Mum slams Fairfield hospital fine after parking in ambulance bay

Madeliene Downes, 44, was taking her son Ryan to an appointment at Fairfield General Hospital in November last year.

Despite arriving early, Madeliene says that she struggled to find a parking spot at in the grounds of the Bury hospital, which is used by patients in Bolton.

She called the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team from her car to explain the situation as the appointment time loomed, but claims she was told, “it was too late” and that her son had “missed” his allocated time slot.

As a ‘last resort’, Madeliene parked her Toyota in an ambulance bay.

She said: “We had been waiting a long time for this appointment and I was so angry.

“I saw a police car parked in a bay so left my car there too, although I didn’t realise it was ambulance one.

“There were other cars which nearby were double parked and blocking entrances and I felt my parking was a safer option.”

She shared that once inside the hospital, she ‘pushed back’ with staff regarding the missed appointment, claiming that it was unfair and says that they eventually managed to ‘find room’ to carry out her son’s assessment.

Madeliene added: “I lost it and was so cross and angry at the situation. If they hadn’t told me I’d missed the appointment, I would have driven around for longer.

“When we came out, I had a ticket on my car.”

The mum says that she ‘refused to pay’ the initial £35 Parking Charge Notice (PCN).

Almost a year later, she received a solicitor’s letter informing her that she is now being charged £140. If she fails to pay the fee, she may be charged £225 and accrue a County Court Judgment (CCJ).

Madeliene added: “I shouldn’t be paying this, my car wasn’t blocking anything. I can’t afford to pay it and don’t understand why they’ve left it so long to send this letter.

“I can’t get my child to the hospital on public transport due to his needs. I’m still so angry. This is a hospital issue.

“We’ve been going there for years and parking is so much now, especially as they’ve closed car parking spaces to carry out work.”

The surrounding areas are managed by residents’ permits issued by Bury Council, meaning that street parking in the Fairfield area can be limited at peak times.

Andrew Montgomery, Northern Care Alliance (NCA) deputy director of estates, facilities and capital development, said: “Our hospital sites can be extremely busy, and we understand the frustration when patients and visitors can’t easily find a parking space.

“To keep traffic moving and to ensure the safety of people using our sites, key access routes need to be kept clear for emergency vehicles at all times.

“Any vehicle not parked in a designated bay may receive a Parking Charge Notice (PCN).”