Eastbourne nurses face legal action over hospital parking fines

Staff parking charges were suspended at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March but prior to that the nurses – who work within the psychiatric unit at the hospital – say ticket machines were not working in the staff car park and some workers believed they did not have to pay as other sites offer free parking.

Eleven members of staff now face fines of £21,000 and are calling on both the trust that runs the psychiatric unit – Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – and the trust responsible for the DGH – East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Michelle Delaney-Payne and Lesley Allott from the group said the fines had been passed from hospital car park operators First Parking to DCB Legal, the sister company of Direct Collection Baliffs Ltd featured on TV show Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away.

Michelle, whose fines have swelled to £3,600, said, “We work with patients in a mental health unit who are struggling due to Covid and we are getting threatening letters from bailiffs. It’s outrageous and making members of staff extremely ill and affecting their mental health too.”

A spokesperson for the psychiatric unit trust said, “We welcome the suspension of parking fees for staff at Eastbourne DGH since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The £1 per day charge applied to all NHS staff working at the hospital site including staff working for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. We understand East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust are looking into the details of this case to resolve this situation.”

A DGH trust spokesperson added, “Staff parking charges have been suspended since March. We know this is a difficult time for NHS staff and are looking into the details of this case to resolve this situation.”