DISABLED people who have spent 10 years struggling to access Ealing Hospital can no longer fail to spot the easiest way inside.
Professor Alan Gillett OBE unveiled the plaque named after him at the path leading from the car park to the main entrance in Uxbridge Road, Southall.
The easy-access path was built in 1999 but had only a small sign, also named after him, which was not visible from the car park.
Paul Reeves, director of nursing, said: "When Professor Gillett was chairman of the trust he made access a key priority. He even went round in a wheelchair and had the lifts refurbished when he found how difficult it was to get in and out.
"He had the path built after a hip operation when he discovered for himself how difficult it was to get up the steps."
Mr Reeves said they were all delighted with the new plaque, adding: "He was a bit nervous when he saw it was blue, as that usually means you have been dead for 20 years."
Mr Gillett, chairman of Ealing Hospital NHS Trust for six years and chairman of the hospital's League of Friends for 15 years, said: "If you come from the car park it's not automatic to go up the path, so many people struggle up the steps.
"This has always been a concern to me as it's essential, for health and safety reasons, for visitors who come by car to know there is an easier way to reach the entrance. I didn't expect it to take so long. This is a very special day."
