An NHS driver at Cheltenham General Hospital has expressed frustration after receiving an £80 parking fine, despite night-time parking being free for NHS staff. The worker, responsible for transporting blood samples, attempted multiple times to purchase a ‘free’ parking ticket via the car park provider’s app but faced technical difficulties that prevented completion.
The hospital car park, managed by Saba—a company overseeing 900 car parks across the UK including Gloucestershire Royal Hospital—requires night staff (those working from 7:30 pm to before 8 am) to obtain a free parking ticket through the app and display a staff permit. However, the NHS worker, arriving at 9:15 pm, was unable to finalize his ticket purchase due to app malfunctions and assumed parking would be permitted since physical payment options were unavailable overnight and parking is free during these hours.
After his 10-hour shift, he found a parking charge notice issued at 10:54 pm for failure to obtain a valid ticket. Despite his efforts to appeal online—explaining the app issues and providing evidence—his appeal was rejected. The original £80 fine was reduced to £40 for prompt payment, which he settled to avoid further penalties.
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The worker criticized the process, questioning the need to ‘purchase’ a ticket for free parking and highlighting poor communication about alternative payment methods available via Saba’s website or phone. He also pointed out that the app does not verify staff status, potentially allowing anyone to buy a ‘staff’ ticket, which undermines its purpose.
A hospital spokesperson acknowledged the issue, emphasizing that while parking is free for night staff, obtaining a free ticket via the app and displaying a valid permit remains mandatory. They advised staff to contact Saba promptly if technical problems occur and to follow the official appeal process for any disputed charges. Saba declined to comment on the matter.