EXTRA machines to pay for parking at Colchester Hospital will be installed after a new system was blighted with teething problems.

The hospital received more than twice as many complaints about parking in three months since the new system was installed than it did across an entire ten months beforehand.

Long queues have formed at the parking machines as patients and their families have tried to pay.

Number plate recognition systems have operated at the hospital and neighbouring walk-in centre since the autumn meaning the exact time vehicles spend there is recorded on camera.

Fees are paid at the end of a visit using a touch screen machine.

Visitors have complained about difficulties when entering their number plate details as well as being incorrectly charged.

READ MORE: Hospital warns visitors to allow extra time for parking

There are three parking machines but another two will be installed next month to try to speed up the process.

Hospital visitor Fiona Broom described the queues as “ridiculous”.

She said: “We were at the hospital for five hours and the whole time there were queues at all the machines.

“The older people haven’t got a clue how to use the machines and half of them don’t know their registration number.

“It’s added stress they don’t need after being at the hospital for whatever reason.

“No wonder there aren’t any spaces because it takes people half an hour to pay and exit the car park.”

READ MORE: Colchester Hospital bosses sorry for parking mix-ups

Natalie Copping added: “We were there on Tuesday and each machine had at least 15-plus people queuing.”

Between last January and October there were ten complaints about parking problems.

From when the new parking system was installed, up to the end of January this year, there were 25.

A spokesman added: “We appreciate it has caused problems and inconvenience for some people who use our car parks, which was not our intention.

“What we are doing now is focusing on solutions to put right the problems in order to improve the system.

“This includes the installation of two more car parking payment machines which will be up and running in early April, and changes to the process for registering Blue Badges, (for drivers with mobility issues) both of which will have a positive impact for people who visit the hospital for any reason.”