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Broken lifts leave GP patients stranded

Posted by Ed Saunt on Aug 14, 09 12:45 PM in Health

web health centre.jpg The lifts at Feltham Health Centre broke down on Tuesday, leaving pensioners and the disabled to struggle to get to the third floor surgery.

Patients were forced to walk up three flights of stairs, while some wheelchair users were taken up in a service lift after the two main lifts broke down at about 8.40am.

Health bosses faced criticism in April for opening the five GP surgeries on the third floor of the building in The Centre and those concerns were borne out as access proved difficult.

Elsie Piper reached the first floor before deciding she could not make it all the way and had to turn back.

"It was chaos," she said. "I don't know which bright young thing came up with the idea of putting a surgery on the third floor but they don't look so clever now."

Another patient, who gave her name only as Sandra, has to have dressings changed every day at the health centre. She said: "It's ridiculous. How are people meant to get up there? I am asthmatic and my chest nearly killed me by the time I got up the stairs.

"Who puts a health centre on the third floor? They must have rocks in their heads."
A spokesman for Hounslow PCT said the lifts were working again at 11.30am and all the services operated as normal throughout the morning.

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