HOSPITAL chiefs are to seek planning permission for a 700 space multi-storey car park at the Royal Bournemouth in a bid to solve its parking crisis - and stop staff leaving.

A report has revealed that 22 per cent of staff who left the trust for negative reasons last year did so mainly because of travel difficulties, including parking. The figure, which represents 17 people, was up on the previous year.

At the moment, there are 900 free parking spaces on the site set aside for staff and 430 pay-and-display spaces for patients and visitors. Staff can use the public car park if they pay the fee.

John Morton, operations director of the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust, explained: "We have to strike a balance between providing car parking for staff and providing car parking for patients.

"We have got to the point where patients find it extremely difficult to park and we are moving towards trying to persuade staff not to park in the pay and display.

"It's very important that patients and visitors get here. It's stressful enough anyway without having the hassle and is one of the points we regularly get correspondence on."

The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust board has asked staff living within a mile of the hospital not to bring their cars to work.

Day staff living to the west of the A338 Wessex Way are asked to use the Mallard Road park-and-ride scheme, and financial incentives are on offer for people who cycle to work, use buses or car share.

Mr Morton said the trust would be re-applying for planning permission to create 50 extra spaces behind a tree belt alongside the Wessex Way after this was turned down.

Discussions were also taking place with the council over building a multi-storey car park and sharing a new park-and-ride scheme.

"On week days it would be used by the hospital and at weekends by shoppers," explained Mr Morton, who declined to reveal the possible site.