Could this be classed as a form of discrimination?

ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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I went to the doctors this morning. The surgery I attend is situated in an old Victorian house. The reception is where the kitchen and back garden would have been, the doctors rooms are where the front and dining room were, and the nurse practitoner is upstairs where the bedrooms would have been.

Well as I sat in the waiting area a female carer arrived with a severley mentally and physically disabled young woman, she went to sign in at the reception. This is a transcript of what was said:

Carer: 'Ive brought *****. She's got an appointment with the nurse at 9.30

Receptionist: OK, well you need to wait upstairs'

Carer: 'Upstairs? Have you got a lift?'

Receptionist: 'No'

Carer: ' Well ****** is severley disabled. How am I going to get her up those stares?'

At which point the receptionist just shurgged and carried on with what she was doing, she didn't offer to help or get help. Im not kidding, those stairs are lethal! The are really steep and narrow and would be a struggle for a mobile elderly person to tackle.

It was at that point I realised that the surgery should at the very least have a stairlift for elderly or disabled patients. Or have everything on the ground floor? Surely putting the nurses rooms upstairs and not having adequate access is a form of discrimination? The carer really struggled to get this woman up the stairs, the doctor didn't even bother to help. What if one or both had fallen? I'd left before them, maybe they did fall coming back down. I have no idea. But its very bad form and almost draconian.

The carer made it perfectly clear that she thought it was disgrace that there was no lift or stairlift for the disabled or elderly, and I agreed with her. Im sure its discrimination and this woman would have grounds to complain about this?

Would I be right?

Comments

  • cosmocosmo Posts: 26,840
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    Yes, I believe public service buildings should provide full access to the disabled unless a listing prevents it.

    This is quite shocking for a doctor's surgery.
  • Richard46Richard46 Posts: 59,829
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    cosmo wrote: »
    Yes, I believe public service buildings should provide full access to the disabled unless a listing prevents it.

    This is quite shocking for a doctor's surgery.

    She would have been treated better in any public house that I have used in the last few years.
  • BerBer Posts: 24,562
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    I can understand how it would't be possible to always have "upstairs access" for wheelchair users, etc. in these old buildings.

    However I would certainly expect a doctors surgery to have some idea that they have a physically disabled person coming in and as such make other arrangements such as allocating a room downstairs for them to be seen in :mad:
  • ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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    cosmo wrote: »
    Yes, I believe public service buildings should provide full access to the disabled unless a listing prevents it.

    This is quite shocking for a doctor's surgery.

    Yes. Thats what I thought.

    Its a pretty old fashioned surgery anyway, and they do seem very resistant for change. But thats not the point is it? Not every elderly or disabled person who comes to the surgery would have a carer with them either.

    My mum actually thinks they could in serious trouble if it the local authority found out.

    EDIT: Why has this been moved to advice?:confused:
  • Babe RainbowBabe Rainbow Posts: 34,349
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    Ber wrote: »
    I can understand how it would't be possible to always have "upstairs access" for wheelchair users, etc. in these old buildings.

    However I would certainly expect a doctors surgery to have some idea that they have a physically disabled person coming in and as such make other arrangements such as allocating a room downstairs for them to be seen in :mad:

    Yes I agree - some old buildings are not suitable for lifts and suchlike but surely some accomodation could be made.
  • cosmocosmo Posts: 26,840
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    As it's a Victorian house it may be listed and this may well prevent any building works or adjustments to facilitate disabled access.

    Having said that I'd say a building like that is completely unsuitable to use as a doctor's surgery in this day and age.
  • eunicelouise658eunicelouise658 Posts: 1,869
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    Is there somewhere downstairs this person could have been seen? Under the DDA the service provider i.e. doctors should take reasonable steps to provide access. If the stairs would not sustain a stairlift or room for a lift was not available it would be seen as unreasonable to demand their provision.

    Does the doctors surgery perhaps have another branch that has better disabled access facilities. They could perhaps have one doctor upstairs and one downstairs and then the nurse practioner could be accommodated on the ground floor.
  • ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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    Is there somewhere downstairs this person could have been seen? Under the DDA the service provider i.e. doctors should take reasonable steps to provide access. If the stairs would not sustain a stairlift or room for a lift was not available it would be seen as unreasonable to demand their provision.

    Does the doctors surgery perhaps have another branch that has better disabled access facilities. They could perhaps have one doctor upstairs and one downstairs and then the nurse practioner could be accommodated on the ground floor.

    No I don't think there is somewhere downstairs for disabled people. There are two doctors and they used the rooms downstairs. They did used to have another branch a few miles down the road that was all on one level, but it closed down a while back.

    Its very old fashioned and poorly organised as it is, and I doubt they have plans to either be more accomodating or move to another premises.
  • eunicelouise658eunicelouise658 Posts: 1,869
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    No I don't think there is somewhere downstairs for disabled people. There are two doctors and they used the rooms downstairs. They did used to have another branch a few miles down the road that was all on one level, but it closed down a while back.

    Its very old fashioned and poorly organised as it is, and I doubt they have plans to either be more accomodating or move to another premises.

    The obvious option would be for one of the doctors to move upstairs so the nurse could move down. I suppose then if that doctor has disabled patients the saga starts again. I would look to moving to a surgery that provided better accesss. Was the closing of the better facility a cost cutting exercise I wonder?
  • ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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    The obvious option would be for one of the doctors to move upstairs so the nurse could move down. I suppose then if that doctor has disabled patients the saga starts again. I would look to moving to a surgery that provided better accesss. Was the closing of the better facility a cost cutting exercise I wonder?

    Quite possibly. Its a nuisance its been closed down, it was easier to get to and it had a car park. It also seemed to have much better facilites. A huge waiting room with a child's play area, more medical rooms, better toilet facilities etc.

    At the current place its on a residential street and so you have park up the road outside people's homes. I'd be annoyed if I lived in one of those houses.
  • TassiumTassium Posts: 31,639
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    As I understand it Labour want to "privatise" surgeries and create "super-surgeries", privately run.

    One of the usual first steps in politicians getting their way is to make the present service very poor so that people welcome the idea of a change.

    Just saying....
  • ShadowmaidenShadowmaiden Posts: 3,030
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    Tassium wrote: »
    As I understand it Labour want to "privatise" surgeries and create "super-surgeries", privately run.

    One of the usual first steps in politicians getting their way is to make the present service very poor so that people welcome the idea of a change.

    Just saying....

    Im not sure why your brining politics into this? Its disgraceful that they have such poor disabled access.
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