Patients with disabilities
We have a number of facilities to make your visit to our hospitals as easy and accessible as possible.
University Hospital Lewisham
Drop-off zone
If you are being brought in by car or taxi, we have a drop-off zone in the front of the Urgent Care Centre and Main Reception area.
Blue Badge holders
We provide 18 clearly marked disabled car parking spaces, 14 at the front of the hospital by the Blue Zone building and four in front of the Riverside building.
Blue Badge holders can park for four hours in the disabled bays but will need to register at main reception, phlebotomy (Suite 1) reception, physiotherapy (Blue Zone) reception, main stores, the renal dialysis unit or the Riverside reception each time you park. Please ensure that your Blue Badge is clearly displayed in the windscreen.
If disabled bays are not available, you can park in any of our regular bays, but will need to register at reception and display your Blue Badge.
Accessibility
All of the pedestrian entrances at University Hospital Lewisham are suitable for wheelchair users. We also have disabled toilets in key locations around the hospital, including Main Reception and the Riverside building (for inpatients).
Induction loops
We have induction loops for the hard of hearing and these are available in Main reception, The Urgent Care Centre and Emergency Department.
Changing Places Toilet
At University Hospital Lewisham there is a Changing Places Toilet for use by patients and carers who have either limited mobility or who need equipment and space to help them use the toilet or change a continence pad. The Changing Places Toilet has a power hoist and a rising bench, and space for you to manoeuvre if you use a wheelchair and/or to be assisted by a carer.
It is behind the Ambulatory Care (Same Day Emergency Care) Centre. You can get into from the High Street from the courtyard entrance to Pink Zone (opposite the ambulance bays.) See map of University Hospital Lewisham.
To use this facility you need a Changing Places Key. Please note that our reception team do not have a spare key. You can get one of these from your council access officer or from Disability Rights UK.
We are looking to install a similar facility at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Information about this will be posted here when has been installed and registered with Changing Places.
Easy read
We provide some of our information leaflets in an easy read format, as well as certain key pages on our website.
Patients with learning disabilities
We have a number of initiatives to help improve care and make your visit to hospital easier if you have a learning disability. We have produced, in conjunction with the Lewisham Learning Disability Team, a ‘Hospital Passport’. This covers essential information about you and your care needs – including name, mobility needs, personal care, medication, aids and information about routines, likes and dislikes. When completed the passport can be used by staff to build a personal care plan for patients. The passport can be filled in with the help of clinical staff or a carer if needed and is then carried by patients when they receive medical care at our hospital.
We also have a ‘Hospital Communication Book’ on our hospital wards which contains simple symbols and images which staff can point to in order to communicate a range of messages, from asking patients about their symptoms to finding out what they would like to eat or drink.
At University Hospital Lewisham, we do try to make any reasonable adjustments to make your visit to us as easy as possible. Some examples of reasonable adjustments may be arranging a first or last appointment time, a separate waiting room (where possible) to avoid distress and liaison with family members or carers on consent for surgery or treatment.
For queries about our care for patients with learning disabilities, please call 020 3228 9620. Please note that the Trust has no ability to issue Blue Badges, this is done by your Local Authority.
Find out what we have done to make this website fully accessible >>
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Drop-off zone
If you are being brought in by car or taxi, we have a drop off zone in the front of Main Entrance.
Blue Badge holders
We provide disabled bays in front of the Main Entrance and further clearly marked disabled car parking spaces in our car parks. We have 31 disabled bays in total and these are free to those who are registered disabled.
Blue Badge holders will be able to park for four hours in the disabled bays but will need to register at main reception, outpatients reception, renal unit, main stores, Ward 7 or the Dolphin unit each time you park. Please also ensure that your Blue Badge is clearly displayed in the windscreen.
If disabled bays are not available you can park in any of our regular bays – please remember to register at one of our receptions and display your Blue Badge.
Accessibility
The whole of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site is suitable for wheelchair users. We also have disabled toilets in key locations around the hospital.
Easy read
We provide some of our information leaflets in an easy read format, as well as certain key pages on our website.
Patients with learning disabilities
For queries about our care for patients with learning disabilities, please call 020 8836 6868. Please note that the Trust has no ability to issue Blue Badges, this is done by your Local Authority.
Find out what we have done to make this website fully accessible >>