Anger at '˜vile' Sheffield hospital parking abuse

People who pretend to be patients at a Sheffield cancer hospital to park for free have been branded '˜disgusting' and '˜vile'.
A new pay and display machine is being installed at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield.A new pay and display machine is being installed at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield.
A new pay and display machine is being installed at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield.

The comments come after the trust in charge of Weston Park said it would introduce pay parking in October, partly to stop people who are not patients abusing its car park.

Read more:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Reacting online, Dawn Proctor said: “This makes me so angry, why would people pretend to be patients? Vile people.

“Perhaps there should be a parking permit given out to people who need to use the parking facilities frequently (they should also get priority over other car park users too).”

Kelly Barker added: “I think it’s disgusting what people do to save a couple of pounds.”

And Bev Pyewell, a patient at the hospital, said: “Last week a car parked up and a couple got out with two kids. They started to walk out of the car park and the parking attendant shouted them back. They told him they had an appointment at the children’s hospital and after a few heated words they got back in their car and drove away, to the joy of us cancer patients.

“Why should we have to suffer from selfish people?”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hospital bosses say concessionary rates will be available to long-term patients once the new charges come in. The Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the site, said the charges would be in line with other hospital car parks around the city.

Some people thought charges were not the way forward. Marilyn Gleed said she often used public transport instead of her own car because the car park was full.

“Yes, it’s not right, but I think it would be better if patients just showed their appointment at the car park,” she added.

And Katherine Deighton said people were just using the hospital car park because there was nowhere else.

“Why not have a barrier where you get a ticket and to get out you attend the hospital?” she asked. “Because that won’t bring in any money, that’s why.”