A Laurencekirk woman has hit out at parking staff operating at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee after she received a parking ticket minutes after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Lesley Maguire, 59, was undergoing tests at the hospital after complaining of problems with her implants that were inserted after beating the disease for the first time 22 years ago.
After significant delays, Lesley went through examinations before the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer was announced.
Lesley then walked back to the car with husband Eddie, 64, and her shock turned to anger when she saw a £40 parking fine issued by operator Vinci.
The expiry time on the ticket was 1.32pm on June 16 and upon inspection, Lesley noticed that the fine had been issued just one minute later.
Lesley had been told by the clinic that the car park attendants could call them to confirm why she was late, but the car park staff refused.
After the car park operator Vinci Park was contacted the parking ticket was cancelled but Lesley now wants to see a change in policy.
She said: “The members of staff were not listening and were quite adamant that we would have to pay and were not prepared to ring the clinic. They told us we had to get a letter from them.
“To receive such terrible news and then be confronted with that was just horrible.
“We have been told we are not the only ones to receive tickets for being overdue on parking times, but we would have thought the car parking company would have allowed a bit of leeway time.
“It is a hospital and people are not in control of the time or what news they can receive, resulting in the car parking ticket being far from their thoughts.”
A Vinci Park UK spokesman said: “We appreciate visiting a hospital can be a stressful and difficult time and that appointments are often delayed or extended.
“That’s why any parking notices issued at Ninewells include a blue card explaining how patients can speak to our staff and request for the notice to be rescinded.”