Parking fines shoot up for Sandwell hospital sites
Parking fines shot up at Sandwell and City Hospitals last year, it can be revealed.
Cash raised from fining patients and visitors rose by more than seven times during 2016 - as greater focus was placed on targeting problem parkers.
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, made almost £10,000 last year from penalties compared to just £1,353 in 2015.
Bosses said the surge in money made was down to a review of how fines are handed out.
A new company has been brought in to handle parking penalties, resulting in a rise in people coming within the sights of wardens.
Figures obtained by the Express & Star showed during 2015 just £753 was paid in parking fines from Sandwell General and £600 from City Hospital in Birmingham.
But last year, the totals jumped to £3,881 from Sandwell and £5,919 from City, highlighting the increased focus on punishing drivers who flout the rules.
Those who do are hit with fines of £50, but that amount is reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days.
Steve Clarke, deputy director of facilities at the Sandwell and West Birmingham trust said: “This year we have worked with a different company to manage parking penalties on Trust sites on our behalf.
"This supplier operates a fair penalty notice system where people using our car parks can appeal if they feel they have been unfairly or inappropriately fined. Our previous supplier was not able to offer this right of appeal so for part of the previous year, parking fines were not imposed.
"We now have a fair fining system in place for people who do not comply with our parking arrangements causing inconvenience and risk to others.”
The findings bring have brought the subject of hospital parking back into the spotlight.
Sandwell Labour councillor John Edwards said he accepted hospitals would fine drivers who are flouting the laws but believes charges are too high.
He said: "If there is a parking charge scheme, if you don't abide by it you are going to get fined. But should people have to pay at all?
"I appreciate there has got to be some management of parking at hospitals but the level of current charges are scandalously high."
Earlier this year, it was revealed that every single fine that was appealed at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley during a 12-month period was successfully overturned.
