up the total of more than £260.

Staff, who did not wish to be named, said chasing NHS workers who had worked through the Covid-19 pandemic and were struggling with rising living costs was ‘ridiculous’ and made them ‘want to quit’.

They had already paid to park at the site but once inside were unable to find a spot. 

One said: “I can’t believe the hospital is not supporting staff on this.

“We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, NHS staff are striking for an increase in pay and then we have greedy car parking companies who have been contracted by the hospital to squeeze hundreds out of us for parking tickets that were issued up to six years ago.”

“The irony of all this is that parking notices have been issued on staff car parks which we have to pay for to park in in the first place. It’s a double-edged sword. It’s ridiculous.”

Another said: “Every single hospital department has numerous staff who have been affected by this and we’re being passed off by the hospital to the facilities company who run the car park, and the facilities company pass us off to the car park company, it’s a joke.

“There isn’t enough parking in the first place so it is a struggle to find parking. We’ve paid for parking and then we’re fined with no support from the hospital management.”

Another staff member said: “I’m really depressed about this. I can’t afford the £280 that I’m being asked to pay. I have to choose between finding £280 or accepting a CCJ.

“Imagine coming home after a 12 hour shift at the hospital, understaffed and massively overworked and finding court proceedings basically from your employer on your door mat.

“I love my job as a nurse but this makes me want to quit!”

Others told of similar concerns at other East Lancashire Hospitals where staff had to pay to enter but then wasted time looking for a ‘legal’ car parking spot.

James Maguire, director of estates and facilities for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Car parking for NHS employees has been a long-standing issue, and we understand parking can be limited during busy times. 

“However, it's important to note some individuals have been and continue to park inappropriately, obstructing exits and access routes that are crucial for site safety. 

“In such cases, the company managing parking on Trust sites issued a small number of tickets to colleagues who continue to park in an anti-social or unsafe manner, despite being repeatedly asked to stop. 

“Unfortunately, people have chosen to overlook and not pay the tickets received, or even to appeal against them.

"Over time they have also not responded to the various correspondence with regards to the unpaid tickets, which is why it has sadly reached the stage of court action being considered.

“It is important to emphasise that neither Equans nor the Trust benefit financially from this process.

“To maximise the available parking space, we have implemented a policy that also aims to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, and colleagues by preventing blockage of footpaths, entrances and emergency exits.

"Any fines issued are in accordance with this policy, as would be the case with public parking in general.

“If colleagues are experiencing financial difficulties, they are encouraged to seek help and advice. Our Wellbeing Team provides various resources to assist with managing the rising cost of living.

“Our Estates and Facilities team has worked diligently to create as much parking space as possible, particularly at our Burnley General Teaching Hospital site.”

UK Parking Control Limited were approached for comment but did not respond.