A MEMBER of NHS staff has hit out at York Hospital over issues with on-site car parking- as they said it is contributing to a "staffing crisis."

The staff member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that the logistics of getting to and from the hospital are putting people off working there - and that those who need to drive to work should be able to park on-site for a reasonable price.

They said: "Many staff work 10-12 hour shifts. After that we are expected to cycle 10 miles home and then back again to start at 7am the next morning to do another exhausting shift alongside the few staff we have left.

"Chief executives and consultants have access to parking in the multi-storey. If all other staff did that at an unavoidable cost of £9.90 per day there would be nowhere for patients and visitors to park.

"If the people of York want a staffed hospital, they need to be aware of the problems the staff are facing. It isn’t good enough for us to be told to get the bus or cycle in when the highest paid staff have guaranteed parking every day."

The staff member said that their colleagues also sometimes park in unapproved places on site, which leads to a £30 fixed penalty notice.

"If staff are late to work it puts strain on the rest of the team and all of this adds to the massive stress we are under," they added.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that parking at the hospital is limited - and that the trust has offered suggestions to support staff.

The spokesperson said: "Like many city centre hospitals up and down the country the city of York is prone to high traffic congestion.

"To support staff, the trust offers a range of travel concessions and suggestions. This includes the dedicated York Hospital Park and Ride bus from Rawcliffe Bar, which for £1.50 return fare offers guaranteed offsite parking and a drop-off and pick up close to the hospital entrance.

"We also offer discounted bus tickets and an annual season ticket loan scheme for train travel which can be paid back monthly through salary sacrifice, as well as a liftshare car sharing scheme. Staff have received discount offers to try the city’s e-scooters and e-bike network for free, as well as a cycle scheme that includes options to purchase electric bikes."

The staff member called on City of York Council to work with the trust to provide "adequate," car parking to enable hospital staff to get to work and home again.

"Green initiatives are one thing, but surely in this case asking people to cycle in is completely wrong," they added.