A ROW has blown up at Andover War Memorial Hospital over car parking charges due to be introduced for the first time in October.

A 100-name petition has been handed in to oppose the charges - which will cost staff as much as £1 a day. They have already received a letter from Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust announcing the charges.

The letter from Mr Michael Leggatt, head of hotel and general services, said charging for parking was routine practice for most hospital trusts, to offset the cost of parking without involving funds intended for patient care.

Mr Leggatt continued: "To date staff, patients and visitors at Andover have enjoyed free parking, but this is no longer sustainable."

For staff the fee will be £18.70 monthly, £4.30 weekly or £1 daily. Staff who volunteer to park one day less than their working week would receive a 50 per cent reduction in the cost of parking on their other days.

Patient/visitor charges will be £1.50 up to one hour, £2.50 up to three hours, £3.50 up to five hours, and £4.50 up to six hours. Concessionary parking will be £1 per day. And there would be a £35 wheelclamp release fee.

The concessionary parking rate will be available to some outpatients as well as the likes of relatives attending in an emergency.

A trust spokesman said: "We understand that people are upset, but we have tried to involve staff in proposals.

"Unfortunately the parking problems are getting worse and action needs to be taken sooner rather than later.

"Parking at the Andover War Memorial Hospital has been free, but this cannot continue. Other hospitals charge for parking to cover the costs of security and all of the other facilities. This trust is no different."

But at a trust board meeting on Wednesday members agreed to defer a decision on introducing the charges for a month.