WHEN the new Worcestershire Royal Hospital was being planned, the New-Labour-style quango-conglomerate-partnership must have lent too much of their collective ear to Government encouragements about eco-friendly bus travel.

Therefore, since so many people would be arriving by bus, they didn't have to cram in as many parking spaces as they could, but could prettify the area with forest bark, bedraggled roses, hazel thickets, and kerb stones and notices everywhere.

It was a dumb move. Of course, the majority still prefers to drive in by car. You only go by grubby little bone-shaking bus if you absolutely have to.

Again, 99 per cent of staff or patients, from all around Worcestershire, don't live anywhere near a modern bus route, and don't want to travel when timetables dictate.

Lateral thinking is called for. If the adjacent so-called nature reserve is considered sacrosanct, then I suggest one of the following.

1. Charge all visitors and off-duty staff £10 each for admittance to the building. That should keep away the unnecessary crowds of friends and family groups spreading disease along the corridors, and car park. Car parking can then be free. That's the Tory way.

2. Return to visiting hours, say two one-hour sessions per day, suitably staggered per ward or department. Staff might then even get time and space to prevent the dreaded MRSA. In other words, rationing. That's the old socialist solution.

3. Ask Charles Kennedy to come up with something different from another penny on income tax. That's the Lib Dem answer to everything.

C R CHEESEMAN,

Malvern,

Worcestershire.