"Disability access"

Anything else?

• There are insufficient blue badge bays. The recommended amount, which is pitched quite low, is 5% and St. Richard's doesn't even reach that amount. This is disappointing, considering the high ratio of elderly, served by this hospital. Also, same bays are blocked by staff, using blue badges. If members of staff are disabled, the Trust should allocate them staff disabled bays, so that they don't diminish the parking for disabled patients. • • There is poor access into the Women's and Children's unit. The entrance doors are okay but the double doors, to the reception desks, are heavy and have no automatic openers. They are virtually impossible to open independently, if you are in a wheelchair. • • The patients' toilets have larger cubicles, but the outer doors are too heavy, if you are disabled. There is no signage to indicate that larger cubicles are provided, presumably as they aren't really 'accessible'. Once in the larger cubicle, in gynaecology, the transfer space is blocked by a large waste bin and the toilet roll dispenser is too far away. These deficiencies need to be dealt with, as a matter of urgency, unless the Trust has no desire to meet their equality duty.