A FAULTY pay machine in the main car park at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital has been overcharging some patients by £1.

Two motorists fell victim to the error in the hospital's Car Park 1 on May 8, with receipts suggesting the machine was deliberately keeping an extra pound.

The receipts issued to drivers clearly show a miscalcultation in the amound of change returned.

One of the drivers, who wished to remain anonymous, submitted a formal complaint to Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for car parking.

Oxford Mail:

She was refunded six days later but the Trust was unable to reveal why the problem had occurred in the first place, leaving her searching for answers.

She said: "What we had asked was where the extra money was going.

"I mean, if everyone who parks there pays an extra £1, there is a very large amount of money going somewhere."

The visitor's car had been parked in the hospital's main car park for 'just over an hour' when she went to pay, but revealed another customer had a similar issue.

She said: "The lady in front of me took her change and said 'it's a pound short - look!'

"She tried to phone the attendant but there was no answer, so eventually she walked off in disgust."

Oxford Mail:

The Oxfordshire resident paid £10 for her £2.80 parking ticket, which is the amount charged for using the car park for up to two hours.

When she only received £6.20 change she attempted to speak to the parking officer, but could not find a contact number on the hospital's website.

She said: “I failed miserably so my husband tried as he is quite terrier-like when he gets his teeth into something.”

After six days of email and phone correspondence with the hospital's travel and transport department the money was refunded.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for car parking but failed to acknowledge there was a problem with the pay machine.

A spokesperson said in a statement: “Whenever a driver reports an error with the payment machines, the car parking team always investigate promptly and give a refund if someone has been overcharged.

“The car parks are run by the Trust, and not as a commercial operation - all money raised goes directly back to patient and visitor services."

Car Park 1 is one of four public car parks serving the hospital.