"Parking Problems"

Anything else?

I have never had any issue with the treatment I have received at Sunderland Eye Infirmary, it is only due to their hard work and care that I have any sight left at all but after my last yearly visit I am upset at receiving a parking fine.from Parking Eye. I usually attend by ambulance but an seriously ill with pneumonia and pleurisy at present so a friend took me and parked using his Blue Badge. Remember I am registered blind, any sort of paperwork is difficult at the best of times. I am widowed, live alone and have no carer. I hadn't actually noticed the sentence at the bottom of my appointment letter ( Not a big enough font for me to read) telling me there were some changes to the disabled parking, my friend had but it's too dangerous to stop and read the parking notices at the entrance and another patient told us we could park where we did park. That used to be the consultants parking and I thought that was the changes referred to. It was just adjacebt to the original disabled parking and was sign posted as such at the entrance. Maybe I should have checked but I'm registered blind with very little sight left, and it was the Eye Infirmary, we couldn't see any parking meter and it was hard enough avoiding other cars and ambulances in such a tight, restricted and busy area. I have tried to register online ( computer will enlarge things) but can't find any way of doing that, so I will have to try to ring up. It is not easy fro someone like me to register car registration numbers and details over the phone. I really feel I should have been told what the changes were and that I needed to register with the Hospital site. I don't live in Sunderland, I live in west County Durham don't know the system and I need some help to find my way around it. I will be able to appeal against this notice but again it will have to be done in writing - something that is little short of a nightmare for me. I repeat I have no carer. I really have enough stress on a day to day level without having to cope with this as well. I accept the overall idea is a good one but believe me, the so called teething troubles are not over yet.. We were not the only people lost and confused on that afternoon and I have to say it would be dangerous to stop at the entrance to actually try and read the full conditions of parking int he hospital ground when you have an appointment at that hospital.