A £10m health centre in Swindon has come under fire for a litany of access problems.

Patients’ watchdog Healthwatch Swindon says it has been waiting more than nine months for a response to its concerns from NHS Property Services, which owns the Swindon NHS Health Centre on Fleming Way.

NHSPS this week apologised for the delay in responding to the report, but said a number of concerns had been addressed.

In a report published last October, Healthwatch and Swindon Equality and Access Group demanded improvements to access arrangements and signage at the new town centre facility. The report said 15 areas were at fault, ranging from steps to lighting, and asked NHS Property Services to take urgent action to remedy the defects.

Healthwatch said: “The step straight outside and to one side of the main door is both oversize and on to a sloping and textured/ridged pavement. The downpipe discharges into an open drain, which may be insufficient in a storm.”

Signs were criticised for being too small and unreadable from any distance.

“Signage on leaving the lift is inadequate and has already resulted in home printed signs indicating which floor has been reached,” the report’s authors added.

“There have been repeated comments, reiterated on our visit, suggesting that there should be space for a pull-in in Islington Street, mirroring one opposite outside the Thistle Hotel.”

Practice managers said NHSPS was responsible for many of the areas about which Healthwatch Swindon was concerned.

At a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board, Jo Osorio of the watchdog said the group was still waiting for a response, adding: “We are particularly frustrated by the absence of any response whatever from our report from NHS Property Services.”

Glenis Niven of Swindon Equality and Access Group said: “I knew on the first time entering the building there were going to be more issues. When you’re confronted with an eight-inch step with no hand rail it’s hard to get in.

“I had to go there every day for weeks, so I started to make jottings of problems within the building.”

Jason Ferris of Healthwatch Swindon said yesterday: “To help make the views of people known to the people that are responsible for the commissioning, providing, managing or scrutinising of local care services, local Healthwatch make reports and recommendations. These reports and recommendations can cover how local care services could or ought to be improved. The service providers must have regard to our views, reports and recommendations and respond to local Healthwatch explaining what action they will take.”

A spokesman for NHS Property Services said: “Some of the actions in the report have been completed and we are addressing the others.

“We’re sorry Healthwatch did not receive a response from us. Our local team will be in touch very soon to arrange a meeting.”