The Wheelchair Alliance, an organisation which represents the voices of wheelchair users, has published a report calling for a ‘more integrated approach’ and ‘greater prioritisation of wheelchair services in the NHS’.
The report, entitled Wheelchair Provision: How to Drive Effective Change, was launched at the House of Lords today and completes a trilogy of annual reports released in 2022, 2023 and now 2024.
The first report - An Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England – highlighted the issues wheelchair users were experiencing with the wheelchair provision system. The second report - The Value of a Wheelchair – looked at the false economy of providing wheelchairs that are not fit for purpose and the impact on individuals and the state. This third and final report, which was funded by Motability Foundation and produced by independent research companies Frontier Economics and Revealing Reality, outlines three recommendations that could greatly improve wheelchair provision in this country and go some way to tackling the postcode lottery, long waiting times, issues in the supply chain and ensuring that the voices of wheelchair users are heard.
The recommendations include:
- Creation of an NHSE senior responsible officer and dedicated wheelchair service commissioners: There should be a senior responsible officer within NHS England (NHSE) and dedicated wheelchair service commissioners within Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to oversee wheelchair services in England. NHSE should require each ICB to have a dedicated wheelchair service commissioner with the appropriate skills to monitor contracts and design appropriately funded services for their local population.
- Address postcode lottery: That NHSE addresses the regional and local variation in service quality, known as the postcode lottery, by defining a national eligibility criterion and by holding each ICB dedicated wheelchair commissioner to account for the governance and quality of the service they are providing.
- Supply chain and procurement: The Department of Health and Social Care take a more active role in ensuring the quality and efficiency of wheelchair services through better procurement and supply chain management.
Nick Goldup, chief operating officer and chair at Wheelchair Alliance, said: “This report is our gift to the government. Recent news stories have shown us that wheelchair provision in this country needs to be improved. It needs to be made a priority by the government and NHS and someone needs to take ownership of wheelchair provision and lead it to a better place.
“At the moment, there is a ‘data desert’ in terms of demand for wheelchair services. Much of the data currently available is estimated, out of date and not comparable to form a local and national picture. We need a central, accountable body to ensure consistency, no matter the postcode.
“It is a basic human right that everyone who needs a wheelchair should get the right chair at the right time. By putting these recommendations in place, we can drive effective change together.”
Click here to read the report in full
Click here to read our Position Statement
