It considers patients’ and carers’ needs as well as the hospital environment and meets bi-monthly for up to two hours, usually on a Friday morning. Both disabled people and representatives of voluntary organisations who work with people who have disabilities are on the forum.
We urgently need new members. Where necessary, we can provide support to help attend and take part in meetings, for example the hospital can arrange for signers or reimburse expenses for a supporter.
The forum has looked at the visual alert symbols used to identify patients with a disability, disability awareness training for staff and the need for buses to be able to drop off patients within the hospital complex. They have also been working with the Hearing Services User Group to assess the hearing loop provision within the hospital.