An NHS trust has apologised to a blind woman after a security guard tried to prevent her entering a hospital with her sick daughter because she was with her guide dog.
Historian Dr Amy Kavanagh, 34, said the incident occurred as she tried to enter the West Middlesex University hospital, which is run by the Chelsea and Westminster hospital NHS foundation trust.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kavanagh, who campaigns on disability issues, wrote: “Tonight a hospital security guard tried to stop me entering urgent care with GuideDogAva & my poorly baby.
“We kept walking after firmly saying ‘this is a guide dog’.
“Very grateful to the members of the public who also shouted him down & the nurse on the reception who had words.”
She added: “As a mother with an ill child I should not have to also deal with the additional fear & stress of an access refusal because of my guide dog.”
Kavanagh said the “law has existed for over 25 years” – an apparent reference to the Disability Discrimination Act, introduced in 1995 – and that there is “no excuse for staff, including third-party contractors, in public service to be unaware”.
“Ava wears a huge sign and multiple labels stating she is a guide dog,” she said.
“Little One [Dr Kavanagh’s baby] is OK, nothing serious but worth checking so we could get some advice.
“It’s exhausting constantly dealing with this in the NHS. If you work in healthcare, have conversations with your security teams & educate them about assistance dogs.”
A spokesperson for the trust said it had contacted Dr Kavanagh and that the issue had been “raised at the highest levels”.
“We are taking this incident seriously, our organisation is fully committed to providing accessible services for everyone in our community, in a safe and welcoming environment,” the spokesperson said.
“We have contacted the patient to offer our sincere apologies and, importantly, to ensure that appropriate action will take place following an immediate internal review.”
In 2021, Kavanagh spoke to the Guardian about the sexual harassment she experiences as a blind person.
“I get harassed in public, on the street, in shops, on public transport, in cabs and even in professional environments,” she said.
“A typical experience is that someone offers to help me cross a road and, whether or not I accept, they grab me by the arm and refuse to let go.
“Often they will use this opportunity to touch my breasts, make inappropriate comments about my sexuality or physical appearance, or ask me personal questions about my body.”
