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AccessAble partners with University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust becomes the latest of over 95 NHS Trusts to partner with AccessAble, the UK’s leading provider of detailed accessibility information.  

As part of this partnership, we have developed Detailed Access Guides for 10 sites, encompassing the Trust’s diverse range of facilities, wards, and departments, including Derriford Hospital, the Royal Eye Infirmary, South Hams Community Hospital and Tavistock Hospitals. These Guides are available on the AccessAble website and mobile app, enabling patients and carers to plan their visit with confidence.  

The Detailed Access Guides provide detailed facts, figures and photographs to help patients, visitors and staff plan their journeys to and around the Trust facilities, covering everything from parking facilities and assistive listening devices to walking distances and accessible toilets. 

John Stephens, Director of Estates & Facilities at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: 

“At UHP we are committed to enhancing accessibility as part of our site development strategy and improvement planning for the future. We understand just how stressful visiting a large hospital can be, and I’m delighted to have collaborated with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to help build confidence for patients to plan a visit here. This work has also helped us to identify areas that require improvement, thereby ensuring we are able to plan our future developments more effectively. I am very grateful to the Trust's Patient Environment Team, led by Matt Birchall, and to AccessAble, for the extensive work undertaken to make these Guides a reality for our patients.” 

 

Professor James S Griffiths, Committee Member League of Friends of Derriford Hospital and Chair of the Patient Council said: 

“Patients, carers or visitors will always be apprehensive about going to hospital whether it is for a consultation, treatment or seeing someone they know in a hospital ward. A large hospital complex like the main site of University Hospitals Plymouth at Derriford is a daunting place to visit even if you are fit and mobile. However, for those with mobility difficulties, visual or aural impairment or mental health problems, a visit can appear overwhelming. Therefore, we have a duty to develop user-friendly guides that can help relieve anxiety ahead of a visit for all people using the Trust facilities. Hence the League of Friends of Derriford Hospital were delighted to support the purchase of AccessAble to provide an easily utilised digital system that identifies parking, public transport stops, accessible routes into buildings and the location of other facilities such as restaurants and toilets. Use of AccessAble Guides will improve the visit experience for all our patients and those supporting them.” 

 

Dr Gregory Burke, Founder and Chief Executive of AccessAble, added: 

“We are thrilled to partner with University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust in creating comprehensive Detailed Access Guides that empower disabled individuals and those who require additional accessibility support to visit the hospital with confidence and independence. Our Guides are designed to give a clear insight into what services will be like, allowing people to feel assured that the environment will meet their needs or enable them to have a conversation around reasonable adjustments. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Trust for partnering with us and sharing our vision of an NHS where disabled people and carers can access exceptional care, independently and with dignity.” 

View the Detailed Access Guides for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust here