A hospital car park barrier is still out of action weeks after it was ploughed into by a car.

The exit machine in the William Harvey Hospital was broken in a car accident before Christmas.

But despite it being a typically busy time of year for the hospital, the barrier has still not been fixed.

One visitor, Steve Salter, said: "With only one barrier working and the notorious issues exiting the site at peak times, East Kent Hospitals appear to have no urgency in fixing it.

"The barriers are mains powered and because they have both been hit so many times since their installation, only temporary repairs have been done with plastic sheeting.

"Are the trust that cash strapped? The last thing you want after visiting the hospital for whatever reason is to be penned in like farm animals or having to go back in the hospital suffering from electric shock!"

Steve James, a spokesman for the Trust, explained: "The barrier sustained damage after a car accident before Christmas, but another barrier machine has been ordered and will be in place shortly.

"We are monitoring the situation to ensure that traffic on our hospital site flows as freely as possible."