"Accessing hospital outpatients/equipment"

My child with multiple disabilities/including cerebral palsy had an appointment at outpatients (pre covid). We parked in the multi storey car park, QE11 buggy was not operating (driven by volunteers). My child managed to get to the main entrance and could walk no further. Miraculously a volunteer with a wheelchair appeared. I was able to wheel them to their appointment and then back to the car park.

More recently we had to return a heavy piece of equipment to SCGH (a chair). With Covid restrictions we could not enter the short way to the equipment office and ended up carrying it to the main entrance of the hospital. We could carry it no further. There were no trolleys available to use to transport the equipment.

It seems that there is little consideration at this site, both within and without as to how patients and their families can access this large site. For many the use of buses is not an option (especially those who are immunocompromised), short term parking areas are actively policed and fines issued (they have sensors). The QE11 buggys run limited hours and only week days. Even within the hospital the distances between units can be lengthy. While the focus at SCGH is on the provision of clinical/medical care there appears to be little attempt to walk the 'consumer' experience of access.

The recent Care Opinion article on provision of rain cover for those waiting to access the hospital was, in my opinion, another example of lack of consideration of the consumer experience.