Disabled toilet at hospital closes for upgrade

Patients visiting the Isle of Man's main hospital are being advised that a disabled toilet will be shut for four weeks, as part of a planned upgrade to make it more accessible.

The refurbishment will upgrade the existing bathroom, on the ground floor of Noble's Hospital, to create a Changing Place facility.

Changing Place bathrooms are designed for people who need facilities that are not typically provided in standard disabled toilets, including a hoist, privacy screens and an adult-sized changing bench.

The £45,000 improvement works have been funded by the Noble's Hospital Patient Comforts Fund.

An accessible toilet in the foyer area of the hospital will remain available to visitors until 7 March, when work on the Changing Place facility is due to be completed, Manx Care confirmed.

A spokeswoman said the move would "improve the experience for those with additional needs at the hospital", hailing the "positive impact this will have for our community".

Sarah Maltby MHK previously said the updated facility would make a "significant difference" to disabled residents and their carers visiting the hospital, whom, she asserted, "probably attend more medical appointments than other people without a disability".

There are currently two Changing Place facilities available on the island, at the Manx Museum, and at the Tesco store on Victoria Road in Douglas.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]