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.

She 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.

"We went into the building, there was a lift, the doors closed but it didn't move and the doors didn't open," she said.

"We pressed the buzzer a few times but nobody was answering so we banged on the door. Eventually one of the other residents came out, pried the doors open and said it was 'always happening'."

The baby was transferred to hospital and Smith was further delayed while her colleague helped someone carry a push chair to the top floor.

She was not notified of the charge until February as she had been off work due to illness, when she found a court order had been issued quoting a sum of £266.

Smith is now appealing the charge, with her case has been taken on by Dudley MP Sonia Kumar.

"The lifts were broken. She climbed five floors to reach her patient, and for that, she is now facing court action, it's not good enough," Kumar said.

"I have asked the company to look at the facts and cancel this charge. Nurses should be able to do their jobs without this hanging over them."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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