A PARKING crisis at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary is showing no sign of easing soon, despite plans for extra spaces being approved.

The News & Star can reveal that funding has yet to be agreed, leaving patients and staff to face continuing chaos in the car park.

It is now a year since Healthwatch Cumbria condemned parking facilities at the infirmary following a catalogue of complaints.

It has since been working alongside bosses to find a solution. 

As a result, planning permission has been granted for more than 130 new spaces at the front of the site, near Reiver House, and 300 spaces at the side, round by the infirmary helipad.

However, despite having this consent since last autumn, no work has yet started.

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust says it is still finalising funding for the work.

The hospital, on Newtown Road, was built using the controversial Private Finance Initiative (PFI), which acts much like a mortgage.

It means the trust provides the care and pays about £21m a year to use the building, but it is owned by Health Management Carlisle (HMC).

A spokeswoman explained that the two are in talks about the finer details of the additional car parking.

“The trust is in active dialogue with its PFI partner to provide further car parking capacity on site.

“Design specifications have been agreed and are in progress along with finalising funding and procurement options,” she said.

Last January David Blacklock, chief executive of Healthwatch Cumbria, highlighted the “stress and anxiety” the parking crisis was causing to hospital patients.

The lack of spaces has long been a cause of complaint for patients, staff and visitors.

The situation has been so bad at times that cars have been abandoned on grass verges and double red lines – meaning no parking.

Previous chief executive Ann Farrar gave assurances in January 2014 that there would “definitely” be action.

But she recently left the trust, without the promised extra spaces having materialised.