Hospital parking fees are becoming widespread

NHS Greater Glasgow wants to phase in the charges for staff, patients and members of the public from next April.

It said a lack of parking spaces and government guidelines for reducing car travel was behind the move.

Greater Glasgow Health Council, which represents the patient's interest in the NHS in the city, said the fees would cause "a lot of aggravation".

The health board is to launch a consultation on the move in June.

NHS Greater Glasgow's board members, who met on Tuesday, also agreed to a package of actions designed to accelerate delivery of plans to modernise the city's hospitals.

It announced plans to close Stobhill Hospital's casualty unit in August 2005 - two years earlier than previously planned.

The board said it wanted to develop a Green Travel Plan to accompany its �750m modernisation of acute hospital services.

DRAFT PLAN Glasgow Dental Hospital Glasgow Royal Infirmary Princess Royal Maternity Gartnavel General Glasgow Royal Southern General Hospital, Stobhill Hospital Victoria Infirmary Western Infirmary Yorkhill Dalian House

NHS Greater Glasgow said that parking charges could be used to offset other initiatives such as subsidised public transport for staff and improved public transport links.

The chair of the board's Transport and Access Group, Jonathan Best, said: "The fact that we are suggesting charging for parking is not unique. In other major cities, like Edinburgh and Aberdeen, traffic congestion problems have already led to the introduction of charging at hospitals.

"Ultimately, we have to better manage access by car to all our hospitals and ensure that those patients, visitors and staff who have no alternative to travel by car have a fair chance of finding a parking space."

Danny Crawford, chief officer of Greater Glasgow Health Council, said: "This scheme will be highly controversial if it's not linked to the creation of additional parking spaces.

"We would like to see parking charges waived if people have to spend a long time at the hospital or for example, if their out patient appointment is delayed."