Eastbourne DGH staff parking row rumbles on

The nurses were fighting court action after racking up more than £20,000 in parking fines and costs prior to the Covid-19 pandemic at the DGH

Eleven members of staff who faced a total of £21,000 called on both the trust which runs the psychiatric unit – Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – and the trust responsible for the DGH – East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust to intervene.

Michelle Delaney-Payne and Lesley Allott from the group said the fines were passed from hospital car park operators First Parking to DCB Legal.

While the legal action has been shelved after intervention from the trust, workers are being asked to pay the original fines which their union the GMB says is unacceptable.

GMB’s Gary Palmer said, “The trust’s Jekyll and Hyde approach just isn’t going to wash with ourmembers. A ‘we appreciate you, yet still intend to fine you’ approach is not good enough. If the trust truly believes the wellbeing of staff is paramount, then stop chasing staff for any part of outstanding fines.”

A spokesperson at the DGH trust said, “The trust took action to stop legal proceedings against staff who had outstanding parking charge notices that had been issued before the suspension of parking charges in March 2020.

“We are asking those members of staff to only pay the original parking fine and in a small number of cases, an additional £20 to cover the dismissal of court proceedings. We recognise these are difficult times and are taking a flexible and equitable approach with each individual.