Three £100 hospital parking fines have been cancelled after the Potters Bar Edition asked why they had been charged to a man visiting his dying father.
Potters Bar man John West, 66, received the fines for parking at Barnet Hospital before the death of his father Sydney on April 12th, despite an agreement that as a regular visitor he need not pay.
Sydney, who had lived in Potters Bar since 1958, died of an MRSA infection, two weeks after admission for a bladder complaint.
Hospital staff told John that as he wanted to visit daily, they would alert the company running the car park that he did not have to pay.
But after the Potters Bar Edition spokes to a hospital spokeswoman, she replied: “We would like to confirm that Mr West’s fines have all been cancelled.
“Mr West did meet the criteria for concessionary parking and the fines were issued due to an administrative error. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
John, who lives in Forbes Avenue, said: “I was certainly not going to pay, but other people would. They would find it very worrying at a difficult time.
“I am very grateful to the Potters Bar Edition.”
Although he praised the hospital’s medical care, and does not blame staff for the MRSA infection, John added that the free parking for regular visitors system should be publicised properly.
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