A Nottingham hospital worker has said she feels stressed and tired after waiting five years for a parking permit. Julie Best, a healthcare assistant at City Hospital, is sometimes forced to make a two-hour round trip from Mansfield in order to park elsewhere.
The 47-year-old mum, who applied for a permit before starting her role in 2017, hit out at the delay. "I'm more tired and it's stressful. It's ridiculous, it's really ridiculous," she told Nottinghamshire Live.
Parking fees were waived for NHS workers across the country at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic before the government stopped the scheme from April 1. Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), the trust running Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, reintroduced the charges last week.
Read more: Nottingham hospital trust accused of 'cash grab' from NHS workers over parking ordeal
Mrs Best said that what was once a 30-minute commute now takes an hour before and after every shift, which sometimes last 12 hours. To avoid paying £8 a day at the visitors car park, the healthcare assistant drives to Wilkinson Street Park and Ride before catching a Medilink bus.
"Luckily the weather's okay now but I have to stand out in all weathers and wait for the Medilink which isn't always reliable," she said. "I applied [for the permit] before I started in 2017 as I was told it could take up to a year. When I've tried asking about it I've either had no response or just a general comment."
Last month a nurse told Nottinghamshire Live she was prepared to leave her job over problems with parking. Mrs Best said that she knows people who have quit, and revealed she would reconsider her position if the situation does not improve.
"Anywhere you work you should be able to park," she continued. "I understand it's difficult as there's only so many parking spaces but when you're turning up and there's 30 cars in the car park you think 'hang on a minute'."
NUH has been approached for comment.
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