"Poor signage, not dementia friendly or provision for mobility issues"

About: University Hospital Wishaw University Hospital Wishaw Wishaw ML2 0DP

Posted by stueypot (as a carer), 6 years ago

Further visits to Wishaw General and after having raised concerns about poor sign on here nearly two years ago it is worrying to see this has not changed. When previously raised on patient opinion there was a change planned but no 'sign' of this having happened.
When entering the hospital signs are very confusing to find each departments etc. When leaving wards it is very confusing to get from one department/ ward to another or to the exit. This is especially difficult as there is very little evidence of dementia friendly signage. In addition considering the hospital currently has some wards for dementia/ older adults it remains worrying that the communal areas are not dementia friendly for example on stairwells bannisters are the same colours as wall making this very difficult for someone with dementia/ sight problems to identify where the banister is.
Other concerns relate to the lack of provision for individuals with mobility problems for example there are very long corridors to navigate around yet nowhere in these corridors where individuals can have a seat. I am aware there is potential fire safety issues with seats around but there could be provision for example folding seats attached to walls etc

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Responses

William McCutcheon

Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House,

NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 11/08/2017 at 15:16

Published on Care Opinion at 15:29

We would like to apologise for the way finding signage not being clear and concise which caused additional confusion on your visit. Property and Support Services undertook a review of the way finding signage within the hospital, working along with members of the Patients Focussed Group to ensure the signage throughout the hospital was adequate and detailed.
The signage board located within the main entrance of the hospital has been amended to include all areas/departments within their respective levels, starting with Level 3 and going in a descending order. As part of the way finding signage review, we have added additional wall and hanging signage to all corridors and around the central atrium area walls. This signage includes wards and directional signage and where appropriate we have also included pictorial signage.
Regarding the communal areas, such as the stairwells banisters being the same colours, I can advise that Dementia Friendly Guidance was taken into consideration during the review and advise that this issue was not raised, however we would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention and will liaise with the appropriate Dementia Friendly advisors for appropriate guidance.
With regards to having no seating within the corridors, the building was constructed to meet the appropriate Fire Safety and additional regulations at that time. Since then alterations have been made to the building fabric to comply with amendments made to the regulations since 2001, the year the hospital was opened to the public. We appreciate your comments and will look into these accordingly.

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Update posted by stueypot (a carer) 6 years ago

Hi William
Thanks for the response but i feel you have missed the point in where the concerns come from.
As you will see from the post nearly two years ago and from the current post the significant confusion is not just coming in the front door entrance. As you will be aware parking is such a problem at the hospital and many visitors/ patient will enter from one of the back entrances. Again there is very limited signage meaning once in the bottom corridors you could potentially walk a distance along the corridor and upstairs to the central atrium to find the ward you are going only to discover the ward might be right upstairs from the door you have entered.
Similarly in my earlier and current post you will see i had been highlighting the difficulties navigating from one ward/ department to another. When you walk out a ward there remains difficulty navigating and working out how to get to another area and actually there is not even many sign indicating the way out. It might be helpful to ask a number of individuals (who have never been in the hospital) with varying abilities to come to the hospital and ask them to get to different departments and get feedback, just like a mystery shopper.
When you walk out a ward you would expect something facing you on the wall. Signs hanging from the ceiling are not ideal for those with visual impairment and are not dementia friendly. Again there should be additional signs indicating the way out indicating whether towards the front entrance or back entrance. Might it also be helpful to have additional wall maps at entrances and in corridors to help people visually each area/ department.
Can i also ask what consultation does the hospital do and who does it involve around making it more dementia friendly?
Finally it remains worrying that there are no facilities for those with mobility problems being able to walk the significant distance with no facilities for a seat, i would appreciate feedback around what the hospital plans to resolve this issue. While there is disability access i.e. no stairs to enter the building, lifts etc the hospital does appear to be failing in disability discrimination by offering reasonable adjustments to allow individuals to navigate the long distances of the corridors.

William McCutcheon

Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House,

NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 15/08/2017 at 12:37

Published on Care Opinion at 14:35

Thank you for comments.
We will take these points on board as part of our on going review of signage within the site.
To allow us to fully explore your concerns further we won’t be able to provide an immediate response as we want to consider and study all points made before we provide a suitable answer.
We will keep you posted of progress.

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William McCutcheon

Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House,

NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 05/09/2017 at 14:00

Published on Care Opinion at 15:23

This issue has been picked up at the NHS Lanarkshire Public Reference Forum.
They intend to ask patients to undertake “mystery shopper” type activity when attending scheduled hospital appointments to provide feedback on “way-finding” (probably over the next six months or so), the Forum has representatives from Deaf / Blind and learning Disability communities.

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