Huge parking charge rises are planned at Winchester's Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

Monthly rates for some staff may rise by over three times, from £5.60 to £18.70. Unions are warning the price hike may force lower-paid workers to seek other jobs.

Visitor parking charges could also soar, with a stay of under 30 minutes, costing £1.50, instead of 50p.

The hospital is run by the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust, whose board meets on Wednesday to discuss the charges, which could come into effect on October 1st.

A proposal to introduce parking charges at Andover War Memorial Hospital will also be considered.

Some headaches have been identified in a report by facilities general manager, Brian Cambridge, who says: "Demand is well in excess of the space available. This causes anxiety and stress for staff, while parking attendants have suffered unacceptable discrimination because of the tensions caused."

The trust does not even have the consolation of profiting from its car parks, as Mr Cambridge estimates that the cost of patrols and maintenance exceeds income by £100,000 a year.

The trust is trying to plug a £13.1m deficit in its finances. One proposal is to ban some staff from parking at the hospital one day each week. Employees would have to arrive on foot or by bike, share cars, take taxis or use public transport.

The trust is lobbying Hampshire and Winchester councils to extend park and ride bus services to the hospital. The hurdle that buses could not turn around at the RHCH has now been cleared and both authorities are considering the extension.

If introduced, the one-day ban would only apply to staff working normal office hours. The trust is considering a carrot and stick approach to ensure the scheme works.

Instead of monthly parking of £18.70, permits for staff honouring the one-day ban would cost £7.47. But those who park at the hospital in breach of the rules would face a fine of £35.

Doug Smith, who represents the Amicus union at the RHCH, says the rises would hit lower-paid workers. "We're getting staff telling us they're actually going to leave, which is a great deal of concern to us."

Pam Smith, also of Amicus, works in the pathology department. "Staff are thinking about leaving, but one of the reasons is that they can't find anywhere to park."

Chief executive, Rod Halls, acknowledged the increases would be unpopular. "I'm happy to consider alternative schemes, but we have to find a way to solve the parking problem."