Lived experience trainer helps shapes accessibility of new UHNM Community Diagnostic Centre
Lived experience trainer helps shapes accessibility of new UHNM Community Diagnostic Centre
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) has drawn on personal lived experience to help improve accessibility for wheelchair users at its new Stoke on Trent Community Diagnostic Centre.
The CDC welcomed its Lived Experience Trainer for an early walkthrough of the building to identify practical improvements ahead of the centre’s opening next month (April 2026).
The visit is part of UHNM’s ongoing commitment to ensuring new facilities are designed around the needs of all patients. By involving experts with lived experience at this early stage, the Trust aims to identify and address potential barriers before the CDC opens to the public.
During the tour, Lewis Bunn, Lived Experience Trainer for UHNM reviewed key areas including approach routes, entrances, circulation spaces, lift access, clinical room layouts, and the positioning of future reception and waiting areas. The assessment also considered turning spaces, sightlines, and the usability of planned fixtures and fittings.
Lewis Bunn, who is UHNM’s first Corporate Safety Champion and Lived Experience Trainer, said: “By taking on my recommendations it will further improve the building for wheelchair users like me.”
Lewis added: “The building is already very welcoming, and it is really good that accessibility is a priority before the build is completed rather than an afterthought.”
Sophie Barber, Lead Educator for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Inclusion at UHNM said “Being invited into the CDC before building work is complete shows a real commitment to inclusion. It’s far more effective to identify potential challenges now, while adjustments can still be made. The team has been extremely open to feedback, and it’s encouraging to see accessibility being prioritised from the outset.”
The CDC team will now review recommendations and work closely with Estates, clinical colleagues and patient representatives to implement enhancements as part of their commitment to delivering safe, accessible and high quality diagnostic care.
Deonne Lee, Senior Programme Manager in Strategy and Transformation at UHNM, added:
Accessibility is central to the Stoke-on-Trent CDC’s vision. This visit has provided valuable insight from someone with direct lived experience, helping us understand how we can ensure we get it right first time.”
The Stoke-on-Trent CDC forms part of UHNM’s wider plans to expand diagnostic capacity and deliver care closer to home. Ensuring the building is accessible, inclusive and designed around patient experience remains a central part of the development.