Big Brother is watching you in the car parks at Croydon’s NHS hospitals, and you could land in big bother if you don’t pay using their new computerised system.
The NHS Trust responsible for Mayday and Purley hospitals is introducing a new payment system in its car parks, using Automatic Number Plate Recognition, which requires anyone visiting the hospitals to pay their parking charges by using QR codes or payment cards.
Big Brother is watching: Mayday and Purley hospitals have a new CCTV-based parking regime
ANPR, the Croydon Health Services NHS Trust says, will “make parking simpler, safer, and more efficient for staff and visitors”.
But some patients and hospital visitors could discover that they are unable to park their car without using a smartphone, or risk incurring a fine.
Under ANPR, vehicles number plates will be scanned and recorded as they enter and leave hospital car parks at Mayday and Purley War Memorial Hospital.
The Trust says that its new system will reduce “misuse of bays” and “enhance security and safety” while “simplifying” parking charge payments.
Hospital staff, who have to pay to park at their place of work, and visitors can now pay using the NewPark Trust app: “Once registered, permit-holders can pay for parking sessions or activate autopay — your parking charge is processed automatically when you leave, so there’s no need to remember to pay each day.” What could possibly go wrong?
The hospital car parks will also have “Virtual Pay Stations” for those who do not wish to use the app, but which still require the use of an online payment system and a smartphone to scan a QR code.
There will also be payment machines at the exits to the car park at Croydon University Hospital “for those who prefer to pay by card or contactless before leaving”. There’s no mention of facilities accepting cash payments, which many hospital visitors, especially older patients, tend to prefer.
At Purley, there is no dedicated staff parking (which is why so many staff use the Purley Pool car park). PWMH staff parking their cars at the hospital “must pay at the advertised visitor rates, using any of the above payment methods”.
Parking charges currently range from £3 for one hour up to £15 for five to 24 hours, the daily maximum.
There are some concessions available for hospital visitors, with blue badge-holders allowed upto three hours’ free parking.
But those who fail to pay for the parking may be subject to PCNs – penalty charge notices.
Car parking at the Trust is managed by contractor Saba, who currently do accept cash payments for parking. There appears to be no such option under the ANPR system.
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Based in Croydon and edited by Steven Downes. To contact us, please email inside.croydon@btinternet.com