The Golden Jubilee University National Hospital has introduced the WelcoMe accessibility tool to allow patients to create and manage their own accessibility profile, detailing any specific needs and helping to put people with disabilities “in control of their service experience”.
Features of the WelcoMe tool include the ability for patients to set up personalised assistance for the time they arrive at hospital and throughout their patient journey, access to accessibility and assistance information, and the opportunity for patients to receive direct communication and support, including changes or issues in real time.
Following a six-month pilot for appointments in the NHS Golden Jubilee Eye Centre, the tool will now be made available to all outpatients visiting clinical services at the hospital including cardiac surgery, cardiology, ophthalmology and more.
Robert White, NHS Golden Jubilee equality and inclusion lead, said of the launch: “As a Disability Confident Leader, making sure we are offering the highest quality of care and experience for those who need our services has always been a priority for us, and this project is the latest step in our dedication to creating an accessible space for everyone who comes through our doors.”
Gavin Neate, CEO and founder of WelcoMe, added: “To support a hospital already renowned for its patient care to reach even higher levels of service provision is, for us, a dream come true and we can’t wait for this opportunity to prove what is possible.”
In other news from Scotland, the government has announced the expansion of data and analytics platform Seer, with the next phase (Seer 2) to see cloud technology utilised in addition to providing the healthcare workforce with a more “advanced” version of the platform to increase opportunities and flexibility around accessing new tools and technologies.
Also, the latest learning and education strategy from NHS Education for Scotland (NES), set to run until 2026, shares a number of plans with a digital focus including updating its digital platform and holding a review of existing data architecture.
