Broken lifts force man to spend night in hospital

A disabled man who had to spend a night in hospital because the lifts to his council flat were broken says he now "dreads" finding them shut down again.

John Gibson, 73, relies on the lifts to get to his 18th-floor flat in the Victoria Centre Flats in Nottingham because he cannot walk unassisted.

In November, he was brought back from a regular hospital appointment to find both lifts were broken down, forcing the crew to take him back to spend a night on the ward.

Nottingham City Council, which runs the flats, said the lifts cost millions to install and last year were running more than 95% of the time.

But they added they have recently switched to a new lift repair contractor because the last one had not been responding quickly enough.

Gibson, who has lived in the flats for 26 years, said he panicked when he was brought back to find both lifts down.

He said he had attended the City Hospital for a routine kidney dialysis appointment and had been brought back by an ambulance crew, as he usually is.

But when they arrived, they found both lifts - the only way to his flat apart from the stairs - were down.

He said they decided to take him back to the ward to spend a night there rather than leave him stuck.

"There was no other way to get me up the stairs," he said. "Two people couldn't carry me up 18 floors.

"They had to chase round finding a bed for me on the ward.

"I was taking up a bed someone else could have used.

"When I go out I don't know if I can get back to the flat, it's horrendous all the time, it's just scary."

He said nine months ago he had to postpone kidney dialysis - which he needs multiple times a week to stay alive - because the lifts were broken and he could not get down.

"I dread coming through this door and seeing there's no lifts," he added.

The BBC has previously reported residents' frustration over the frequent failure of the lifts in the 26-storey social housing complex.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the city council showed the lifts broke down 109 times between 1 March 2024 and 28 February 2025.

The flats above the shopping centre are allocated for tenants who are either employed, in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, or who are retired.

A spokesperson for the council said the lifts, which they installed between 2018 and 2020 at the cost of more than £2m, were chosen for their robustness.

They said 70% of the breakdowns are caused by people holding the doors open manually, or from anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

But the lifts are not the only problem keeping Gibson stuck in his home.

He was also told by the city council in November that he needs to move his mobility scooter into his flat as it is a fire hazard in the hallway, where he has been storing it for the past year.

But if it is in his flat, he does not have enough room to get onto it, so he needs his neighbours help if he wants to go out.

He said this meant he had not been out of his flat, except for hospital trips, since Christmas.

"I'm a prisoner in my own flat," he said.

"If the lifts aren't working I can't get down and I can't get out the flat unless my neighbour helps with my mobility scooter.

"I want the council to try and do something to make it accessible for disabled people."

The council spokesperson said for safety reasons communal areas have to be kept completely clear of any personal items.

They added: "We are always keen to work with residents to try and find solutions in cases such as this, which may include reviewing the specific layout and needs of the building to see if reasonable adjustments can be made.

"We shall contact Mr Gibson to see how we can support him with the issues he has raised."

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