British nurses have parking troubles

LONDON, July 11 (UPI) -- Unions for British nurses said members are having trouble finding parking in crowded hospital lots even when arriving 2 hours early for their shifts.

Sarah O'Donoghue of Unison said members of the union reported they are arriving as much as 2 hours early to find parking even with permits, which cost $80 to $380 per year at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, England, The Sunday Mirror reported.

"People are very angry. They have paid but they're not guaranteed a space," O'Donoghue said.

The Royal Surrey County Hospital threatened employees with fines for using non-marked parking spaces when the staff lot fills up and Unison said some nurses have no choice but to drive to work because of their shift times.

"The winners are private firms with lucrative contracts. The losers are nurses who have to pay fees and very often fines," the union said.