ANGRY nurses have hit back in the growing row over controversial moves to force hospital staff to park-and-ride their way to work.

A war of words has broken out since health chiefs revealed plans for staff at Blackburn Infirmary to park at Queen's Park Hospital and catch a minibus to their workplace.

Nurses, who have expressed concern and anger about the proposal, have already been urged to "stop whingeing" by patient watchdog boss Nigel Robinson.

Mr Robinson, chief officer of Blackburn and District Community Health Council, told nursing staff to "put up or shut up" and stop moaning.

But today nurses said they were not the only group of workers at Blackburn Infirmary opposed to the parking scheme. One nurse, who did not want to be named because she feared the sack, said several other hospital departments had also condemned the plans.

She said: "We are not the only ones opposed to the scheme. So are staff from other departments, including radiology and physiotherapy. But workers are afraid to speak out because we are not supposed to talk to the Press.

"A lot of nurses work twilight shifts and they finish in the early hours.

"I would not even fancy crossing the road near the Infirmary at that time."

She said a host of suggestions were being made by staff to try to improve parking congestion. Trust chiefs have been investigating methods of easing the congestion in and around the Infirmary.

The park-and-ride option involves 80 parking spaces at the hospital being set aside for patients and visitors only to use between 7am and 4pm.

The park-and-ride alternative would then be offered to staff, patients and visitors to park on 100 spaces at Queen's Park.

A free bus would operate on a 20-minute circular basis between the hospitals.

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