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A health trust has been criticised for introducing a time limit on free disabled parking at one of Northern Ireland's biggest hospitals.

The Western Health and Social Care trust is introducing the three-hour limit at Altnagelvin Hospital to help improve turnover and access.

It applies to spaces at the Londonderry hospital's main entrances.

Disability rights campaigner Dermot Devlin said a limit on free parking is unfair.

"It could force disable people who urgently do need to go to hospital to decide: 'I can't go now because I can't afford to park there,'" he told ����ý Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

In a statement the trust said the three-hour limit applies to spaces at the main north wing, south wing and outpatient entrances and not the disabled bays in its multi-storey car park.

"It is really important that we can ensure these spaces have turnover throughout the day and help improve access for our patients and visitors," the trust said.

It added: "To help improve access to disabled parking spaces directly outside the main Altnagelvin Hospital entrances and to help ensure there is no abuse of these spaces; a three-hour, with no same day return process is being introduced.

"This will allow patients and visitors to access these spaces throughout the day when attending the site."

Car parking at the hospital is charged at £1 for the first hour rising to £3.40 for up to four hours and £5.60 for up to eight hours.

Mr Devlin said the charges are an "extra financial burden" on disabled people.

"It might sound like a small charge but these sort of charges are not something we can afford at the moment," he added.

The trust said there are a total of 136 disabled parking bays across the Altnagelivn site.