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Exhausting to carers trying to use hospital wheelchairs

Posted By Middle-aged-carer

"Exhausting to carers trying to use hospital wheelchairs"

About: Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow

(as a carer),

My 75 year old mother has dementia and reduced mobility/tendency to fall. I am her middle aged carer/daughter.

Parking was awful but eventually luckily found a space outside the old management building, however this is at least 15 minute walk from the new QEUH building. (Too far for my mum to walk but there are no wheelchairs here to borrow).

I could not "drop her at the drop-off point" as she would wander/be left vulnerable and unsafe. My only choice was to LOCK HER in my parked car whilst I ran to the building, find a wheelchair then run back! (Took me >40minutes, being left alone alarmed Mum ).

I was exhausted and stressed before I even started to push her back to the building for her appointment. Basically took an hour from parking to even get Mum into the building.

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Responses

Response from Lorna Fairlie, Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 8 years ago
Lorna Fairlie
Patient Experience, Public Involvement Project Manager,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

I work in a small team in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde which seeks to involve patients and carers in the work of the NHS. The biggest part of my role is in managing feedback projects across the Board area, one of which is Patient Opinion. It is my job to give our patients and carers the opportunity to give us feedback, and to make sure that this is passed to the right people to help us improve the services we provide.

Submitted on 23/10/2015 at 16:33
Published on Care Opinion on 24/10/2015 at 15:44

Dear Middle-aged-carer,

I'm really sorry that you had such a difficult time taking your Mum for her appointment and I can completely understand why this would have left you feeling stressed right at the start of your visit.

There are two multi-storey car parks on either side of the new hospital which are much closer to the main entrance than where you had to park on your visit - I don't want to assume that you hadn't tried these ones, but wanted to make you, or anyone else reading this aware that they are available. These may have been close enough for your Mum to walk from, but would certainly have been closer for you.

These car parks also have drop off areas within them, which can be useful on a day where the weather isn't so great. You would be able to leave your car in the drop off area for 30 minutes, to allow you to take your Mum into her clinic and then go back to the car, although I appreciate this may also not be ideal depending on the support your Mum needs. I will certainly pass on your feedback to my Facilities colleagues to see if there are any improvements that can be made here - we are constantly reviewing how everything is working as the hospital is still new, so feedback like this really helps us with that.

New site maps and travel information are being distributed with all patient letters which highlight the best places to park. These will continue to be amended as we get feedback like this, and as the site keeps evolving with the older buildings coming down and more landscaping being completed.

Thanks again for getting in touch and I will let you know of any updates after I've been in touch with Facilities colleagues.

Best Wishes,

Lorna

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