THE council are set to remove free parking for NHS staff in areas of the city from next week.

Brighton and Hove City council will stop NHS workers parking in resident only bays to ‘ balance the needs of resident permit holders living around the Royal Sussex County Hospital’.

From Tuesday, October 13, NHS passes will no longer be accepted in resident only bays in parking zone H.

There will also be an increase in enforcement to ensure vehicles are parking legally in the zone.

However, health care workers displaying an official NHS parking pass can continue to park for free in pay and display and shared parking bays in zone H.

Badges can be obtained through the hospital’s transport bureau but ID and letters are not longer accepted as proof of eligibility.

A spokesman from the council said: “Throughout the covid-19 pandemic, we have supported our NHS workers with free parking to support their hard work in the community, and this will continue.

“We also have to balance the needs of resident permit holders living around the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

“The Royal Sussex County Hospital is working with the council to let staff know about the change to parking arrangements and to find a longer term solution that reduces parking pressures around the hospital.”