Assessing Kings' College Hospital signage

Healthwatch Lambeth and members of the Lambeth Learning Disability Assembly carried out a walkabout of King’s College Hospital to assess how easy it was for people with learning disabilities to navigate the site. Participants generally found access via public transport straightforward, with clear directions from Denmark Hill station and bus services. However, taxi drop-off areas were busy and felt unsafe for some people with mobility difficulties. External signage was mostly clear and easy to read, although inconsistent use of the terms "A&E" and "Emergency", limited signage for toilets and accessible facilities, and pedestrian safety concerns around parts of the site were highlighted. 

Inside the hospital, participants praised the colourful and visible signage, ward colour coding and helpful staff at information points. However, main reception areas and help desks were difficult to locate, toilet signage was not always obvious, and hospital maps produced mixed reactions, with some participants finding them useful and others finding them overwhelming. Navigation between wards, wings and departments was often confusing, while signage for lifts, stairs, ward receptions and accessible facilities was inconsistent. Participants also reported difficulties understanding directions involving multiple corridors, doors and turns. 

A key finding was that even participants who had previously visited the hospital usually relied on carers or support workers to find their way. The individual with no prior experience of the hospital reported feeling lost for much of the visit. Participants felt that navigating the hospital independently would be challenging for many people with learning disabilities, particularly when required to remember complex verbal directions or move between different buildings and wings. 

The report recommended clearer and more consistent signage throughout the hospital, stronger colour coding between buildings, wards and appointment letters, improved help desk and reception signage, better lift information including spoken announcements, floor-level coloured route markings, clearer toilet and accessibility signage, and more reassurance signs showing visitors they are heading in the right direction. Additional recommendations included improving pedestrian safety around hospital entrances, making naming conventions consistent across the site, and using visual aids in appointment information to help people identify the correct building or service more easily.