We should be able to park on the road

SIR – I am writing to highlight the ongoing saga which is parking at the Lister Hospital, Stevenage. As you and your readers may or may not be aware, new parking regulations have recently been enforced on the road opposite the hospital, allowing a maximu

SIR - I am writing to highlight the ongoing saga which is parking at the Lister Hospital, Stevenage.

As you and your readers may or may not be aware, new parking regulations have recently been enforced on the road opposite the hospital, allowing a maximum parking time of four hours.

This may be suitable for patients, or relatives visiting the hospital but for me, and my colleagues it is totally inappropriate.

I am a third year student nurse from the University of Hertfordshire.

I have worked all of my previous eight placements at the Lister and have parked outside the hospital because as student nurses we are not entitled to apply for a temporary staff parking permit.

The signs were posted from December 19, with no prior warning to us students at the university.

Consequently, myself and others received fines. This was not due to our unruliness, but purely because this situation was not highlighted. I ask who at 7am on a cold and wet December morning would have thought to look 10 feet above the ground on a lamppost - just to 'check' whether anything had been changed over the weekend?!

After emailing the council we have been met with a hard response which is:"It is not their responsibility to provide us with parking".

But the Lister also cannot fulfill this small request.

All we would like, as training healthcare professionals who have dedicated our time and energy into helping others, is a little help, care and consideration in return in order for us to carry out our training and qualify as skilled staff nurses.

Kayleigh Biggs, address supplied.