Project to check hospitals' accessibility launched

The trust which runs Pilgrim Hospital is holding a series of events to get feedback on the accessibility of its services.
Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.
Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.

The events are hosted by United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust working with national not for profit organisation DisabledGo

Visitors, patients and staff will be able to find out more about the accessibility of hospital buildings and services with a new project call an ‘accessibility checker’.

The online resource will be completely free to use and is being created by DisabledGo.

Patient experience manager at ULHT Sharon Kidd said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with DisabledGo to produce the new online accessibility guides for all of our hospitals.

“The guides will be very useful for our visitors, patients and staff with access concerns, as they will provide information in advance so that they can feel confident and more at ease using our hospitals.

“The provision of access guides will not only assist people with disabilities, but also older people, carers, people with young children and our patients with a temporary illness or mobility impairment, who will need to know more about the physical facilities of our hospitals.”

A surveyor will be visiting and assessing every area of ULHT hospitals over the coming months to ensure accurate, detailed information is collected.

The information, including details of whether accessible parking bays are available, how far you would need to walk to get to an entrance, if a hearing loop is available at reception, if background music is played, if flashing fire alarms are available and if there are places to sit and rest, will then be published on the DisabledGo website, and be available on the departmental pages on the UHLT website, from March 2017.

The project will be launched at the public events which are set to take place during this month, where people can come to give their feedback on accessibility of hospital services.

The first will be held in Committee Room One, at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, from 2.30-3.30pm on Monday, October 31.

After that, on Tuesday, November 1, two further meetings will take place in Meeting Room 3, at Grantham and District Hospital, from 10am-11am and the Trust Board Room, at Lincoln County Hospital, from 2.30pm-3.30pm.

For details contact DisabledGo by calling 01438 842710, email [email protected] or text 07908 129952.