A park-and-ride scheme could be set up at Brighton Racecourse for people visiting local hospitals.

Health managers have been talking to racecourse bosses about setting aside land at the popular Brighton sporting attraction to help ease congestion around three of the town's four busy NHS hospitals.

Under current plans, the scheme would only be open to health staff, who would be ferried between the Royal Sussex, Royal Alexandra Children's hospital and Brighton General hospital by minibus.

Lee Soden, facilities director with Brighton Health Care NHS Trust, which runs the hospitals, said: "Management at the racecourse are very keen to become involved and we will continue our discussions with them. We would hope to have something in place this year."

In February 1999, the trust set up a Healthy Transport Group to encourage staff to leave their cars at home. Planning approval for the £64 million redevelopment of the Royal Sussex has hinged on parking restrictions being brought in around Kemp Town to free up space near the site. Changes came into force earlier this month.

As part of its healthy transport push, the trust has introduced staff parking permits, encouraged car sharing, negotiated discounted bus passes and put in bicycle storage areas.

But staff have ongoing fears about travelling to work at night without a car and of their ability to meet childcare commitments on public transport. The trust hopes to open the top floor of the Royal Sussex's multi-storey car park as soon as possible, which would allow them to issue 100 extra staff parking permits.

Other planned changes as part of a £139,000 package of work include the demolition of the Stephen Ralli building, near the Royal Sussex's main entrance, so 19 pay-and-display parking bays can be installed with extra space to lock push bikes.

Staff council chairman Pat Grant said many workers still had strong concerns about transport changes. She explained: "The trust is doing as much as it can but health service money was not set aside to be used for parking. Staff are scattered across the city and have different shift patterns."

Mr Soden said despite teething problems, the transport group had put forward constructive suggestions. Brighton Health Care NHS

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