‘Dangerous’ hospital access to be reviewed

A review of the pedestrian access to Melksham Hospital will be carried out by NHS Property Services, after a local woman branded the area as a danger.

However, Caroline Fielding, who highlighted the dangers, has said that the issue is ‘a matter of urgency’ and that something should be done ‘sooner rather than later’.

In the last issue of Melksham News, Caroline, who relies on a white cane as a mobility aid and is registered as blind, highlighted that there are no footpaths or safe areas for pedestrians to use to walk up to the hospital.

Describing her experience of accessing the hospital as  similar to ‘stepping into a fairground dodgems ride,’ Caroline called for pedestrian access to be provided by the hospital, allowing safe passage for pedestrians and disabled users.

In response to Caroline’s concerns, a spokesperson for NHS Property Services said, “We’re grateful to Caroline Fielding for highlighting the issue. Melksham Hospital transferred to our ownership in July 2017 and we are reviewing the pedestrian access to the site to assess the options for improvements.”

However, Caroline said, “This is not good enough. It needs to be looked at as a matter of urgency. Since the story was in the paper, other people have stopped me in the street to tell me that they have the same problem and have done for a long time. And this is not just people with disabilities, it’s everybody.

“This is something that cannot be put on the back burner, something needs to be done now, before someone gets hurt. I recognise that NHS Property Services have just taken on the hospital, but this should be a priority. Would they rather have to administer medical services to someone injured in their own car park, or fix the problem now?”

NHS Property Services was approached to comment on the timescale for the review, but they declined, inviting Caroline to contact them directly.