PATIENTS will have to pay to park their cars at five more Gwent hospitals from the autumn.

Health chiefs are planning to extend a policy of charging for car parking, which currently operates at the Royal Gwent and St Woolos Hospitals in Newport, and Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny.

Before the end of the year, charges are likely to be introduced at: St Cadoc's Hospital, Caerleon; Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital, near Cwmbran; County Hospital, Griffithstown; Caerphilly District Miners' Hospital; Ystrad Mynach Hospital.

Prices have not yet been confirmed as Gwent Healthcare Trust is consulting patient groups, staff and organisations that share the sites.

But a trust letter on the proposal sent to patients' watchdog Gwent Community Health Council (CHC) states "charging will be in line with the arrangements on the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall sites".

There is a big difference in the parking charges at these two hospitals however. At the Royal Gwent, three hours of parking costs £1.70, rising to £2 for six hours and up to £2.80 for 24 hours. Prices at St Woolos also start at £1.70 for three hours, but at Nevill Hall it is 60p for three hours and 80p for six hours.

Improving security - money raised from parking charges will pay for car park attendants - and ensuring parking policies such as the authorised use of disabled bays are maintained, are among the arguments put forward for charges.

The CHC's public involvement officer David Kenny said such charges are "never welcomed" while acknowledging that they are now well established at the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall.

He said the CHC will reserve its judgement until it hears the outcome of the trust's consultations, and is calling for a wider public consultation. But the CHC wants any charges to be kept as low as possible, and will press for the installation of pay and display machines that give out change, as anecdotal evidence suggests that a considerable number of people who do not have the right money pay over the odds for a space.