Disabled people in England ‘have to wait up to two years for wheelchairs’
Ombudsman’s report says delays have profound consequences and limit users’ ability to lead independent lives Disabled people are having to wait up to two years to get a wheelchair because of delays involving NHS bodies and private firms that make them. The situation is revealed in a report by the parliamentary and health service ombudsman for England, Paula Sussex, who said hold-ups were having…
A new report by the parliamentary and health service ombudsman for England reveals that disabled individuals in the country are often required to wait up to two years for a wheelchair. The ombudsman, Paula Sussex, stated that these delays have serious consequences and hinder wheelchair users from leading independent lives.
One case highlighted in the report involved a three-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who had to wait seven months for a wheelchair. This delay prevented him from starting nursery at the same time as his twin brother and resulted in him injuring himself several times while using an adapted buggy. Another example is Elliot Cruz Gardiyanoglu, who faced a seven-month wait for his wheelchair at the age of three, which also prevented him from accessing education and specialist therapy.
Rachel Perrin, the director of Newlife, a charity for disabled children, emphasized that receiving the wrong wheelchair or no wheelchair at all can be dangerous and keep children and their families trapped at home, preventing them from attending school and participating in activities with siblings and friends.
One long-term wheelchair user, Graham Woolner, has needed a wheelchair for the past 15 years due to his spinal muscular atrophy. He experienced a 26-month delay in receiving a functional wheelchair, during which the one he received initially broke down on the first day. Woolner, who relies on his wheelchair to maintain his independence, expressed frustration over the lack of proper support.
Nick Goldup, chief executive of the Wheelchair Alliance, noted that the report brings attention to the systemic issues faced by wheelchair users. Sussex reported a regulatory gap in wheelchair services, such as assessment, fitting, and repair. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency oversees equipment, while the Care Quality Commission does not cover these services as they are not provided by health professionals.
Integrated care boards, responsible for commissioning wheelchair services, face challenges due to unreliable information and an uncompetitive private wheelchair market.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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