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Improving Access to the Hospital Sites |
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Written by Communications Lead
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We are seeking your views via a second public meeting on disabled access
On Tuesday 1st May, Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is holding a second, follow-up public meeting to engage with local people on improving disabled access to its two hospital sites. Following an initial meeting on 12th March, the discussion will focus on ways to address key issues raised at the previous meeting including parking charges, access into our barriered car parks and other general access issues.
The meeting will be held at:
St Peter's Hospital
Chertsey House (closest entrance is via Holloway Hill)
Rooms 2 and 3
Tuesday 1st May, at 3.00 pm
A special area close to the building will be secured for parking for this event, but if you need any further information or have any special requirements please contact:
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Trust holds positive discussions on disabled parking issues
Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is working proactively with local patient and disabled people’s groups to agree a positive way forward on a number of disabled parking issues. At a meeting held on Monday (12th March) at the Hythe Centre in Egham, representatives from a number of local groups including the Surrey Local Involvement Network (LINk), the Surrey Disabled People’s Partnership, the Runnymede Access Group and others, joined the Trust in a proactive debate around some of the problems disabled people can face when parking at both St Peter’s and Ashford Hospital.
Deputy Chief Executive at the Trust, Valerie Bartlett, explains more: “We know that, despite a number of recent improvements to our parking facilities, some of our disabled patients and visitors are experiencing problems when parking on our hospital sites – for example, some people find our new barrier system difficult to operate, and some of our blue badge holder spaces can be difficult to manoeuvre out of. We also know that some people are not happy with our new charging structure, including charges for some of our disabled spaces. In order to understand these issues in more detail we wanted to hold an open and frank conversation with patient and visitor representatives – our customers – and have been very grateful for the support and facilitation we’ve received from local groups. Yesterday’s meeting was an opportunity for some honest debate and we have made a firm commitment to hold a further meeting in about 6 weeks time to agree a way forward.”
The Trust has temporarily suspended all parking charges for blue badge holders whilst this discussion exercise continues.
Blue Badge Holders
As described on our parking page, we have a number of disabled parking spaces spread across our hospital sites. These are FREE in our Pay and Display car parks, but chargeable within our Pay on Exit (barriered) car parks, at the normal rates.
All our disabled spaces are located close to the main hospital entrances and signs clearly direct the way for people with a disability. There is access on both sites for wheelchair users.
- At St Peter’s there are automatic opening doors on Levels 1 and 2 of the Outpatient Department, at the entrance to the Duchess of Kent Wing and the entrance to Abbey Wing.
- At Ashford there are ramps at both the Main Entrance and the Outpatient Department entrances.
Both sites have easy access to lifts.
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Disabled Access