EXTRA parking is being created for staff who will work at a new community health block near the city's hospital.

Health chiefs want to demolish two buildings to make space for the new parking at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital complex.

The proposed spaces will cater to 'frontline clinical staff' who will use the recommissioned Aconbury North building, next to Newtown Hospital.

Bosses hope to boost the number of parking spaces at the site from 30 to 100 over the next 12 months.

But Healthwatch Worcestershire has raised concerns about where the patients who will use the new services will park.

Simon Adams, chief operating officer for the watchdog, said: "It's obviously welcome that they are increasing capacity at the site. It means it's much more likely staff will want to work there.

"But what about the patients? If they are going to expand use at Aconbury North what are they doing to provide additional parking for patients? Particularly for those that might use this new service."

A spokesman for Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust said: "This is related to our plan to bring our vacant space in Aconbury North back into use for community health services.

"We’re not in a position to confirm what services will use the site just yet but in order to accommodate them we need to extend car parking provision.

"As part of the work we are going to be considering parking provision is put in place for patients for those services.

"Hence the plan to expand the existing rough car parking area opposite Charles Hastings Centre by demolishing the old management block and café buildings, both of which have been redundant for several years."

The types of employees that might be able to benefit from the parking spaces include receptionists, therapists and nurses.

Some nurses were previously forced to park in residential streets near the hospital after losing their permits.

The Trust provides a range of services covering areas such as mental health, dentistry and sexual health.