Disabled patients
The Trust is determined to ensure that all our patients have equal opportunities when using our services.
We have developed a Single Equality Scheme which describes how we intend to involve disabled people in improving our services and facilities and how we are going to measure and report on how well we are doing. Please click here for full copy of the scheme, or here for a summary.
Disabled people may find the information below useful when planning a visit to the hospital.
Learning Disability Passports
Patients who have learning disabilities are now routinely being given a Learning Disability Passport by their GP or from their social service contacts. They are not provided by the hospital. If you are a carer or a patient with a Learning Disability Passport, please would you ensure that you bring it with you to any hospital visit.
Patients with sensory impairments
Patients with a hearing impairment can be provided with portable induction (hearing loops) on request. If you require this service, please speak to your nurse, or a member of our Patient Advisory Liaison Service team, who will be able to help you. The Trust is registered with TypeTalk for those patients who use text phones.
If you require a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, please give us as much notice as you can. BSL interpreters are not always available at short-notice.
Patients with a visual impairment can be provided with information in Braille, tape or large print on request. Please speak to your nurse, or a member of our Patient Advisory Liaison Service team, who can arrange this for you.
If you would like your guide dog to visit you in hospital, or one of your visitors has a guide dog, please give the ward staff as much notice as possible so they can accommodate this. Other dogs or pets are not allowed in the hospital.
The Trust is discontinuing its BrowseAloud subscription following consultation with sensory impairment experts as the majority of people needing this service now have inbuilt software on their own PCs and equipment in their homes.
Recording your personal needs
If you are happy for our staff to record your personal needs, it will help us to provide you with any assistance you require at future appointments. With your consent, we would indicate on your health records if you have, for example, a visual or hearing impairment.
Patient transport
Ambulance transport can only be provided for patients who have a medical need and who cannot travel by any other means. Ambulance staff can care for patients during the journey to and from hospital. A parent or responsible adult should accompany children. If there is a medical need a friend or relative may escort the patient the ambulance, but only with the authorisation of a doctor.
Hospital transport must be arranged through your GP for your first appointment. Further bookings need to be authorised by your hospital doctor, and made by the transport staff at their desk in the main Outpatients Department. The desk is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
If patient transport has been arranged to bring you into hospital, please do not come in until the admissions office has confirmed a bed is available for you. If your transport arrives before your bed is confirmed, please call the admissions team using the telephone number shown on your letter.
Parking information for disabled patients and visitors
Parking at the hospital is very limited, although we will try our best to help disabled patients and visitors arriving by car. If someone is bringing you in a car, you can be dropped off outside the main entrance to Esher and Bernard Meade wings. Waiting in the vehicle is restricted to 30 minutes at these drop-off points.
Currently, disabled parking spaces are available in the following areas:
| Physiotherapy Department (Kingston Surgical Centre) |
4 bays |
| Maternity Unit (Rear of Building) |
2 bays |
| Esher Wing |
5 bays |
| Day Surgery Unit (Car Park 2) |
2 bays |
| Bernard Meade Wing (Car Park 1) |
5 bays |
| Pain Clinic |
2 bays |
| Maple Unit |
2 bays |
| A&E (Car Park 3) |
3 bays |
Cars displaying valid, current, disabled badges may also park free of charge in the hospital's pay and display car parks.
Accessible public transport
Kingston hospital is served by a number of bus routes. Low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses run on all the routes serving the hospital.
| From Kingston Hospital forecourt |
K2 and K4 |
| From Galsworthy Road |
K3, 57, 213 and N213 |
| From Coombe Road (A238) |
K2, K3, K4, K5 |
| From Kingston Hill (A308) |
57, 85, 213, N213 |
For further information on bus times and fares please contact Transport for London on 020 7222 1234 or 020 7918 3015 (Text phone). Alternatively, access Transport for London's Journey planner here.
Wheelchair access
All pedestrian entrances at Kingston Hospital are suitable for wheelchairs. There are disabled toilets in key locations around the hospital, including the main reception area. There are also passenger lifts on every level.
Wheelchairs to take disabled visitors to wards are provided (subject to availability) in the main entrances.
