PATIENTS forced to travel out of their home town under hospital changes will have to take the bus because parking is "insufficient", bosses have admitted.

Services are to be divided between hospitals in Blackburn and Burnley, meaning thousands of people, including pregnant women, will have to travel further for treatment each year.

Bosses said this could "worsen" the lack of parking at the two hospitals and although more spaces are on the way, "green travel initiatives" will have to be pursued.

The main bus between the towns, the 152, takes an hour to make its journey - and stops 1.3 miles from Royal Blackburn Hospital and two miles from Burnley General.

Bosses have pledged to pay for a free shuttle but only between the two hospitals.

They also have a commitment from council chiefs to improve bus services but this depends on private companies agreeing to take them on.

If they won't, the routes may have be part-funded by taxpayers' cash. A patient watchdog boss said the move would spell disaster for thousands of people.

John Amos, vice-chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum, said: "The shuttle bus would be a good idea if it left from the town centres but it won't, so it won't be convenient.

"This pledge is a sop for the public. These routes will be put on for social reasons but if they are not well supported, they will be discontinued.

"Parking seems to be OK at the new hospital but I would be surprised if anyone could find a space at Burnley General."

Under the plans, to be brought in by 2009, Royal Blackburn will lose key services for women and children including consultant-led births and its neonatal intensive care unit.

This will mean about half the babies presently in born in Blackburn, about 2,400, will have to be born in Burnley. Also, about 5,700 pre-booked operations will have to be carried out at Burnley General instead of in Blackburn.

Burnley General is notorious for its poor parking facilities and nearby residents say their drives are often blocked by cars.

Meanwhile, about 4,000 parents will have to travel from Burnley to Blackburn each year if their children need an overnight stay in hospital.

A report given to a member of a committee of health bosses which made the controversial decision on Thursday said: "East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust's car parking capacity is insufficient and there are fears that the proposed changes will worsen the situation.

"The Trust does have some plans to increase spaces within the scope of planning regulations but other green travel initiatives needs to be pursued."

The committee passed a recommendation which said these initiatives use must be "widely adopted".