Dudley nurse gets parking fine while treating sick baby

A nurse who got stuck in a lift while trying to treat a sick baby is facing a £266 fine and court action.

Community nurse Lisa Smith spent an hour and 15 minutes in a block of flats in Perry Barr Village, Birmingham, in November while attending to a child in a fifth-floor flat.

Her and a colleague had parked in a permit-only bay, which medical staff are allowed to do for 30 minutes, but found themselves trapped in a lift for more than 20 minutes before being freed by a resident.

Civil Enforcement Ltd, which issued the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) has been contacted for comment about the fine, which Smith is fighting.

“It is really stressful,” Smith said. “I could end up with a county court judgement. I was just doing my job, basically I just want to ask them ‘what would you do if it was your kid?’

“If I had to park a long way away and had to carry my kit, what would they expect me to do in that situation?”

The 48-year-old drove an NHS pool car to the area on 3 November 2025, and used the bay when she could not find anywhere else to park.

The two medics used the lift to reach the fifth floor as they had their medical kits with them, but got stuck for between 20 and 30 minutes before they were let out by a resident and climbed the rest of the way.