EXTRA car parking spaces at Ipswich Hospital could be transferred from staff to visitors in an attempt to ease congestion.The Heath Road hospital, which has a history of not having enough visitor spaces during busy periods, has admitted the problem has worsened since it reduced visiting hours to two hours a day in June.

EXTRA car parking spaces at Ipswich Hospital could be transferred from staff to visitors in an attempt to ease congestion.

The Heath Road hospital, which has a history of not having enough visitor spaces during busy periods, has admitted the problem has worsened since it reduced visiting hours to two hours a day in June.

Now it is planning to create an extra 50 spaces for visitors close to the South Wards entrance and the under construction Garrett Anderson treatment centre.

The decision is still to be finalised by the hospital's board of directors, which are meeting tomorrow .

Hospital spokeswoman Jan Rowsell said: “We promised when we brought in the new visiting hours that we would monitor car parking and do what we could to make additional spaces.

“The use of staff car parking has also been closely monitored to make sure there is enough for staff to accommodate the 50 lost spaces.

“It's a busy hospital and we are looking to see how we can improve further.

“We have had staff on hand in the car parks during visiting hours to visitors, and still urge visitors to come a little early, so they are parked, have their ticket and are at the ward so they can spend the whole hour visiting.

“The 50 spaces are close to the main buildings.”

Visiting hours at the hospital were reduced last month in a bid to crackdown on superbugs like MRSA and Clostridium Difficile (C-Diff).

Guests on the general wards are now restricted between 3pm and 4pm and 7pm and 8pm.