Mother fined $140 for parking near hospital while daughter with fractured foot received care

A mother of four was issued a $140 parking fine after leaving her car in a two-hour zone while accompanying her then-13-year-old daughter to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital in March. Bridget Shadforth stated that her daughter fractured her foot while cleaning her room, and the injury initially appeared to be a sprain.

After the pain persisted, Shadforth took her daughter to the hospital's emergency department. Due to her daughter's immobility, Shadforth parked as close as possible to the emergency entrance, despite the area having a two-hour parking limit. She explained that the hospital's main free parking lot is a considerable walk away, and she did not want to leave her injured daughter alone.

Shadforth remained with her daughter in the emergency department for approximately four hours. She reported that the department was busy and she felt uncomfortable leaving her daughter, who was sharing a ward with an adult male, to move the car. Upon returning to her vehicle, she discovered the parking ticket.

Shadforth expressed her frustration with the parking restrictions, particularly the two-hour limit near a hospital entrance. She suggested that such time limits should be removed in areas close to emergency departments to accommodate patients and their caregivers. "People are parking there because they've got a need to. They're not going to the hospital for fun," she told 7News. "If you're in a situation where you've got somebody who is immobile or struggling, and they just need to get inside, maybe just remove the times from those parking areas so that, if somebody does end up staying there, you don't have to stress that you're going to get that parking ticket."

A spokesperson for the Shoalhaven City Council stated that the time limits are implemented to ensure a turnover of parking spaces for various users. "These limits ensure there is frequent turnover of parking and that hospital visitors, patients and carers are able to access parking spaces throughout the day," the spokesperson said. The council pointed to alternative free parking options, including the hospital's multi-storey car park, the Grand Pacific Health Centre, and Nowra Showground. Drivers have the option to appeal parking infringement notices with Revenue NSW.