NURSES have spoken out about losing the right to use the car park at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

A 29-year-old chemotherapy nurse, from Malvern, claims she and other nurses have been forced to park in roads around the hospital.

Nurses claim the issues started around a year ago when Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust stopped renewing staff parking permits.

The single mother, who lost her permit in December, tried to use the hospital's park-and-ride scheme but said it was not feasible with children.

"Pretty much all the nurses that I'm speaking to are affected by this," she said.

"We have no other choice [parking on roads], we don't want to upset residents.

"It makes me feel completely undervalued and question my commitment to this trust.

"I have worked for the trust for five years and it's never been a problem getting a permit."

She said the issue with the hospital's park-and-ride scheme is that buses only arrive every 30 minutes in the afternoon.

She claims that if she works late she faces waiting for another half an hour, due to this schedule.

"It does not take into account people who have children. If you have children you can't factor that into your day," she said.

The nurse has put letters through local residents' letterboxes, offering £10 a week to park on their drive.

She said she first heard complaints about nurses' permits not being renewed a year ago.

She explained that she was told a week before Christmas that her permit had expired, after her card failed to open the barrier.

Kelly Withers, who also works at the hospital, said: "Many staff who work twelve hour shifts finishing at 8pm have also had parking permits removed. It feels like a kick in the teeth."

Ms Withers claims the last park-and-ride bus leaves before the nurses on this shift can get out of the hospital. 

"Often we stay later than our shift if busy with poorly patients and we also are required to remove uniforms and get changed back into our normal clothes after our shifts," she said.

"The likelihood of us being stranded at the hospital after a 12 hour shift is very real because to catch the last park and ride bus would be pushing it even if you left work on time.

"Does this then mean I will have to pay for a taxi to get to park and ride if I miss that bus, just to get my car after a shift?"

Another 46-year-old nurse, who lives in Worcester, supported her colleague and said the issues started with a policy change around 12 months ago.

"It wasn't the case two years ago. Yesterday I drove around for 20 minutes trying to find a parking place," she said.

"I parked on a road around the hospital and came back to find a note on my car saying they had taken a photograph and would be reporting me to the DVLA.

"I have had three flat tyres in six weeks, with two large nails and a screw."

The mother-of-three added that the park-and-ride scheme is also not practical for her because she has to pick her children up from school.

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust claims that day staff who work at one site or live within 1.5 miles of the hospital are not normally entitled to permits.

"In common with many NHS Trusts, parking at Worcestershire Royal Hospital represents a major challenge causing frustration for patients, visitors and staff," the spokesman said.

"A staff car parking policy is in place to manage the number of staff parking on site and to safeguard spaces for patients and visitors.

"There is a clear policy that allows staff the right to appeal against any refusal to use parking facilities."

Travel to the park-and-ride facility, which offers 200 free parking spaces at Sixways, is available in emergency situations, the spokesman added.