Rishi Sunak has called for stronger safeguards for Blue Badge holders using car parks at the Friarage and James Cook University hospitals.
The Richmond and Northallerton MP has written to hospital chiefs and parking operator ParkingEye after receiving what he described as a growing number of complaints about the current arrangements.
Mr Sunak said he was concerned that Blue Badge holders could receive Parking Charge Notices despite having attempted to follow the required registration process.
He has asked the hospital trust and ParkingEye to review the system, including whether motorists are given adequate confirmation that their Blue Badge details have been successfully registered.
The MP said the process needed to be particularly straightforward given that many people using the parking concessions were already dealing with illness, disability or reduced mobility.
Mr Sunak said: “I have been contacted by a large number of people who have concerns about the way the current parking system operates for Blue Badge holders.
“For those who are already dealing with illness, disability or mobility difficulties, using a hospital car park should not create additional uncertainty or stress.
“The process should be as straightforward as possible, with clear safeguards in place to ensure that Blue Badge holders who follow the correct procedure are not unfairly penalised.”
Mr Sunak said he had therefore asked the trust and ParkingEye to examine whether motorists receive sufficient confirmation that their registration has been recorded correctly.
He added: “I hope they will be able to identify any improvements that could make the process clearer and give Blue Badge holders greater confidence when using the hospitals’ car parks.”
Parking arrangements at both the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton and James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough are operated on behalf of the hospital trust by ParkingEye.
The MP has not called for the Blue Badge parking arrangements to be scrapped, but instead wants additional safeguards to prevent eligible motorists who have attempted to comply with the system from being wrongly issued with charges.
A University Hospitals Tees spokesperson said: “Blue Badge holders currently register their vehicle details at on-site kiosks, which link directly to our automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system. We are happy to offer support on-site to any patient or visitor who requires it.
“This provides an additional safeguard by ensuring parking concessions are only applied to vehicles associated with a valid Blue Badge, helping to protect disabled parking bays for those who need them.
“In July alone, around 12,000 Blue Badge registrations were successfully completed via kiosks at The James Cook University Hospital, with a further 2,000 registrations at the Friarage Hospital. We are increasing the number of kiosks at both sites in the autumn.
“In response to feedback, Parkingeye has introduced a new kiosk message confirming that, once successfully scanned, a Blue Badge exemption remains registered for up to one year or until the badge expires, whichever is sooner. This means users do not need to re-register on every visit, making the process simpler and reducing the risk of errors.
“Blue Badge holders can also register in person at the Travel Link desk at The James Cook University Hospital and at the reception at the Friarage Hospital.
“We are exploring alternative registration processes, as well as continuing to review signage and accessibility arrangements to make parking as straightforward and convenient as possible for disabled patients and visitors.”
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