Cancer patients could lose out on planned dedicated carparking spaces at one of Northern Ireland's main hospitals, the BBC has learned.

Belfast City Hospital had promised that spaces for cancer patients would be ring-fenced in a new multi-storey carpark.

The idea had been that when they were having treatment which made them feel unwell they would not also have to spend lengthy periods searching for a parking space.

That promise now looks unlikely to be fulfilled.

Belfast City hospital has said negotiations between it and a private contractor to build a multi-storey have broken down.

However, the hospital said it had begun initial work to provide an alternative carpark at the rear of its site.

Concern charges too high

The City Hospital had been negotiating with a company to build a new car park because its existing carparking facilities are under extreme pressure, both for patients and visitors.

The hospital had hoped to recoup the costs of the build and make a profit by charging people to use the carpark.

The negotiations have broken down for a number of reasons - one being that the proposed parking charges were considered to be too high.

Pressure on National Health Service capital cash is such that there is no chance of money being available any time soon to build the multi-storey carpark - so the hospital trust is currently looking at what it can do within existing resources.

It hopes to be able to provide 300 space on the old laundry at the back of the site.

These would be ear-marked for staff, freeing up other spaces for patients and visitors to use close to the City's tower block.

However, it seems unlikely that spaces will be reserved for cancer patients.