PATIENTS at Nottingham City Hospital and their relatives have welcomed plans to build four new car parks.

The developments at the Hucknall Road site will provide an additional 178 parking spaces.

Visitors to the hospital are often confronted by packed car parks.

Some complain they struggle to find a space or have to park a long way for the clinics and wards they need.

"It is jam-packed," said Frances Farmer, 38, a regular visitor during the last two weeks after her father was admitted.

Kevin Tipping, 60, from Long Eaton agreed. He was visiting his nephew with his relative's father, who uses a wheelchair.

He said: "Sometimes it is very difficult. It can be very awkward to find a space at all or you can end up with a ten-minute walk to the ward. They do need extra car parking."

A significant amount of public car parking is concentrated on the southern side of the site, towards Edward's Lane, but the new provisions will be spread out, including one near the entrance from Hucknall Road and another by the maternity unit.

These should be completed by next April. They will take the total number of spaces on site for staff and patients to 2,600. David Brown, 54, thinks that will make a difference. He said: "I have sometimes struggled to find a space so I welcome it."

The cost of car parking remains an issue, however.

Tracy Birtles, 39, visits her mum most days since she had a stroke six weeks ago. She buys a pass for £10 a week.

"It is so expensive," she said. "I have spent £60."

Her mum, Sandra Maxfield, 66, agreed. "It's not right," she said.

However, Ms Birtles, who has a long walk to her mother's ward from the car parks, thinks it is a good idea to spread parking around the extensive site.

She said: "It would be better if there was more parking at the other end. Most of the wards are at that end."

The cost of parking for patients and visitors increased last year by 10p to £2.60 for two hours. There are various discounts available for long-stay patients.

There is also a free Medilink park and ride service. It runs every ten minutes, Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm between both hospitals, from the Queen's Drive Park and Ride and Wilkinson Street Park and Ride/NET sites. The service makes 10,000 trips a week.

charles.walker@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk