HOSPITAL visitors have complained about the lack of parking provision at Royal Bournemouth Hospital due to car park work.

In order to begin work on the hospital’s new Maternity, Children’s, Emergency and Critical Care Centre (MCEC) building, as well as main entrance work, a number of car parks have been closed off and are to be relocated.

However, with the hospital’s two main car parks on arrival, car parks A and H, due to be relocated and closed respectively, elderly and disabled people have expressed concern at having to walk from the other side of the hospital.

One Bournemouth man, who has been diagnosed with end-stage heart failure, said the current situation was “an absolute nightmare”.

He said: “What they have done is block off all the disabled bays so disabled people like me can’t easily get into the hospital.

"Now we have to park right down the other end near the Oak but if you are over the other side, you cannot get there.

"I was late arriving to hospital because my lift from the hospital did turn up. So, I had to drive their myself.

"It was only because I know the guy who does the car park that I was able to leave my car near the hospital.

"I had to get a porter from the hospital to come and take me into the hospital because it was too far for me. There was no way I was going to get there myself."

The current work at the hospital started on February 26, with b parking relocated to the rear of car park C.

From March 1, car park B was made available to blue badge holders only and staff with car park permits were given allocated spaces in Littledown.

Drop-off locations near the main entrance are in use, as is the drop-zone adjacent to the hospital’s emergency department.

However, visitors have said the allocated time for which you can stay there is too brief and there are very few parking places to begin with.

The Bournemouth resident added: “The car parking does need looking into because it is not good enough at the moment.

“They have taken three car parks away and haven’t put anything else in place. It is an absolute nightmare

“The hospital do not seem to make everyone aware, especially disabled people, of where to park and where to go.”

Royal Bournemouth Hospital has thanked visitors for their patience during the current disruption.

Edwin Davies, director of estates and capital development at the hospital, said: “As part of the important enabling work for the transformation work at The Royal Bournemouth Hospital a range of new car parking arrangements have been established.

“We understand these changes will have an impact on the public and so have tried to mitigate disruption wherever possible.

“In addition, we are currently reviewing our signage and traffic marshalling to ensure that any confusion caused by these changes is minimised.

“We thank the public for their assistance and apologise for the disruption and inconvenience during these construction works.”