Staff at Northampton hospital to get dedicated parking as new assessment unit builds on top of main car park

Construction of the hospital's new £12million two-floor assessment unit on the site of the Cliftonville car park, off Billing Road, will begin on July 17.

As a result. Northampton General Hospital will lose around 70 parking spaces. They now plan to rent spaces for staff at Midsummer Meadow Car Park, in Bedford Road, from Northampton Borough Council.

The building will be used to care for seriously unwell patients who are transferred from A&E for further treatment and comes as part of a series of measures to redirect patients who could be more appropriately treated by a GP.

A spokeswoman for Northampton General Hospital said: "The 60-bed assessment unit is being built where it is because it can be linked back to the main hospital buildings and is very close to our emergency department and diagnostic services such as radiology. This is important because unit is for the sickest patients who are admitted to NGH.

"We apologise to our patients and visitors for the restrictions the building work will place on access to the site. Vehicular access to this area of the site will be restricted to emergency access to A&E for ambulances and drop-off for emergencies only.

"All other access to the hospital, our car parks and our drop-off areas will be via the south entrance off Cliftonville at the rear of the hospital, or the entrances at Cheyne Walk and Billing Road.

"The access arrangement will be policed with traffic wardens to assist with guiding people to the rear of the site. We apologise again for any inconvenience caused."

The loss of the 70 spaces has also prompted a review of the hospital's arrangements for volunteer groups, who will now be reimbursed for up to £5 for parking.