Broken lifts leave woman, 89, ‘trapped’ in high-rise missing hospital appointments
An 89-year-old woman living on the 10th floor of a high-rise block of flats missed three hospital appointments due to a broken lift.
Sally Hows, who has a heart condition, says the two lifts in the Lambeth council-run Bedford House in Bedford Road, Brixton, have been broken since December, leaving her “trapped”.
She said: “I have had to cancel three hospital appointments.
“I’m immobile and there are 140 stairs. My son can’t carry my wheelchair down all of them so I can’t get out.
“The lifts are either completely broken or you get stuck inside them. Luckily I have a very good doctor and a friend on the top floor who can get my medication for me.”
Unable to leave the building, Ms Hows has been visited by a district nurse every day, as well as by two carers.
She said: “My heart echoes so I have to go to Guy’s Hospital for regular tests to check I’m not about to have heart failure.
“My limbs are old and I find it difficult to walk, but my doctors say I need to walk once a week. I haven’t been able to since Christmas because the lifts haven’t been working.
“I’m fed up and I know other people are. Residents have started taping up posters telling people not to take their anger out on tenants. It’s the council’s fault not ours.”
A spokesman for Lambeth council said there had been “intermittent faults” with the lifts at Bedford House “for some time”, with one lift completely out of service since last month due to problems with its doors.
He said: “Unfortunately, the difficulties have proved more complex than expected, so it has taken us longer to bring them back into service.”
After a visit from the council for door repairs on Friday, the lift will now be “returned to service”, the council said. The upgrade work on the second lift is booked in for next month.
But, Ms Hows said this latest failure follows decades of problems which have plagued the two lifts in the 15-floor block.
She said: “I’ve been complaining about them constantly since I moved in 48 years ago. I got locked in one of the lifts for more than two hours last year.
“When I was younger and working, I started a residents group because we pay for this service.
“The council said it was a duty as part of our rent. We managed to get a refund but it was a tiny amount, they wouldn’t pay back anyone who lived below the fourth floor.
“Nobody seems to care about this.”
A Lambeth spokesman apologised to residents for “delays and inconvenience” caused.
He said: “Council staff have been providing advice and assistance for residents, and giving updates on the condition of the lifts.
“Lambeth is committed to ensuring that all our council homes are safe and well-maintained for our residents. When problems arise, particularly with lifts which so many residents depend on, we work hard to deal with them quickly and fairly.”
Pictured top: The 15-floor Bedford House in Bedford Road, Brixton (Picture: Google Street View)