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Thursday, December 04, 2008, 08:00
Mike St John had been working for Total Parking Solutions, a firm employed by the hospital, for just three weeks before deciding to leave.
He said he was shocked at what he called the double standards of hospital officials who had told him to remove tickets he had issued on staff cars.
When he routinely put a ticket on a car on a hatched area, where parking is banned, he was told to remove it as the car belonged to the chief executive of another NHS trust.
Mr St John said: "After I put a ticket on the car someone came out and said it was OK for him to park there.
"They are allowing cars to park on hatched areas and double yellow lines and I'm being told not to police it.
"I'm shocked at the double standards when most people have to pay and they are letting other people off.
"When ambulances need to get to the door they can't, and patients in beds are constantly being wheeled in and out."
Mr St John said he was also told to ignore motorists parked on double yellow lines outside the hospital at certain hours of the day so parents could use the spaces to pick up and drop off their children at nearby St Mary's Primary School.
He said: "The problem is other people see that there are cars parked on the lines so they think it is OK to park there too."
He said there were particular problems around the North entrance.
RUH director of facilities, Howard Jones, rejected Mr St John's complaints. He said the visiting boss had to park in the spot concerned because of ongoing construction work, and that the car was not blocking an entrance or impeding patients in any way.
Mr Jones said they had agreed with the school that parents could drop off their children up until 9.15am and collect them from 3pm, without being fined, as a gesture of goodwill, and that no emergency entrances were being blocked.
He said: "Other than those times, the area is monitored and warnings and fines can be issued. I have not received any reports of the hospital's North entrance being blocked, or ambulances finding access or egress difficult.
"The signage on site correctly states that anyone parking illegally faces a warning and possible fine. This includes the North access road.
"The fining process requires a parking attendant to photograph any car illegally parked. I understand an attendant had been photographing cars, parked on the hospital access road, while they were still occupied by children and parents or carers.
"Car parking is monitored to ensure the limited space we have is used safely and correctly by patients and our staff."
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