Plans to impose car parking fees at three Fife hospitals have been slammed as a "tax on the sick.

The local NHS trust made the decision to levy charges on patients, staff and visitors at a meeting this week.

Objectors have accused health bosses of slapping a "tax on the sick" and described the decision as "ill-conceived and crass".

Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust claim the scheme to introduce parking fees at the Victoria and Forth Park hospitals in Kirkcaldy and Queen Margaret hospital in Dunfermline is designed to alleviate car parking problems.

It also says the move should help encourage greater use of alternative forms of transport.

The trust insists the anger expressed by staff and the local community have been taken on board and the charge has been cut to �1 a day and a number of free parking spaces have been introduced.

'Concessions derisory'

But critics - including Fife Health Board and the local health council - have described the concessions as "derisory".

Fife Council's administration leader Christine May warned the decision would create more problems than it would solve and the trust would be charged for any roads chaos the council had to sort out.

She added, "I can't see where they've listened or taken on board the comments made by our chief executive. I think they've tinkered at the edges and I think it's wrong."

Staff now say they will have to decide whether to fork out �60 for an annual pass or join the daily queue for the few free spaces.

However, the trust argues the up-keep of hospital car parks is a drain on finances and it believes the priority should be to maximise the level of resources going into patient care.

The trusts director of operations, John Wilson, said: "The trust has taken on board the views expressed by our staff and various groups we consulted with and have modified the proposal significantly.

"Surplus revenue raised will be spent developing patient care services and the maintenance of car parks and their security will not, in future, divert resources from patient care."