WORK to increase parking at Worcestershire Royal Hospital has created chaos with buses no longer able to drive to its main entrance - leaving patients and staff stranded.

The hospital has been blasted in the past for its shortage of parking that has caused endless problems for hundreds of county residents.

Now work has begun on a series of improvements to the hospital's car parking facilities but it is causing added mayhem for visitors, patients, and staff.

The main problem is the creation of a new one-way system - designed to improve the flow of traffic around the complex and create new roadside parking bays.

But the work means dozens of bus services that run to the hospital are no longer able to reach the hospital's main entrance.

One Worcester resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said the disruption was causing "nightmares" for his daughter who works for the hospital.

"There are cars everywhere, they don't know whether they are coming or going. It's like spaghetti junction," he said.

"My daughter gets the bus to work and relies on it taking her into the grounds of the hospital.

"The fact the buses can't run all the way to the hospital is outrageous - think of all the old and ill people trying to get there who will now have a long way to walk."

Hospital staff are being encouraged to use the overspill parking on the old Ronkswood site at peak times and a shuttle bus is being provided to take them to and from the hospital between 8am and 10am and 4pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays.

The chaos is likely to continue for a further three weeks until the rest of the work on the site is set to be complete.

Meanwhile, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust managers have defended the work, saying the disruption was inevitable.

Short-term disruption

Peter Male, spokesman for the hospital, said: "There is inevitably going to be some short-term disruption and temporary loss of spaces while the contractors are working.

"We would ask all visitors to bear with us while work is carried out."

The work will create 140 extra spaces, including short-term parking and space for the disabled and ambulances. Cycle storage will be doubled.

The second phase of the work, expansion to the hospital's south car park to create a further 136 spaces, should begin next March.

The work was delayed because of a colony of great crested newts nesting at the site.

For advice on how bus services will be affected, call the help line on 08457 125436.