HOSPITAL staff are looking for new jobs after they lost their parking permits.

Colchester Hospital bosses announced in September it was changing the staff parking arrangements.

The hospital has made a number of changes to its parking including getting rid of the parking barrier and installing a licence plate recognition system.

It also now only has designated parking places for 1,000 of its 3,000 staff. Employees have had to apply through a needs-based system to get a space and will be allocated according to criteria such as where they live and family commitments.

Lorraine Simpson, 58, from Colchester, has worked part time as a care for the elderly ward clerk for 11 years.

But she said she is now considering looking elsewhere for a job because of the changes.

She said: “Some of the staff who have been declined permission live as far away as Clacton.

“I live in Colchester, about three and a half miles from the hospital, but I still think I should be able to drive to work if I choose to.

“More importantly the people living in Clacton or further afield are facing the same problem.”

Lorraine used to leave her house at 7.15am to get to work for 7.30am. She now has to leave at 6.45am to get a bus.

She said: “I don’t know if it’s the same for staff on all levels. We applied for our passes earlier in the year but I think about a third of staff haven’t been given one.”

Samantha Channon has worked at the hospital for 19 years, first as a stroke nurse and now on the same ward as an administrator. However, she is starting to look elsewhere for a job.

She said: “It will now cost me about £40 a month to get the bus and I’m a single parent.

“I think there will be a lot of people leaving. Staff were sent an email saying we can continue to park there until December 31 but they are already fining people.

“It’s condescending as they just keep sending us bus timetables. I live near the zoo and I would have to drive up to the Park and Ride to get a bus, it would take me an hour instead of ten minutes.

“There is no communication, people are in tears over this because they are getting £70 fines.

“I think there is going to be a massive fall-out.”

Some staff have already written to Colchester MP Will Quince for help.

An East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: “Staff working at every level of the Trust have had to apply for a permit to park at Colchester Hospital if that is their regular place of work.

“Parking, which includes ANPR technology is managed by Parking Eye, however the car parks are monitored by staff employed by the Trust.

“Help is available to all staff working at the hospital wherever they live and we already have measures in place to support staff who don’t get a permit, as well as continuing to explore other options which may help.

“The number of spaces on the site are finite and we need to manage what is available so staff involved in patient care can park at the hospital and there are enough spaces for patients and visitors to park in.”