Hospital accessibility
At East Kent Hospitals, we want to make sure everyone feels welcome and supported. If you or someone you care about has a disability, we’re here to help with your visit.
You can find all the ways we can help by clicking on the options below.
Communication help
Sign language interpreting
Our interpreting services can provide to:
British Sign Language (BSL)
Deaf/blind hands on signing
Lip-speaking
Sign Supported English (SSE)
Speech to text reporters (STTR).
Please contact the person who has sent you the appointment letter to arrange an interpreter, as they will need book the interpreting service for you.
Contact us using video British sign language (BSL) interpreting
If you require a British sign language interpreter to contact us, use our video sign language interpreter service. The BSL Interpreter will phone us and speak to the team that your appointment is with.
Hearing loops
For patients with hearing loss, we can provide a hearing loop, we can ask staff to let you know when it’s your turn, when you are waiting to see a clinician.
British Sign Language (BSL) health video library
Deaf health charity, Sign Health, provide a large collection of health videos in British Sign Language. It covers topics from cancer and depression, to types of abuse and how to perform first aid.
We offer alternative formats for letters and other written communications, including:
Electronic versions of documents
Braille
Easy read (simple language with images), such as our easy read patient information leaflets
Large print
Our staff will ask you if you have any communication needs during their first contact with you. They will also check this is up-to-date throughout your care.
You can also update your own records using our Patient Portal – available for adult patients only. For guidance, see how to choose your communication preferences on our Patient Portal.
Or you can contact us using the details on your appointment letter, to let us know what you need before your appointment.
Getting to and around our hospitals
We will do our best to meet any reasonable adjustments that you need, related to a disability or long-term condition. For example, having:
an additional person to help you at your appointment (e.g. a carer or family member)
a healthcare advocate to help you at your appointment (advance notice needed)
a double appointment to give you more time to understand information or communicate with an interpreter
a quiet space to wait for your out-patient appointment
adjustments to the lighting level
wheelchair access.
Our staff will ask you if you have any needs during their first contact with you. They will also check this is up-to-date throughout your care.
Or you can contact us using the details on your appointment letter, to let us know what you need before your appointment.
Eligible patients can use our non-emergency patient transport services, for help getting to our hospitals.
Eligible patients can also get help with travel costs.
We have dedicated parking for Blue Badge holders near each of our hospital entrance points. Click on the relevant hospital below for more information:
We welcome registered assistance dogs on site, who support our patients to attend an outpatient appointment, day treatment or the emergency department.
We also welcome all registered assistance dogs who support our visitors, as part of our Visitors Policy.
Other help
Please tell us about any help you need before your first appointment, or later if your needs change.
You can:
contact your clinical team using the details on your appointment letter, their service page, or on our contact us page
tell our staff at reception when you arrive
update your own records using our Patient Portal – available for adult patients only. For guidance, see how to choose your communication preferences on our Patient Portal.
Our staff will ask you if you have any communication needs during their first contact with you. They will also check this is up-to-date throughout your care.
Please tell us if you need support that is not listed on this page. You can:
ask a member of the team your care is with, or any member of staff if you are in the Emergency Department
contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) if you have asked for adjustments at your appointment or when you were an inpatient, and they were not provided – email ekh-tr.pals@nhs.net
share your feedback anonymously using the Friends and Family Test (FFT) survey – you should receive this after you have been to the hospital.
Your right to accessible information and reasonable adjustments
If you have a disability or long-term health condition, you have a right to expect that we will make changes for you, so you have equal access to healthcare.
These changes, known as reasonable adjustments, include providing:
information about your healthcare in a way you can understand
support to help you use our services.
As an NHS organisation, we must follow the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) and Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (RADF) to make sure we meet your needs. These are legal duties that tell us we must identify, record and meet your needs. We must do this for patients, families and carers.
If you have asked for adjustments at your appointment or when you were an inpatient, and they were not provided, please contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
To find out more about what we must do, see: