Hospital visitors are regularly facing delays of half an hour just to get a car parking space.

Concerns over delays and congestion during peak times at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton were raised by members of a health watchdog.

Hospital bosses told the Brighton and Hove health overview and scrutiny committee that parking was an “enormously difficult issue”.

They said plans for a major £400 million redevelopment of the Royal Sussex would help address car parking problems.

The Royal Sussex provides full hospital facilities for the local community but also has specialist cancer, heart and kidney services used by patients across Sussex.

Although people are encouraged to use alternative methods of transport to get to the hospital, for many patients, visitors and staff, the car is the only option.

However committee members said they had been approached by residents unhappy with the car parking arrangements and length of time some people had to queue.

Committee chairman Garry Peltzer-Dunn said: “We accept the physical confines of the site make parking difficult but I do feel a lot of the problems are with access.

“If someone is trying to come into hospital worried and upset, they should not have to face frustrating delays trying to get in.”

Development project head Duane Passman told committee members the hospital was exceptionally busy and car parking was an issue being taken seriously.

He said: “We are aware of our Sussex-wide role and mindful of the number of visitors that come to the hospital.

“The subject of car parking is something we are taking into account as part of the development plans.”

The trust has almost 500 car parking spaces with 72 dedicated to patients and 73 to hospital staff and vehicles and 352 shared between everyone.

The hospital has attendants working at the car parking sites to help ease traffic flow and guide drivers to the right spot.

It has also installed new digital car park signs in Eastern Road which tell people how many spaces there are and how long they will have to wait.