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Hospital accessibility

Posted By Tina Tap

"Hospital accessibility"

About: Altnagelvin Area Hospital / Radiology

(as the patient),

I had a very long awaited hospital appointment with The Western Trust @Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry/Londonderry for an MRI of head and spine.

I found access to this hospital absolutely atrocious, with every entrance locked to patients (they say for security reasons) however it is such a very large hospital with parking difficulties that I and other patients attending have to walk a very very long way to access the only one entrance to the hospital which is accessible at weekends.

Given my particular health issues, I find it very painful to walk any distance at all, I live alone and I have no one to help me access the hospital, so the walk to the entrance from the car parking space I found let alone the additional walk to the correct location of the department where I was meant to be was very distressing and painful for me.

I feel this Trust needs to improve its service of hospital accessibility for patients who are not physically fit and who are unwell and who have no family or friends support plus of course other patients. I think their policy regarding accessibility is just completely wrong and needs to be addressed immediately. I feel that their security measures are not patient friendly and affect patients wellbeing adversely when trying to use the hospital.

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Responses

Response from Joanne Daly, Support Service Manager Altnagelvin Hospital, Performance and Service Improvement, Western Health & Social Care Trust 15 months ago
Joanne Daly
Support Service Manager Altnagelvin Hospital, Performance and Service Improvement,
Western Health & Social Care Trust

Submitted on 15/03/2024 at 11:53
Published on Care Opinion at 11:53

Hi Tina Tap

My name is Joanne Daly and I an Support Services Manager responsible for Site Management. I'm very sorry that this was your experience. Some of the Hospital entrances are closed due to security risk at the weekend as the clinics or departments are not operational and this would present a Security risk and potential Health and Safety risk.

Can I advise that at the Hospital Main Entrance North Wing the helpdesk can assist with accessibility issues. For example if required helpdesk staff can call a Hospital Porter with a wheelchair if required to help a patient or visitor to the ward or department they need to attend.

Yours Joanne Daly

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Response from Joanne McFeely, Clinical Specialist, Radiology Department Altnagelvin Hosspital, WHSCT 15 months ago
Joanne McFeely
Clinical Specialist, Radiology Department Altnagelvin Hosspital,
WHSCT

Submitted on 20/03/2024 at 13:08
Published on Care Opinion at 13:08

Hi Tina Tap

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the difficulties you encountered attending for your MRI appointment.

On week days we do have access to the Radiology Department through a Radiology Entrance at the Glenshane Road side of the hospital which is accessible from 8:30 to 20:00. This may have been more convenient for you. If however your appointment was over a weekend the only entrance available to you would have been at the Main Entrance North Wing. I would recommend asking the helpdesk staff at this entrance for assistance to your destination.

Within the hospital we also have a wayfinding group which looks at entrances, signage and ease of access and I will bring your concerns to this group for attention

Kind Regards

Joanne McFeely

Assistant Radiology Service Manager

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