Patient's hospital parking anger

The hospital is the biggest in Wales

The husband of a kidney transplant patient says he cannot afford to continue driving her to hospital after being given two parking fines.

Glyn Harris and his wife Christine, 61, make a 60-mile round trip from Abergavenny to Cardiff daily.

He received two £12 fines at the University Hospital of Wales in four days and says they will now have to rely on ambulances.

But the hospital and the car park operators have defended the situation.

Mrs Harris had a kidney transplant last month and her husband has driven her from their home almost daily for treatment.

I refuse to carry on because I can't afford to go down there any more. I just cannot afford another fine Glyn Harris

"I have had enough, I have come to the end of my patience," said Mr Harris.

"We live on benefits and we are having to dip into our savings to survive."

Mr Harris was angry at being fined for parking in an area which is more convenient for access to the hospital for his wife.

"I don't mind the travelling or the expenses because the team are wonderful and we can't expect everything from the national health," he said.

"But I do not expect car park attendants to rule the roost and won't let me in the hospital with my wife.

"No one is telling you, 'you can't park here, this is full', so when you go in to the outpatients' car park, you pay £2 in the meter, and display your parking ticket and disabled badge and you assume you can get in.

"I refuse to carry on because I can't afford to go down there any more. I just cannot afford another fine.

Spaces

Hospital staff have also protested following the takeover of parking by the Vinci Park company more than a year ago.

On the first day of the new parking arrangements, surgery had to be postponed after staff could not park.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said there were 1,180 patient and visitor parking spaces on the site, and 103 disabled spaces.

A trust spokesman said: "Everybody who parks on site is required to pay the correct tariff and park in the areas designated for them.

"Patients can be dropped at the main entrance to the hospital rather than walk from the car parks and patients are advised as such by clinic staff."

Vinci said it felt strongly about parking for disabled people and it provided more disabled spaces than required under its agreement with the trust.

Disabled people are charged to park, but Vinci offers dispensations to people who have repeated appointments.