BARRIERS look set to be installed to help ease the parking free-for-all at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary.

It follows years of complaints about the daily parking chaos at the hospital, where cars are regularly left obstructing traffic because there are no available spaces.

Earlier this month Carlisle dad Andy Pink, of Botcherby, set up a Facebook campaign demanding bosses take urgent action . In just a few weeks it has gained more than 1,700 supporters.

Despite North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust having planning permission to add hundreds more spaces, work has yet to begin.

Mr Pink has now taken his fight directly to new chief executive Stephen Eames, who held a public forum at the hospital.

He set out his concerns, including fears that an ambulance could get stuck behind badly parked cars, and demanded action.

Mr Eames said that the extra car parking is still on the cards, but to date there is no confirmed start date.

In the meantime he said barriers could ease problems, saying at present the car park is not tightly monitored.

Responding to Mr Pink, he said: “You are right, it is a problem and needs to be addressed. I do not think it’s managed as vigorously as it should be. In my experience very basic things like barriers will control car parking much better than we do now.

“I am keen to see that happen as soon as possible. I’ve got people working on that now. I can assure you we are going to address it.”

Mr Eames explained that the reason for the delay with the additional parking is because the infirmary site, built via the controversial Private Finance Initiative (PFI), is owned by a management company.

He said they are currently in discussions about a number of issues, and parking is among the items on the agenda. Because of that he said he couldn’t yet give a date for work to start.

Mr Pink, whose own children have been rushed in to hospital in the past, said that aside from the difficulties getting parked, he is concerned about emergency vehicles being obstructed.

“Ambulance crews do a fantastic job but you can only do so much in the back of an ambulance. What if, worst case scenario, someone dies because it couldn’t get through?” he said.

Mr Eames said he’d experienced a similar problem at a previous trust, where they had to get a parked car physically moved to clear the way for an ambulance. He said that although rare, a contingency plan could be put in place for such a scenario.

He said there is more than one way in to the hospital site for ambulances, but accepted that until parking was improved “we can’t fully mitigate that risk”.

Mr Pink also asked if there was a possibility of a multi-storey car park being built in future. Mr Eames, who has only been in post since January, said he didn’t know at this stage. However he added that his first priority was to tackle the immediate problem by installing barriers quickly.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Pink said the barrier idea may help, though it won’t stop motorists from parking on the road, grass or roundabout.