The company that runs car parks at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust's St Mary's Hospital says it has been mistakenly overcharging some motorists since October and it has apologised.
An investigation was carried out after an Isle of Wight County Press reader raised the issue and asked why she had paid £6 for a ticket when that amount was not advertised on the parking board.
It has now emerged a software update on October 1 is to blame (scroll down for how to apply for a refund...).
Since then, anyone who parked for 4-6 hours and used one of four Pay-on-Exit machines on the hospital's site, was charged £6 instead of the advertised £5.
A spokesperson from APCOA, the company that runs the car parks, said: "Having been made aware of the issue raised by the Isle of Wight County Press, we have investigated.
"We have immediately had the error rectified and confirm that all payment machines are now operating with correct tariffs."
What should I do if I think I was overcharged for parking at St Mary's Hospital?
- Contact APCOA - emailing csc.refunds@apcoa.com - before March 31, 2023
- Provide the date of your visit or visits
- Provide your vehicle registration and whether you paid by cash or card
APCOA said: "This will enable us to validate their visit details against our records.
"We will then arrange for repayment in respect of a verified payment for the affected tariff.
"We sincerely apologise to anyone affected; this is an extremely rare fault and our supplier is reviewing procedures to ensure it will not happen again."
Any claims not made by the end of March will be donated to charity, in agreement with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.
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After years of free parking, charges were brought back on the NHS site last year.
It was made free in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Until last summer, the UK Government had supported NHS trusts by funding them to provide free parking for staff, patients and visitors.
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