I’m a doctor and I was fined £100 TWICE after finishing my hospital shifts just nine minutes late – it’s ridiculous

AN NHS doctor was fined £100 twice after finishing his long hospital shifts just nine minutes late.

GP registrar Malinga Ratwatte has blasted the "absolutely abhorrent" tickets after dashing to his car less than 10 minutes after his parking ran out.

The steep fees were issued by private car parking firm Parkingeye.

Government guidance suggests NHS trusts should get free parking between 7.30pm and 8am.

Dr Ratwatte, who works in London, says he pays for out-of-hours parking which finishes at 8.30am.

Sharing a photo of the fine on Twitter, he said: "I left at 8.38am on day one and 8.39am on day two simply because I was walking from the meeting to the car park.

"How I am expected to teleport from a critical meeting about patient care to the car park is beyond me.

"It is absolutely abhorrent that even after Covid, NHS staff are being exploited and treated so poorly through predatory car parking fees and fines.

"This kind of behaviour is just one of the many reasons as to why NHS staff are feeling so disillusioned, combined with poor staffing, under resourcing and long term pay erosion.

"Forcing staff to cover unfilled rota gaps is causing burnout, stress and mental health problems."

Free car parking at NHS hospital sites for nurses, doctors and other frontline staff was introduced in July 2020 after huge criticism.

The policy was originally announced in March that year after more than 400,000 people signed a petition calling for parking fees to end for NHS workers.

However, the initiative, which cost £130million, came to an end back in March.

In December, consultant Dr Chris Gough was slapped with a fine by Parkingeye after a 13-hour shift treating Covid patients in intensive care.

The medic, who works at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, took to social media to tell of his frustration.

"Getting a ticket for parking at the hospital in order to work a 13-hour shift during a pandemic - because we don't have enough else on our plates," he said.

"I even have a staff permit, but apparently it does not include this car park."

Despite huge public anger at private parking firms, Parkingeye boss Philip Boynes has demanded that fines go up to £120 from the current £100 limit.

He told MPs last year that the "deterrent" of a hefty penalty ensures motorists don’t overstay and block spaces for hospital patients.

Parkingeye has been asked to comment.