Royal Free chiefs back Hampstead Heath station lift call

Dominic Dodd, chairman of the hospital trust, has written to Transport for London (TfL) urging managers to put a lift at Hampstead Heath Overground station to help elderly and disabled patients get to the Royal Free.

 

More than 700,000 people are seen by the Pond Street hospital each year, but the nearest station with disabled access is 15 minutes’ walk away in Belsize Park.
 

Mr Dodd said: “Steps are a real barrier to wheelchair users and make journeys particularly difficult for many older people and for people with pushchairs. We understand London Overground has been allocated funding to make small accessibility improvements to the station and I would be grateful for an update on the progress of this vital upgrade.”
 

The campaign, Uplift for Hampstead, is being spearheaded by estate agent Jonathan Bergman and has been backed by residents of NW3, including comedian Sue Perkins and jazz musician John Etheridge.
 

Ms Perkins, who made her name presenting Light Lunch and is currently presenting The Great British Bake Off, said: “I think it is ludicrous that one of the nearest stations to one of London’s major hospitals does not provide disabled access.”
 

Mr Etheridge, who lives opposite the station, said: “It seems to be a bit of an oversight when they refurbished the station not to add a lift when it is so close to the Royal Free. Luckily it doesn’t affect me yet but it might do one day soon.”
 

The campaign is also being supported by Camden Council and community groups, including the Hampstead Heath Community Association, the Heath and Hampstead Society and the Keats Grove Residents’ Association.
 

Mr Bergman said: “In South End Green, we are very near the Royal Free Hospital, and it is the hospital that makes this an issue here because we have large numbers of disabled people trying to access the area. 
 

“If you are in a wheelchair you can’t get to this hospital. It’s a no-brainer. The question we are left with is why hasn’t it happened already?”
 

A TfL spokesperson said Hampstead Heath was recommended to the Department for Transport for a lift in 2007 but was not selected to benefit from the Access to All programme. TfL has recently made a second application for funding to the DfT and is awaiting the result of the assessment,” he said. “We understand that further funds will need to be found to supplement any DfT contribution that might be made.”