"Visiting and signage in GRI"

I had difficulty finding the ward number to visit my friend.

I entered GRI via the medical block and was looking for Ward 43.

It wasn’t on any signs so I walked through the building and asked a man at the security desk.

He told me it wasn’t in this building and to use the link corridor.

I am fairly familiar with that, so managed to find it by going downstairs and was well along it before I saw a map on the wall showing that Ward 43 is in the Jubilee building next to A&E and not accessible via link corridor.

I continued along to PRM then went upstairs and outside to walk along the street.

It was very hot in link corridor and I was glad to get outside.

I am fit, capable, have English as a fist language, and was not at all stressed or anxious.

My concern is that if someone is stressed and anxious (as many visitors may be), lack capacity and or cannot read (poor) signage, they will struggle to navigate their way around the hospital.

This is not my first experience like this in GRI, it’s just the first time I have got around to giving feedback.

I also feel that this must be an extra burden on staff who must commonly have to redirect visitors and deal with their annoyance and frustrations.

I feel it could and should be remedied at little cost and great effect.

Apart from clearer signage and maps,there could be colour-coded lines on the floor - e.g. yellow line to this dept, green line to another.

If any managers were interested in improving this, they would merely have to walk in the shoes of a visitor to see it as it is.

I am happy to give feedback to anyone willing to listen.

This is feedback, NOT a complaint.

I am aware this isn’t anyone’s fault and that it’s partly the result of new extensions and changes over the years.

However, I want to highlight it so that it can be improved.