Free parking could be extended by 10 minutes at Palmerston North Hospital to ease a quagmire that continues to have nearby residents and hospital visitors in an uproar.

Clogged streets, parking costs and irate neighbours are causing a headache for hospital management.

Extending free public parking from 30 to 40 minutes has been suggested as one way to ease the situation.

GRANT MATTHEW / FAIRFAX NZ The cost for the public parking is $2 per hour at a daily maximum of $8. The basic staff rate is $2 per day.

Meanwhile, a staff-only car park on Tremaine Ave is regularly sitting vacant with 50 to 60 parks unused because it is too far from the hospital and costs too much to use.

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﻿A report has been put to hospital officials with possible remedies.

One is to add the 10 minutes of free parking for "improved patient experience and accessibility".

Another is to offer a staff discount for the Tremaine Ave parks.

MidCentral District Health Board member Karen Naylor said she was not comfortable charging people to visit family in hospital.

"It is a time that is a crisis for many families, the additional cost – whilst you may look and say that's low – is prohibitive."

The cost for the public is $2 per hour at a daily maximum of $8. The basic staff rate is $2 per day.

"For people on low incomes, it is something that impacts the decisions they make around visiting their family members."

Naylor said there was frustration from the community, particularly residents who could not park outside their homes. "Whilst at the same time there being consistently a large empty car park within the grounds."

﻿Paid parking was introduced at the hospital in 2011.

MidCentral says it cannot offer an hour of free parking because this would significantly affect revenue.

It expects to lose up to $40,000 of revenue if the changes are made.

Jo Murrell often visits the hospital and said parking was an added stress and cost that put her off going to appointments or visiting people.

"I find it extremely stressful, especially coming from Foxton."

Having to walk far and using pay machines were concerning for older visitors.

"If [your appointment] runs late you start to worry. All these things sound silly, but they are all issues for older people.

"On top of that, you have got the stress of the appointment."

Valerie Sinclair said she had visited a family member in hospital for 12 weeks.

"At $4 here, $7 there, it really starts to get expensive.

"It is just a bit frustrating when you have to pay to see a sick family member.

"But what choice do you have?"

Sinclair said she felt for people on low incomes who had to visit the hospital.

Rongopai St resident Allan Lovell said the parking congestion was "relentless".

Parking was too expensive, so it forced people on to the streets, and the neighbourhood had "significantly changed".

"It used to be a relatively nice area to live. Friends could visit and park outside. Now people have to pay [to park at the hospital] it has made quite a bit of difference."

Heretaunga St resident Melv Currie said it was a huge inconvenience.

On Sundays he had to get up at 5am to secure a park in front of his own property.

MidCentral strategy, planning and performance general manager Craig Johnston said the DHB could not require staff to park on site, even though they had an under-utilised park.

New MidCentral deputy chairman Brendan Duffy said having people walk was not a bad thing.

"We are health-related, so walking a few more metres from the car park is something we should promote."

Chief executive Kathryn Cook said she would prefer the hospital's parks to be used.

She said some staff parked on the road because they got exercise walking to the hospital, while for others it was a matter of cost.

The board agreed to look further into the issue next year in its annual plan.