Peterborough City Hospital has this week unveiled a new 24‑hour Changing Places Toilet (CPT), providing a hoist, changing bench and space for carers — facilities campaigners say are essential for people with complex needs who cannot use standard accessible cubicles.
Longstanding local campaign achieves a milestone
The installation comes more than 15 years after the hospital was built and follows sustained pressure from families and charities in the area. Campaigner Michelle King, who runs the charity Little Miracles and has campaigned for years, welcomed the facility as a significant improvement to everyday life for many local households.
"No more changing my son on the bathroom floor,"
King, whose son is now 19, told the BBC the new toilet would restore the "dignity" that users deserve and recalled having had to use standard disabled toilets in the past, sometimes laying her son on the floor when no specialist facilities were available.
City provision and previous action
Peterborough currently has a small number of Changing Places facilities in the city centre. The NHS trust and local authority have previously worked with national funding to support installations in locations around the city.
- Number of CPTs in the city centre: three (including at Car Haven car park)
- New facility: 24‑hour Changing Places Toilet at Peterborough City Hospital
- Legal context: CPTs have been compulsory for new buildings in England since 2020
The hospital’s new CPT joins existing city‑centre sites; Peterborough City Council has previously backed installations at Nene Park and the Queensgate Centre using government funding.
Practical impact for families and visitors
For families of people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the practical benefits are immediate. A fully equipped CPT allows safe transfers using hoists and a changing bench and provides adequate room for carers to assist. Campaigners say such facilities are essential for maintaining dignity and reducing the indignities and health risks associated with using unsuitable spaces.
| Location | Notes |
|---|---|
| Peterborough City Hospital | New 24‑hour Changing Places Toilet |
| Car Haven car park (city centre) | Existing CPT |
| Queensgate Centre | Previously supported by council funding |
Although the legal requirement for CPTs covers new builds, retrofitting older public buildings can lag behind. Local campaigners have been vocal about the gap in provision for many years; one said she had been campaigning for 17 years to see such facilities installed.
The new facility should reduce pressure on families who previously had to improvise in unsuitable toilets during hospital visits. It also represents a step towards making public services in Peterborough more accessible to people with the most complex support needs.
Health trust spokespeople and council representatives have previously pointed to targeted funding streams that helped secure CPTs at public sites. The new hospital toilet is now available 24 hours a day for patients and visitors who require a Changing Places facility.
