DOCTORS and nurses may soon be charged to park at their place of work -- the Royal Bolton Hospital -- in a controversial bid to boost revenue.

The suggestion has outraged nursing union chiefs who have attacked the money raising proposal as "abhorrent" -- claiming it could put the safety of nurses at risk.

The plan is one of a string of proposals now being considered by health bosses at the cash-strapped hospital. Other proposals include:

Inviting a retail giant -- such as McDonald's or W H Smith's -- to open a store on the Minerva Road site.

Allowing hospital pathologists to check animal specimens for local veterinary surgeons -- for a fee.

Hospital finance chiefs are aware some of the proposals will attract criticism.

Today, as news of the parking charge fee was revealed for medical staff, members of the Royal College of Nursing vowed to fight the plan which hospital finance chief, Beverly Peacock, has admitted the hospital would like to introduce.

The ideas are being considered by new body at the hospital called the Efficiency Group set up to raise much needed cash for the hospital which is facing a £3.2 million overspend

Commenting on the possible car parking charges for medical staff Royal College of Nursing spokeswoman, Liz Judge, said: " I find the idea of charging hospital staff completely abhorrent. It shouldn't be the staff that they are taking the money from. It is wrong to penalise the staff in this way."

Mrs Judge claims the staff parking will put staff safety -- who often work through the night -- at risk with many opting to park off the hospital base, in unlit back streets often at night.

She added: "This is not an NHS way of looking at things."

Plans to charge relatives for staying overnight in the hospital have been shelved.

The number of internal meetings that staff have to go may also be reduced to increase job efficiency.

Hospital finance chief Mrs Peacock said that the efficiency team is still investigating whether or not some of the schemes are viable.

Mrs Peacock, who says cash pressures are causing the cost cuts, said: "A lot of work still needs to be done in all of these areas before it is formally agreed by the trust.

"These are all ideas that the staff and management have put forward to save money. Obviously some will be controversial but I am sure we will handle them carefully."

Parking at the hospital is a recognised headache for visitors, staff and patients. A further possibility is a plan to build a multi-storey carpark on the site.

Mrs Peacock said: "We have the land but we would probably have to bring in a private company to run it and we couldn't afford to run it ourselves."

Further reports on the measures are expected to go before the board members of the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust soon.