Hospital bosses have admitted they have no idea how many parking tickets have been given to patients since a controversial new parking scheme began.
Patients have complained about fines received from parking at Stockton’s University Hospital of North Tees, since ParkingEye took over running the car park at the beginning of August.
Hospital chiefs say 85% of fine appeals are upheld - but North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust have now admitted that ParkingEye do not report to them how many tickets they hand out.
Labour’s Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, has criticised the trust for a “tremendous lack of transparency around the use of public money when services are handed over to private companies”.
A Freedom of Information request to the Trust revealed that ParkingEye provide reports containing traffic flows, the number of vehicles on site and what time they arrive, and the amount of income from payment machines.
But these reports do not give details of Parking Charge Notices.
Mr Cunningham said: “This highlights the deeper problem of a tremendous lack of transparency around the use of public money when services are handed over to private companies.
“With more and more contracts being outsourced in this way, this is a sterling example of exactly why the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act need to now be extended to those organisations providing services on behalf of the public sector.”
The trust say the new system, introduced in August, has reduced and simplified parking tariffs.
Visitors get the first 20 minutes free, then pay £3 for 12 hours and £10 for a 28 day period.
The system uses automatic number plate recognition on entrance and exit.
After a number of motorists complained to The Gazette in October, Mr Cunningham met with hospital bosses to discuss how to simplify the parking and payment process.
Mr Cunningham continued: “I am pleased ParkingEye and the Trust are seeing sense and upholding a very high proportion of appeals, but had they got visible and clear signage right across the sites in the first instance I am sure there would never have been any need for people to appeal at all.
But Mr Cunningham said he “remains concerned” those rushing to hospital could still be caught out.
Deputy director of support services at the trust, Peter Mitchell, said: “We do not view all of the civil penalty notices issued by ParkingEye.
“If anyone receives a notice they can appeal. We have been advised by ParkingEye that across the 20 health trusts whose car parks they manage that around 85% of appeals are upheld.
“A charge becomes payable if the terms and conditions are not adhered to. If someone has a legitimate reason for not paying for a ticket, such as an emergency, then notices are upheld.
“There are signs across both of our hospital sites with information about how people can pay.”
Motorists can pay on the way out of the hospital at machines, or up to midnight on the same day after leaving the site either by text, phone or through www.paybyphone.co.uk using the site number 83159 for North Tees Hospital.
For more information, contact the trust by emailing carparkingenquiries@nth.nhs.uk
The Gazette could not reach Parking Eye for comment.
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