Parking chaos unleashes fines and frustration at North Devon District Hospital
Both staff at the hospital and members of the public have reported unreasonable parking fines.
Hospital staff fighting to save lives say they have been hit with added stress after being wrongly fined for parking at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) while trying to work their shift.
Patients have also received fines in the post after falling foul of the camera controlled parking system and on-site enforcement provided by private parking company NexusPark.
The Gazette was contacted by a concerned hospital worker who claimed that many NDDH staff are being wrongly fined for parking violations, even though they possess valid permits and pay for parking through the designated app.
Patients and visitors too are being hit by fines for various reasons, including dropping off or collecting within the designated Drop Zone, which is supposed to have a 15-minute free period.
The member of staff told the Gazette that NexusPark is allegedly aware that staff parking on weekends or during night shifts is exempt from charges, as agreed upon with the hospital trust. Despite this, many staff members have reported receiving fines during these exempted periods.
They said the appeal process, meant to address these issues, has failed to provide responses, leaving staff stressed and worried.
In a statement responding to the claims, Nexus said: "We are aware that there has been some feedback from staff at the North Devon Hospital regarding the access to and payment for staff parking."
Nexus claimed to have been collaborating with the health trust to address the issues and has recently implemented changes to parking regulations, narrowing down the enforcement hours.
The change in regulations, which were effective from January 18, aimed to address staff concerns by limiting parking enforcement to specific hours. Nexus has asserted that charges issued outside of these hours since December 4, 2023, have been cancelled and refunds are being processed for those who had already paid.
Nexus has assured the North Devon Gazette that appeals are being handled, with responses sent over the last few days. The company has pledged to process any pending appeals in accordance with standard procedures, providing a response within 28 days.
The company also said that its revenue is solely directed towards the maintenance and management of the car parks.