CHANGES to hospital car parking costs have been branded unfair by frustrated workers.

Basildon Hospital is bringing in a new system where staff will pay a monthly fee for the multi-storey car park, based on nearly one per cent of their salaries.

However, the pricing has been capped at £70.

This means staff earning more than £90,000 – including chief executive Clare Panniker, medical director Celia Skinner, and director of nursing Diane Sarkar – do not pay an equal percentage.

The banding for car park charges will also begin at £10, meaning some part-time workers will end up paying more than their share.

Unison spokesman Sam Older has been in talks with hospital bosses on the issue since March.

He said: “This is going to have a negative effect on staff.

“There are a number of issues. Anyone earning less than £15,000 is paying more than their percentage, whereas anyone earning more than £90,000 is having their fee capped. How is that right?

“If you’re going to have a system like this in place then at least do it fairly.

“We’re already struggling to recruit nurses, but they’re the ones under this scheme who are going to end up paying at least double what they do now.

“What is the point in giving staff pay rises if the extra money is going to cover their parking at work? It’s false economy.

“These are people who are doing a public service, why do they need to pay for parking anyway?”

Staff currently pay a flat rate of just over £10 per month to park in the multi-storey, which was built in 2008. Full-time salaries at Basildon Hospital start at £15,1000 for healthcare assistants, porters, and catering staff.

Bosses at the hospital, in Nethermayne, are keen to encourage staff to make use of public transport to ease demand on its car parks, which are also used by patients and visitors.

A car sharing scheme and improved facilities for cyclists are in the pipeline.

A spokeswoman said: “Staff parking charges have not changed since the multi-storey car park at Basildon Hospital was built, and are much lower than at neighbouring hospitals.

During this period a significant amount of money has been spent on maintaining our parking facilities alongside introducing measures to make exit and entry to the Basildon Hospital site easier during busy times.

“Some staff will see a reduction in the charges, while most middle grade staff will see a small increase. The Trust has no immediate plans to change patient and visitor charges.”

Two lanes created at roundabout

WORK is currently taking place to widen the access road at Basildon Hospital.

Two lanes will be created at the roundabout, and the exit road from the multi-storey car park will also be widened to two lanes.

The project is the final phase of the £3.4milllion improvement scheme along Nethermayne, which is designed to reduce congestion and increase accessibility.

An additional lane has been built for vehicles travelling between the hospital roundabout and the junction with Ashdon Way, with two lanes in both directions under the railway bridge to the junction with Roundacre roundabout.

In addition, the junction at Ashdon Way has been upgraded.

Four-way traffic lights are in place at Basildon Hospital when the roadworks are underway, meaning all vehicles coming in and out of the grounds use one lane.

Essex County Council contractors are carrying out the work overnight, starting at 9pm, in a bid to reduce disruption.