"Disabled spaces and access"

Good morning

My name is Michelle O`Halloran and I am a Support Services Manager in Patient & Client Support Services Logistics Team. Please accept my apologies on behalf of Patient & Client Support Services (PCSS) for your recent carparking experience on the RVH site.

We are experiencing an increase is demand for blue badge spaces from patients, visitors and staff members. We try to encourage Trust staff to apply for blue badge parking spaces (within staff parking areas) so we can free up as many of the public blue badge spaces as possible.

The Trust is also in the process of changing our parking enforcement contract to a new regional contract. This contract is starting to roll out across our acute sites in early 2025. This will result in increased patrols and enforcement on sites via ANPR. This will include misuse of blue badge spaces.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention and in the interim, we will ask the current parking enforcement contractor to pay particular attention to misuse of blue badge spaces.

Regards

Michelle O`Halloran

Patient & Client Support Services

Good Afternoon

My name is Estella Dorrian and I am a Senior Equality Manager with Belfast Trust and thank you for taking time to share your opinion with us.

Whilst my colleague Michelle has responded to the car parking concerns you raised at the RVH I thought I might be useful to share with you a number of things which might help with getting around the large RVH site.

1. Carers, Visitors, Patients and Service Users who require support with getting around the RVH site can use the Belfast Shopmobility@RVH service which is located in the main foyer near the public shop. The service offers the use of electric scooters and wheelchairs. The service is free and simply requires becoming a Belfast Shopmobility member which can take 15 minutes. Staff can also arrange to meet at the Shopmobility unit near the parking spaces for blue badge holders on the ground level of the main visitors’ car park near the underground tunnel. The service is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. To find out more please contact Ivo Joiner at Tel: 07385941991 or Email: info@shopmobilitybelfast.co.uk. Ivo can also tell you about the sighted guide service that exists on the RVH site if appropriate.

2. Also, we have been working on improving access and navigation with regard to the RVH site. If you have access to a computer you could go to www.accessable.co.uk and search for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and then Royal Victoria Hospital. This will show you in pictures and words how to get to certain locations on the site and the accessible features of each area eg: disabled car parking bays, accessible toilets etc.

I hope this information is helpful and improves your experience visiting the RVH site.

Best Wishes

Estella Dorrian