A North Yorkshire nurse has been slapped with a hefty parking fine after becoming trapped in a gridlocked hospital car park where she "physically couldn't move".
Amanda Lombard, 58, had taken her daughter and ten-year-old granddaughter to a paediatric spinal appointment at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough on May 14.
The Northallerton grandmother says she paid for her parking after the appointment, but when she returned to her car, she found three queues of drivers all trying to leave through a single exit.
Amanda says it took around 40 to 50 minutes just to get out of the car park before she was later hit with a parking charge.
The registered nurse, who has worked for South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for more than 23 years, disputed the charge and provided a bank statement showing she had paid.
She said: "When we came out, we queued up at the kiosk and put the registration in and paid what it said.
"Then we ran back to the car because it was storming and raining. The car park was absolutely rammed.
"Luckily, another driver let me out of the space, and I just joined one of the three queues. It took 40 to 50 minutes to get out of the car park.
"I got a fine saying that I hadn't paid the appropriate charge, and I said I did and produced evidence via my bank statement."
James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.
Amanda says she was then told she had remained in the car park beyond the permitted time.
However, she insists she had left her parking space within the ten-minute grace period and was stuck in traffic trying to leave.
She said: "They went back saying, 'No, you were in the car park longer than necessary. You should have paid more.'
"But I wasn't actually in a parking space. I was in a queue to get out of the car park. I wanted to leave. We were desperate to leave.
"I just couldn't physically get my car out of that car park any quicker than I did."
Although she works for the trust, she was visiting as a member of the public that day and says she parked and paid as a visitor.
She said: "We were out of the space within those ten minutes, but we just joined one of the three queues in the car park.
"There are two entrances into that car park, but only one exit.
"If our appointment was at 11 o'clock, we would have been in there, got done, paid for parking and we would have been out, no problem.
"But at that time of night, you can't move."
After eventually leaving the car park, Amanda says the family faced further queues on the hospital site and did not reach Marton Road until almost 6pm.
She later appealed against the charge but was told her appeal was unsuccessful.
Amanda says she is being asked to pay the £70 charge plus a £30 administration fee.
She said the situation has left her with "frustration and anger", particularly after working for the trust for more than two decades and paying monthly for staff parking throughout that time.
Amanda said: "On that day, I parked as a visitor and I expected to pay as a visitor, which is what I did.
"I really do not want to pay this fine because I couldn't move my car. I physically couldn't get it out of the car park any quicker.
"What kind of upset and angered me the most was, of all those people queued in that car park, what if they had just received the very worst news that they've ever got?
"Or their relatives just died, and they're just leaving that hospital with that on their minds. Then they receive a £70 fine. There's no goodwill there at all.
"I think that's disgusting. I really do."
She added: "The infrastructure just doesn't work.
"Nobody comes to the hospital for a good time. I couldn't bear the thought of anybody coming out at that time of day getting the worst news possible and then getting a fine in the post."
A spokesperson from University Hospitals Tees said they are committed to providing fair parking to all visitors and staff.
They said: "We are committed to providing safe, accessible, and fair parking for all patients, visitors, and staff.
"We understand that receiving a parking charge notice during a hospital visit can cause distress.
"To ensure enforcement is handled fairly and transparently, our teams work closely with our car park management partner."
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Parkingeye has been contacted for comment.
The hospital introduced an ANPR parking system last year, prompting concerns from local MPs and residents and a petition that attracted thousands of signatures.