5:45pm Wednesday 4th September 2002
By Ben Taylor
THANKS to one woman's determination, blind people and their guide dogs are now welcome at Wycombe Hospital.
Hazel Darvell, 47, a housewife from Chesham, was on her second visit to a relative in the hospital's female coronary ward. She had telephoned before her previous visit to warn staff about her guide dog, Ross. But no one told her the hospital required a warning before every visit.
Mrs Darvell was at her relative's bedside earlier this year when, she says, the ward sister saw her dog and asked her to leave.
She wrote a letter demanding an apology from the hospital authorities, but in return received a letter blaming her for the incident. She responded by making a formal complaint.
Eventually she called a conciliation meeting with the South Bucks NHS Trust, at which, backed by representatives of the Guide Dogs Association and the Community Health Council, she finally obtained an apology.
During the meeting it emerged the trust had no official policy on access for the assistance dogs used by the blind, deaf, or disabled. Mrs Darvell offered her help in drafting guidelines. The hospital accepted, and she worked with their diversity and equality adviser Alison Devlin to come up with guidelines to allow maximum access for guide dogs while minimising health and safety risks.
Mrs Darvell says she is "very pleased" with the results.
The guidelines will now be published in the Guide Dog Association's magazine in the hope that they will catch on nationally.
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