A woman fighting for her life in Hull Royal Infirmary was issued £400 in parking fines, despite her family holding valid permits and receipts for payment. Kate Matthews, 36, has been hospitalized since March due to suspected intestinal failure and related complications.
Her family faced challenges when attempting to dispute the charges with the parking operator, APCOA. The company initially refused to discuss the notices with Matthews' family, citing data protection regulations and insisting they could only speak directly with Ms. Matthews as the registered keeper. However, she had not driven the car and was too unwell to communicate.
The fines, totaling £400, were issued between June 28 and August 13. The initial charge for each offense was £60, with a reduced rate of £30 if paid within two weeks. The family possessed receipts proving the parking permit was active and payments were made for all dates the notices were issued.
Matthews' father, David, a retired architect, described the ordeal as an added stress during an already difficult time for the family. "Our entire family life has been put on hold for the best part of a year and you just don’t need anyone ruining it any further. It’s difficult not to be very, very angry," he stated.
Ms. Matthews suffers from hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), a genetic disorder affecting connective tissues. This condition has caused her significant health issues, including digestive problems, and she has been unwell for about a decade. She was initially admitted to the hospital in November of the previous year with sepsis and an inflamed colon, discharged at Christmas, but her symptoms returned, leading to her ongoing admission since March.
Despite the family's evidence, APCOA's stance, which her father characterized as "utter nonsense" and hiding behind GDPR, caused further distress. The family eventually informed Ms. Matthews about the parking tickets after she began recovering, and she was reportedly furious.
In a joint statement, NHS Humber Health Partnership and APCOA apologized for the distress caused and confirmed that all the charges have been canceled. The statement acknowledged that the usual appeals process had not been followed. However, the family maintains they did challenge the notices correctly and that neither the hospital nor APCOA has directly apologized to them for the distress caused by the situation.