Parents, people with a disability and older people are now finding it easier to get in to Maghull Health Centre after automatic doors have been fitted.

Local patient consumer champion, Healthwatch Sefton, has worked in partnership with the NHS to resolve the daily problem of accessing the centre after it was raised as an issue by patients during engagement work.

 “Through a series of Enter & View visits to the health centre we listened to what people thought of the community services and, among other things, it kept coming up that they had difficulty using the double sets of doors to enter the building,” explained Wendy Andersen, Engagement Manager with Healthwatch Sefton.

Following their feedback reports, Healthwatch Sefton was in dialogue with the various NHS agencies over remedies to the situation and it was finally resolved in January when the automatic doors were installed.

The news has gone down a treat with local patient and wheelchair user, Jonathon Desmond, who also brought the issue to Maurice Byrne, Healthwatch Sefton locality representative for Maghull early on. He said: “The automatic doors are great and mean it is easier to use the centre.”

It is not only patients feeling the benefit because Gaynor Ferguson, receptionist at the centre, explained: “From a staff point of view it has made our jobs better because we no longer have to hold doors open for people which means we can get around quicker.

“I think it makes the centre feel more modern and that’s given us a nice boost. But it’s also better from a hygiene perspective.”

Wendy commented: “Thanks go to all those who spoke to us about this and other community services issues. And thanks also to the various NHS agencies we spoke to and helped to resolve the situation.”

To view the full Maghull Health Centre reports visit: www.healthwatchsefton.co.uk and to contact Healthwatch Sefton ring 0800 206 1304.