Thousands of NHS staff have been slapped with parking fines for "being at work", new figures have suggested.
Figures from 17 NHS trusts have shown that more than 25,000 fines have been handed to NHS workers during 2024.
It is according to data obtained by Channel 4 News FactCheck.
Leading nurses have said that staff were "regularly being fined for being at work".
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
A number of organisation were unable to provide information as they had third-party providers dealing with their parking fines.
Others have said they did not differentiate between staff, patients or visitor fines.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has appealed to the Government to make sure staff have "safe and cost-effective parking or travel means".
RCN England Executive Director Patricia Marquis told Channel 4: "It's really shocking to see it laid out like that".
NHS staff have been fined 'for being at work'
|PA
"To see the scale of it across only 17 trusts - and imagine what that looks like when you multiply that by the 300-plus trusts that there are in England," she said.
"It really is of concern to think that nurses are regularly, it would appear, being fined for being at work."
Ms Marquis said the RCN's "absolute clear message to both the Government and to trusts themselves is they should be providing safe, cost-effective parking or travel means so that everyone can get to work without worry and without actually it costing them an extortionate amount".
Neonatal nurse Lisa Duggan said she was fined after she was unable to park in one of the staff car parks which she has a permit for.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
A nurse said she was fined after she was unable to park in one of the staff car parks
|GETTY
So that she did not turn up late to her shift, the nurse used one of the other car parks at her hospital.
Despite having her permit on display, she was still handed a fine.
And due to delays trying to contest the ticket with a third-party parking operator, Ms Duggan had to pay £300.
"I don't think there's any care and compassion," she added.
"I don't think it's fair for staff to be put in this situation."
A Health and Social Care Department spokesman said: "Free parking is available for those in greatest need".
"Including all NHS staff who work overnight," the spokesman added.
"While hospital car park charges are the responsibility of individual NHS trusts.
"We expect all charges to be reasonable and in line with the local area."
The spokesman added it was "unacceptable" to mistreat staff.
"Exploitation or mistreatment of hardworking NHS staff is unacceptable," he added.
More From GB News