Hull hospital cancels parking fines sent to critically ill patient

Kate Matthews, 36, has been in Hull Royal Infirmary since March with serious health issues when she was hit with multiple hospital parking fines despite her family paying weekly permits. The parking operator APCOA insisted it would only discuss notices with the vehicle’s registered keeper, Kate, even though her father says she wasn’t driving and there are receipts proving payment. Charges ranged from the initial £60 to higher debt-collection demands, with some reports noting four notices and letters piling up while Kate was too ill to respond. The NHS Humber Health Partnership and APCOA apologized and cancelled the charges, acknowledging distress caused. David Matthews described the episode as intolerable and said it added to the strain of his daughter’s critical illness. The incident has drawn attention to hospital parking practices and the need for more compassionate handling of families in medical crises.