Disabled drivers could have to pay to park at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Charges would range from 90p for the first hour up to £6.40 for between six and 12 hours.

The move would bring the Royal Sussex into line with Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust has developed a strategy for all its hospitals following months of consultation to try to tackle its car parking problems.

Major redevelopments at the Royal Sussex and the Sussex Eye hospitals have meant dozens of spaces have been lost.

The trust will consider the policy at its monthly meeting tomorrow.

Proposals also include a trust-wide staff parking permit scheme with workers paying £12 a year.

Staff had previously been able to park for free at the Princess Royal but would now have to apply for the £1 a month permit.

There are also proposals to encourage staff to use different ways to reach the hospital, including a park and ride scheme at Brighton Racecourse and an extension to existing free coach links between Brighton hospitals.

There are 592 spaces at the Royal Sussex of which 297 are allocated to the public, 232 to staff permit holders and 63 for disabled badge holders.

A hospital spokesman said: "The hospital will continue to provide as many protected parking spaces for disabled people as close to entrances as possible.

"We recognise that a hospital is going to see more permanently and temporarily disabled people than most organisations but we are recommending to the board that everyone is charged equally."

Kathy Goddon, from Access in Brighton, said: "It seems rather unfair. If the concern is that patients visiting the Princess Royal were paying and there were no charges at the Royal Sussex then why not let badge holders park at the Princess Royal for free as well?"