• Online access guides available at the Royal Bolton Hospital to improve accessibility to healthcare services
• Over 80 departments surveyed to create detailed access guides
• Guides include details of how to get to the hospital, where to park and the best accessible route to departments

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has launched new accessibility guides via AccessAble, to assist patients and visitors when attending Royal Bolton Hospital.

AccessAble provides detailed information for thousands of public venues to advise of accessibility routes for anyone wishing to visit.

iFM Bolton manage the facilities at the Royal Bolton Hospital and following the completion of robust site surveys, in collaboration with AccessAble, online detailed access guides have been produced, to provide crucial and practical information for any visitors.

The guides advise of how to get to the hospital, where is best to park and the best route to get to the nearest accessible entrance for over 80 departments.

There is a handy search function, along with detailed pictures and descriptions of what to expect.

This enables patients and visitors to plan their visit, lowering any anxiety or challenges of visiting somewhere new, or unfamiliar. This is particularly useful to anyone with additional accessibility requirements.

Toria King, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:

Everyone deserves to access healthcare with confidence and dignity. These accessibility guides are a practical step toward removing barriers that too often go unseen.

“By working with AccessAble, we’re helping ensure that disabled people, carers, and anyone who needs a bit more information can plan ahead and feel reassured when coming to our hospital.

Fiona McDonnell, Managing Director at iFM Bolton and Director of Estates and Facilities, said:

We recognise the importance of making sure healthcare services are accessible for all and these guides are designed to improve the experience for our patients, visitors and service users.

“With a huge focus on sustainability, we are hoping to reduce the number of unnecessary visits to the hospital and by sharing as much information as possible, we are assisting our patients and visitors in planning their trip ahead of time.

All guides can be found on the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust page on AccessAble’s website.