OUTRAGED visitors at Whipps Cross Hospital have called for a reform of parking fees as it emerged motorists have been overcharged for leaving their cars.

Redbridge councillor Felicity Banks took her 98-year-old mother for an appointment last week but was furious to discover that - as the time on her parking permit was wrong - she was not permitted to stay for the full two hours.

She explained: “It’s a rip off. It was 10.55am and I put in my £2 for a minimum time ticket and it came back printed out 10.35am to 12.35pm. Somewhere 20 minutes was lost.

“It doesn't sound a lot but added up over a day and the number of visitors this must be a considerable gain.

“But if someone was going to visit someone then they have to get to the ward and get back to the car and they lose 20 minutes of their time.

“I want to know how long they have been doing it. This company is making all this money from the parking and at the same time the facilities are pretty awful.

“It’s a tax on the most needy and if you live in this area then it’s very difficult to take public transport as you must change buses twice.”

Scottish Parliament voted to abolish fees in all NHS premises north of the border last year but visitors to Whipps Cross currently have to fork out £2 to use a space for up to two hours with prices rising to £15 for a full day.

Mum-of-three Pat Ilett, of Thornwood Close in South Woodford, has seen her mother, father and partner all die at Whipps Cross in recent years and still has to visit there regularly to receive treatment for a persistent hip problem.

She added: “It’s diabolical. I’m visiting someone and Whipps at the moment and think it’s wrong to penalise people for wanting to spend the visiting hours of 2pm to 7pm with their sick friend or relative.

"Or for seeking treatment if your sick or if your doctor happens too be very busy and you have to wait.

“I don’t think an apology is good enough if their machines are faulty and they should have a flat rate of £1 for however long you stay.”

CP Plus Parking Director Ian Langdon said he would never comment on individual cases but was investigating cllr Banks’ claims.

A spokeswoman for Whipps Cross declined to give any details about how much revenue CP Plus gain from its contract at the hospital as it was “commercially sensitive” information.

She added: “Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to councillor Felicity Banks.

“The parking machines at Whipps are managed by CP Plus, although if patients or visitors have any problems, the trust would like to hear from them directly.

“The contract with CP Plus is a five year contract which commenced in June 2008.

“Like many of the trusts across London, Whipps charges for parking, which is a valid form of revenue generation and is reprovided back into patient care. “