A woman got a £40 fine after rushing her seriously ill mum to A&E and parking in a drop-off zone because there was no space in the hospital car park. Jill Taylor, 75, was taken to hospital after a serious and “potentially life-threatening” accident last month.
Ms Taylor had fallen outside a Primary Care Centre, suffering wounds to her head and face. Her daughter was told to drive her straight to A&E, but when they arrived they were unable to find a parking space.
In desperation, the family left the car in the drop-off zone and left a note on it. But they returned to find they had been landed with a £40 fine.
Ms Taylor's daughter, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “There was blood pouring out from her nose, the bridge of her glasses cut into her nose and a wound to her head. She was in a right mess but, luckily, this was in a medical centre and doctors and nurses came out to give assistance.
"Because of how serious her injuries were, they advised us to drive straight to A&E rather than wait ages for an ambulance. When we arrived at the hospital we found the main car park was full, which we believe was due to a fault with the barriers.
"I had to abandon the car in a drop-off bay to get mum the help she needed and I returned to the car to discover I'd been fined. I was in disbelief."
The family appealed the First Parking fine later that evening, but the firm ruled against them. But after local media contacted First Parking, which manages the car parks at Southend Hospital in Essex, the fine has since been overturned.
A spokesman for First Parking said: “The case has been reconsidered and the appeal has now been accepted as a goodwill gesture. The driver has been informed that no further action will be taken.”
A spokesman for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are sorry to hear that one of our visitors had issues parking and are pleased that following the appeals process on the parking charge notice, their appeal was upheld.”
