A hospital trust is spending £650,000 on extending its car park.

More than 100 extra spaces are being created at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn.

It comes after complaints from patients and visitors who have difficulty finding a space and a report to the QEH trust's board which said some faced waits of half an hour to park.

Work to create 117 new spaces in three extra areas for parking began this week and is expected to take eight weeks to complete. During this period the number of car parking bays is reduced so members of the public arriving for appointments are asked to bear this in mind and allow plenty of time.

Jon Green, chief executive of the QEH King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'We recognise the difficulty and frustration facing patients, visitors and staff on the occasions of extreme demand for car parking bays.

'That can sometimes lead to issues for the efficient running of the hospital, with people who have spent a long time looking for a parking space arriving late for an appointment.

'So we are investing in creating further car parking areas. Once the work is complete there will be 117 extra bays which we hope will considerably ease the situation.

'However, we do urge people to always consider, where possible, not coming to the site with a car.

'Whilst acknowledging that public transport is not a viable option for many, we are keen to point out that there are more than 100 visits each weekday to the on-site stop by bus services.'

The car park work is expected to cost about £650,000. The announcement comes weeks after hospital bosses announced a 30pc hike in parking charges for patients and visitors.

From June 1, the cost of a two hour stay at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn will go up from £2 to £2.60.

The charge for each extra hour will increase from £1 to £1.30, increasing the price of a four hour stay from £4 to £5.20 and eight hours from £8 to £10.40. A weekly ticket will go up from £22 to £28.

Staff parking charges will also increase from June 1. Those on the lowest salaries will see their parking fees increase by £1.02 a month in the first year. The increases rise according to earnings, with consultants and executive directors seeing an increase of £19.04 per month.