AN apology has been issued after NHS staff were given parking tickets while working a shift at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

University Hospitals Dorset have addressed “an administrative error” which saw its nurses penalised for parking in their allocated staff spaces.

The tickets were issued on Friday in the Littledown Centre car park, where permits had been issued to staff in order to free the hospital parking for patient and public use.

Charlotte Hughes, who has worked at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital since 2016, was one of the nurses to receive a ticket. She said: “I was just coming back to Littledown from a 10-and-a-half-hour shift. I was tired, wanting to go home and have a shower.

As I got to my car, I saw there was a yellow envelope stuck to the driver side.

“It’s soul destroying. Our stress levels are high enough in work without this adding to it.

“I only really started getting angry half way home. At the last set of traffic lights the tears started.”

Bournemouth Echo: The parking charge Charlotte received on Friday.The parking charge Charlotte received on Friday.

Charlotte explained that other nurses were in the car park at the time, and they had also been given tickets.

She said: “I noticed out of the cars that were there, quite a few of them had been ticketed. There was another girl taking photos of her car and the sign where she had parked.

“They were furious and said they were going to try and appeal it. This is not what staff need when they’re coming out of a 10 and a half hour shift or longer.

A joint statement issued by University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) and BH Live said: “We are aware that owing to an administrative error some parking tickets were issued to UHD staff permit holders using the Littledown Centre car park on Friday.

“Those affected will have their PCN revoked. If a member of UHD staff, who has a valid permit, has received a PCN in error, they should contact the hospital’s travel and transport team who can look into the matter.

“We apologise for any inconvenience.”