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Wheelchair access and parking needs reviewing.

Story from nhs.uk

"Wheelchair access and parking needs reviewing."

About: Leighton Hospital

Anything else?

I am a regular visitor to this hospital, my most recent visit being this month.

I am a wheelchair user and struggle to self propel any great distance. There are insufficient wheelchair accessible parking slots. Also at present the building works mean I have to go a longer distance from the wheelchair bays to the departments. I have to go through the car park to the temporary entrance and this risks getting hit by a car.

At times when the bays are fully utilised I have had to park in the main car parking area and this means I have to park in an end bay next to a pavement and there is a kerb usually. At times the pavement from there leads to another kerb and I need someone to assist me down from it.

Ideally there should be wheelchair bays nearer to each of the department entrances.

Also I think it is wrong to charge wheelchair users to park. If it has to be charged perhaps we should have a discounted rate.

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Responses

Response from Leighton Hospital 10 years ago
Leighton Hospital

Submitted on 22/04/2013 at 17:12
Published on nhs.uk on 23/04/2013 at 05:15

Thank you for taking the time to post your comments. We are sorry that you had difficulty locating a wheelchair and I can advise you that we are waiting delivery of new wheelchairs as we have recognised that we do not have sufficient numbers available.

In relation to your comments on the car parking charges at Leighton Hospital, in particular for disabled visitors, there are a total of 49 patient and visitor disabled spaces at Leighton Hospital which is well in excess of the required standard for organisations of this size. The main disabled parking areas are in the Main Entrance, Maternity, A+E and Treatment Centre patient car parks. If anyone needs assistance in finding a suitable space an intercom is located at the entrance barrier so that security staff can advise visitors.

I can appreciate that disabled car parking charges are seen as unpopular. However, it would be wrong – and indeed discriminatory – of the Trust to assume that someone is financially challenged because they have a disability. It is for this reason that the Trust has not introduced a specific concession for disabled visitors.

James Whittall, Security / Green Travel Development Co-ordinator

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