Write a commentThe Southern Trust has been busy investigating ways to improve access to the new Outpatients Department at Daisy Hill. Outpatients moved to Bernish House last October to make way for the new Direct Assessment Unit in the main building.
The Trust’s Outpatients, Estates and Patient/Client Experience teams recruited the help of David McClurg and his Guide Dog, Paxton, Angela Mallon who is deaf and Laurence Mallon who is Partly Deafblind to help make sure that this group of service users can get to the building and once inside find their way around.
Sr Marilyn Mulligan, Outpatients Manager explains: “We want to make sure that everyone using our services can access them easily and were particularly aware that the move from the main building over to Bernish House presented additional challenges for patients with sensory issues.
“We really appreciate the help of David, Laurence and Angela who highlighted some very practical changes that could improve the experience of people with sight and hearing difficulties when coming for their appointment.
“I would also like to thank our estates team who did their best to address Angela, David and Laurence’s suggestions within the funding available to us and the physical restrictions of the site.”
Some of the external changes include; some additional car parking spaces, tactile paving, new zebra crossings, improved signage, safety railings, kerbing and road markings.
Inside the Bernish House building: signage has been improved including new much clearer pictorial images to distinguish male and female toilets; sliding glass has been installed at reception; subtitles are now on TVs in waiting areas; staff are wearing yellow name badges; and a new ‘deaf card’ system has been introduced to make staff more aware of patients with hearing needs.
