I WORKED at the Alexandra Hospital from its opening in 1986 until I took early retirement last year.

In May 1998, I paid £10 to the Alex healthcare trust for car parking.

This, I believe, was more for higher paid staff and was a one-off payment, refundable on leaving the trust.

The same promises were made then, as now, about how it would be put to good effect. My £10 was refunded earlier this year, as was the money paid by staff still employed by the hospital.

For six years, this money seems to have been kept in an ''invisible'' pot.

Before the amalgamation of the three trusts in 2000, parking had become difficult for staff.

Since then, it has become even worse, so much so that by 8.50am each day the staff car parks are invariably full.

Whatever time staff shifts begin, it is not unusual to drive around or wait in a car park for 20 minutes or more in the hope someone might vacate a space.

On many occasions, I was tempted to return home without reporting for work because of sheer frustration.

How then can the trust guarantee everyone a space, especially when staff from Worcester or Kidderminster also need one when attending meetings etc?

Alternatives such as car sharing (which I and a colleague did on many occasions) are not always feasible at holiday time or in the event of sickness.

If no more land is available, one answer may be to build multi-storey car parks.

There would appear to be money available for trivial spending that staff would rather see put to good use and so alleviate the necessity of once again having to pay parking charges.

The trust management should adopt a more caring attitude towards the well-being of the staff, without expecting them to contribute an amount of money that, in effect, becomes a pay cut for the lower paid workers and antagonises ALL workers.

Staff turnover rates will increase, loyalty and hard work having become very undervalued.

Mrs PA EVANS

Lodge Park