Alert

Important information about car parking payment requests

The Online/app payment systems for our patient and visitor car parks at Cumberland Infirmary are managed by Your Parking Space (YPS).

You will never be contacted by text message or email to request payment for parking charges. They do not have access to contact details from vehicle registration numbers.

Any Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) issued via the ANPR system are issued only by letter to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

If you receive a text message or email asking you to pay a parking charge, please ignore it as it is likely to be a scam.

Parking information

Visitors can park at:

  • The two visitor car parks to the left and right as you enter the site
  • A dedicated disabled car park for blue badge holders only at the rear of the hospital (blue badges may also be used in a valid parking spaces in any other car park)

Please note: To make your visit easier, Blue Badge holders attending appointments at the Endoscopy Unit, Cancer Centre, or Urology Investigations Unit (UIU) can now take their Blue Badge to the unit reception to be validated for free parking. There is no need to do this at the main hospital reception.

Parking at CIC can be busy, please plan ahead where possible and, if appropriate, consider an alternative to parking at CIC. For example, getting a lift to and from hospital, using public transport, or parking off site and walking. These options will not be suitable for everyone, and if you need to park on site then please allow time to find a parking space.  

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Visitor car parks use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), this means visitors will no longer need to collect a ticket or pay and display on arrival, they will simply need to park their car in any available space and make their way to the main hospital.

The system automatically reads your number plate when you enter the car park. Upon leaving the there are a variety of different payment options. 

You can:

  • Put your number plate into the payment machine found at the car park. The system will find you and will know how long you have parked for and charge you accordingly. You can pay using cash or cards. 
  • Express pay: you can pay by using your phone to scan a QR code and following the prompts.
  • Download the 'Your Parking Space' app. The site code is 12082. This allows you to pay for your parking at your convenience within 48 hours of leaving the site. You can pay when you get home or back to the office.

Blue Badge parking in ANPR car parks require the holder to present the badge to the Mitie reception desk in the main hospital (or to the reception desks at the Endoscopy Unit, Cancer Centre, or Urology Investigations Unit if you have an appointment in one of these departments) to enable free parking. For all other areas there is free parking when displaying a valid Blue Badge.

Blue Badge Holders

Parking for blue badge holders is free. If you're using the main car park, take your blue badge and your ticket to the reception desk in the main building before you leave.

Please note: To make your visit easier, Blue Badge holders attending appointments at the Endoscopy Unit, Cancer Centre, or Urology Investigations Unit (UIU) can now take their Blue Badge to the unit reception to be validated for free parking. There is no need to do this at the main hospital reception.

Blue badge holders can park in any marked parking bay, including the staff car parks.

There's also a 20 minute drop off point outside the main entrance for all vehicles. Please note no additional time allowances are provided for drop off zones.

Parents/guardians of sick children staying overnight

Car parking charges can be reimbursed for the parents or guardians of a child or young person who is admitted as an inpatient at hospital overnight, between 7:30pm and 8am. Please complete and return this form with the correct documents to claim your parking charges back.

Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) - parking reimbursement

Parents/guardians eligible for free parking are asked to pay for parking as normal and claim reimbursement by completing and returning this form, with the correct documents. Where possible, please select the £10 weekly tariff rather than multiple shorter-duration tariffs, as this helps to simplify the reimbursement process and ensures best value during your stay. This applies to both West Cumberland Hospital (WCH) pay and display car parks and Cumberland Infirmary (CIC) ANPR car parks.

Permits for those with long term appointments:

Long term appointments – (for example cancer services and renal patients) free permits are issued directly from the ward. At each appointment before the patient leaves they will be given another permit with the date pre filled in for their next appointment. These are single use only, the patient just needs to fill in the registration part as some patients get drove in by various vehicles throughout the week. Concessional permits are not valid for the ANPR car parks.

Parking permits for relatives visiting end of life patients

Free parking permits are available for relatives who are visiting patients who are at the end of their life at West Cumberland hospital or the Cumberland Infirmary.

The Trust understands that this is an exceptionally difficult time for the loved ones of those who are dying and therefore we have processes in place to make sure they are able to park free of charge.

Special permits called ‘Swan permits’ can be issued in these circumstances. These permits will be valid for five days.

The process at the Cumberland infirmary (CIC) is as follows:

A free Swan permit allows free parking for up to five days only in the dedicated concession area which is on Infirmary Street behind the Cancer Centre. The map below shows this area. Permits must be authorised by the nurse in charge and can then be obtained by contacting:

  • Bereavement Team - 01228 616878 between 09:00-16:00, Monday to Friday.
  • Larch AB Ward Clerk - 01228 814450 outside of these hours or if the Bereavement team are unavailable.

Please note, we are not able to deliver permits they must be collected.

These permits are not valid in any other area. Please do not use these in any other car park as you will be at high risk of receiving a parking charge notice.

Picking up your Swan permit:

Upon arrival car users must pay as normal to use the barrier operated car parks, unless specifically advised that the permit will be ready for collection upon their arrival in which case you may use the short stay area at the front of the hospital allowing 20 minutes free parking to enter the hospital to collect the permit and return to the vehicle. You must then move your vehicle to the dedicated concessionary area and clearly display your Swan permit.

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What is ANPR?

This is a system that automatically reads your number plate when you enter a car park. You don’t need to collect a ticket you just park your car in any available space. When you need to leave there are different payment options.

How can we stop people just not paying?

Parking charge notices will still be issued for those who have not paid. If someone has not paid after 48 hours of leaving the site a parking charge notice will be generated, and will come through the post from YPS.

Parking charge notices will also still be issued for those who do not park within the stated bays and if anyone who is not eligible parks in a restricted zone, such as the disabled car park without a blue badge, by UKPC.

What if I don’t have a phone or don’t want to pay on my phone?

You can pay using the cash or card payment system that will be in the car park you are parked in. You just need to put in your number plate and it will tell you how long you have parked for and what you owe.

I don’t have the app can I still park?

Yes you can. You can pay using the cash or card payment system that will be in the car park.

Charges

All other patients and visitors can pay on exit at a payment machine. The machines accept 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins. Debit and credit cards are also accepted.

  • up to 1 hour costs £1
  • up to 2 hours 15 mins costs £2
  • up to 3 hours 30 mins costs £3
  • up to 24 hours costs £5

A 1 week permit costs £10 and is only available for patients and visitors (not staff) - please visit the Mitie reception desk to purchase (cash only).

Timings and costs may vary slightly depending on payment method due to technical and operational discrepancies.

Grace periods:

Entering the car park

When you enter the car park there is a 15 minute grace period where you will not be charged - this is to make sure you can find a space. You can exit for free if you leave within 15 minutes of taking your ticket.

Leaving the car park

When you have paid the ticket is valid for 15 minutes. If you stay beyond 15 minutes after you have paid you will incur further cost for car parking.

There are separate drop off points at the main entrance and outside A&E/UTC, where you may park for a maximum of 20 minutes.

Appeals system

If you have received a parking charge notice from UK Parking Control (UKPC) please appeal directly via their website. You can read about the appeals process here.

If you have received a parking charge notice from ParkMaven please appeal directly via their website. You can read about the appeals process here.

The Trust does not administer the appeals process, this is done by the above enforcement providers.

Any ANPR or ParkMaven concerns or issues, please contact carlisle.parking@mitie.com