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£50K bill to find way round North's A&E hospital





£50,000 bill for signs at Raigmore Hospital
£50,000 bill for signs at Raigmore Hospital

Cash-strapped NHS Highland is spending £50,000 on new signs so visitors and patients can find their way around Raigmore Hospital.

Work is already under way in the maze of corridors to make them more user friendly following complaints about people getting lost.

In one corridor alone, which measures just 200 metres, there are an incredible 300 separate signs.

At present patients and visitors have to wander through the labyrinth by following colour coded walls and the jungle of signs leading them to the various departments, wards and specialist clinics.

Now, teams of the hospital estates staff painters and decorators are stripping off the existing signage and repainting the walls a neutral colour in preparation for the introduction of a "zonal" navigational system.

A hospital spokeswoman said: "We have received feedback from our patients that they get lost in the hospital because of poor signage. This was making them late for their appointment or having the additional worry about getting to their appointment on time."

An internal survey identified that while staff went out of their way to help relatives and patients find their way around, this also took them away from their core duties.

Raigmore's general manager for patient services division, Donna Smith, said the signage project had input from a wide variety of patient groups and staff.

"Since the hospital was built over 20 years ago, the building has continued to expand and our approach has been to provide additional signs which has led to over 300 signs in a 200-metre corridor," she said.

"This can be very confusing for those using the services.

"The project, which covers both internal and external signs, is to ensure that our patients have a much better experience when coming into the hospital from the moment they are on site."

Ms Smith added: "We have consulted with a wide range of patient groups, as well as the hospital Patients' Council and with our own staff who work with patients who need additional support.

"The hospital itself will be split into 10 zones and our aim is to have the majority of patients and staff coming in the correct door and getting to the right department in a timely, efficient and effective way."

The signage work is being carried out by Acorn Signs, with whom staff have been working closely and will cost £50,000 with an anticipated completion date of the end of December.


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