IT WAS a talking point for weeks when it was first introduced last year.

But the problems originally experienced by staff and patients when the new car parking system at the Great Western Hospital came into action seem to have almost disappeared three months down the line.

Changes to staff parking were introduced on November 28 as well as a new pay-on-exit system with an additional 50 spaces transferred from staff to public parking.

The changes mean that staff are now paying £1 a day compared with the £5 a month that was previously charged, with a cap on how frequently they could use the car park, in a bid to encourage car sharing.

Now, the new system is being reviewed with recommendations to be considered at the end of April.

A number of issues will be looked, including traffic flow, location of pay machines, signage and the balance of parking between public and staff.

A spokesman for GWH said although this was the first formal review, a number of improvements have already been made to the car parks following feedback from users.

“The review involves input from a range of car park users. It is the first formal review, however there has been a continual process of looking at what adjustments can be made following feedback from car park users,” he said.

“This has led to improved road markings, improved signage, with real-time signage (which indicate where spaces are available) due at the end of April or start of May, additional lighting, and filling potholes.”

Changes have also been introduced to allow staff to use the north public car park when all other staff car parks are full.

The spokesman said: “This addressed the problem some staff were having if arriving onto site later in the day when staff spaces are more likely to be full.

“This change means that when the staff car parks are full the north public car park activates to allow staff to park there, then when spaces become available in the regular staff car park staff can park where they normally do.

“This change happened in early February and has worked well. When we have the real-time signage this will make this change even more effective.

“The early technical problems we encountered have mostly been fixed and we haven’t had a single occasion when the public car park has been full so the additional spaces for the public have proved very useful.”