Elloughton, East Yorkshire – Kate Matthews, 36, has been a patient at Hull Royal Infirmary since March after being admitted with suspected intestinal failure and a series of complications. While she battles a life‑threatening condition, her family discovered that APCOA, the car‑park operator at the hospital, had issued three parking tickets and a debt‑collection letter despite the family paying for a weekly permit covering two vehicles.
Family says permits were paid, tickets were a mistake
David Matthews, 67, Kate’s father, explained that the family pays £7.20 a week for a permit that should cover the vehicle used to transport Kate to the hospital. “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,” he said.
When the first notice arrived in July, David’s wife found the receipt confirming the weekly permit had been paid. The family says they have receipts for every date a notice was issued, yet APCOA insisted it could only discuss the matter with Kate because she is the registered keeper on the V5 registration document.
Operator hides behind GDPR, family calls it a scam
APCOA told the Matthews family that GDPR restrictions prevented them from speaking directly with anyone other than the registered keeper. “What they were saying was utter nonsense. They were just hiding behind it,” David said.
He added that Kate has never driven the car; she is the registered keeper solely because of her disability‑related needs. Kate was born with hypermobile Ehlers‑Danlos syndrome (hEDS), a hereditary connective‑tissue disorder that can cause joint instability and severe digestive problems.
Hospital‑issued tickets add stress to a critical recovery
Kate was first admitted at the end of November 2025 with pancolitis and sepsis. After a brief discharge around Christmas, her symptoms returned, leading to a planned admission in March that has continued to this day. Although she is no longer in immediate life‑threatening danger, she remains very ill, battling hospital‑acquired infections that slow her recovery.
During her hospital stay, the three parking notices were issued between June 28 and August 13. The initial charge was £60, reducible to £30 if paid within 14 days, and each notice was followed by a debt‑collection demand for £130.
Operator and NHS apologise, but family seeks direct accountability
In a joint statement, NHS Humber Health Partnership and APCOA apologized for the distress caused and confirmed that all charges have been cancelled. They admitted that the usual appeals process was not followed.
Despite the apology, David says neither the hospital nor APCOA have reached out to the family directly. “My message to them would be – get your act together. You should not be issuing multiple tickets to people who have paid and who are doing everything right,” he said.
Calls for clearer parking policies at hospitals
The Matthews family’s experience highlights a broader concern that hospital parking operators may issue fines without proper verification, leaving vulnerable patients and their families to shoulder unnecessary financial burdens. Hospital staff reportedly told the family that such erroneous notices are a regular occurrence, prompting the family to label the practice a “scam.”
Local advocates suggest that clearer communication, transparent appeals processes, and better coordination between hospitals and parking operators are essential to protect patients who are already facing serious health challenges.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
