NHS wheelchair repairs – in crisis?
How long should wheelchair repairs take?
I am hoping to have an update on NHS wheelchair services later in the summer, when more information about the planned transition to Personal Wheelchair Budgets is available.
In the meantime, I am rather dismayed by stories coming my way about wheelchair servicing and repairs.
It seems to take an inordinately long time to get a chair back into working order if anything goes wrong.
We intervened recently on behalf of a site visitor who had been waiting more than a month for replacement wheels. Although the engineer did actually turn up as promised this week, he didn’t have the right parts, so was only able to cobble together a fix.
Just a few accounts of wheelchair repairs delayed or ignored
EK:
Is anyone else having problems getting parts from wheelchair services? I have been waiting over a month for front castors, put a complaint in with independent living ombudsman and begged social services for help. Nothing is happening and nobody seems to be helping. I will soon be housebound due to no tyres on my wheelchair.
TN:
I have a wide chair which partially collapsed. The didn’t even send some one to look at it, just replaced it without validating my changing needs. Now they don’t want to know and I am going round with one arm rest removed for comfort. The waiting list for an appointment is around 8 months and then 2 months is the time from getting appointment to visit… if they would visit me… I really can’t be ****ed to put up with the poor treatment so lump it and carry on as normal.
GI:
I have an electric wheelchair and find it almost impossible to get repairs done so end up getting parts and asking friends to fit them.
JS:
I have moved areas and have been allowed to keep my wheelchair, but am still waiting for new parts that have needed replacing since January [it is now the end of July].
Have you had your car repaired recently?
If you have taken your car to the garage for a new exhaust, tyres or even a more major repair, my guess is you didn’t wait six weeks for it to be completed.
Twenty-four hours is the timeframe for parts to arrive, whether your car was manufactured in the North of England, Germany or South Korea.
This is what I was told about spare parts by the customer services supervisor at one of the companies contracted to undertake wheelchair repairs for the NHS:
I do know that sometimes they can take 6 to 8 weeks or longer if they are coming from abroad and also it depends if the suppliers have them in stock.
There appears to be no urgency about procuring and fitting spare parts, despite the fact that these are essential mobility aids that people are having to manage without for however long it takes.
Equally – your friendly local garage will provide you with a loan vehicle if yours is off the road for longer than anticipated. What about a similar arrangement for wheelchair users facing house arrest for the duration?
Will the new Personal Wheelchair Budgets make a difference?
The new system for providing wheelchairs is supposed to ensure that resources are in place for future servicing, repair and replacement needs, as well as the initial purchase of a chair.
Does this mean an improvement to wheelchair repair services? Will wheelchair users with a personal budget be regarded as customers to be looked after, rather than people with no other options?
And if so, what about those who don’t choose to have the responsibility of a personal budget, but simply accept the wheelchair provided by the NHS? Such people will be very much the majority, as far as I understand it from NHS England.
Is the “purple pound” anything more than window dressing?
Much is made by government of the spending power of disabled people. The so-called purple pound is a significant argument for businesses to make their operations properly accessible.
Access Champions have been appointed across a range of industry sectors, in order to “help businesses realise the value of disabled consumers and the importance of catering to every customer’s needs”, as the Minister for disabled people explained.
Taking care of wheelchair repairs and maintenance in a timely way would be a good way to start.
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What is your experience?
Do you or someone you care for have a wheelchair provided through NHS wheelchair services? If so, what is your experience of getting it repaired when necessary?
Are wheelchair users getting the level of service they should expect?
Add your comments below!
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18 Replies to “NHS wheelchair repairs – in crisis?”
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I’ve used a Right-armed drive wheelchair since mid 70’s (brain damage via motor bike acccident). I’ve had more than one wheelchair since then, but they seldom ever used now or even made now, plus it’s a manual wheelchair, but it’s repairs and alterations or modifications needed now a days that’s even more the all round problem? I come under Norfolk area and all the repairs come under Norwich now as Kings Lynn wheelchair clinic is no longer open! Anyway enough said, if you could advise me on what to do or where to go I would very grateful indeed.
Yours sincerely, D.J White
I have waited over one year and still haven’t had the chair repair done yet I’ve told them to come and take it back and i have to try and get a second hand one it’s the worst thing that happen to me getting involved with the nhs wheelchair services they are useless
I have electric wheelchair with tilt and rise I have only been out three times since first reporting my fault 4 jan, they have had it in twice even had them out three times to be told it’s fine. I’ve been told the brain of my chair needs replacing would arrive 19 feb then told it didn’t arrive because brexit.
Since been asked what I could do without if temporary chair could be sourced I said without tilt n rise for short period, but I live on my own why should I go without what I need. The three times I’ve been out I’ve had to rely on ppl pushing me home or family to collect me in my wav vehicle . I only want to take my dog to park, my friends are elderly cannot push me in my manual wheelchair
Hello Julie
Brexit seems to have a lot to answer for. You are quite right – you shouldn’t have to manage without the mobility support you need to live and get about independently.
I hope that since you posted this, the controller for your chair has been replaced?
Best wishes, Frances
Wheelchair user 15 plus years now above knee amputee service changed to another provider. First asked October 2019 to get new cushion and change chair. Sent a huge folding chair have had rigid frame for most of The time had Nhs provided had voucher. Need supported back was fitted over 3 years ago no follow up as it is failing now. Cushion does not provide adequate support for my stump,and wearing socket even less as stump hangs over cushion by 4 inches. I need narrow chair to negotiate my kitchen and wet room. As an amputee I am entitled to a chair. I self propel. I cannot use my prosthetic leg all the time. So tend to spend a lot of time in my wheelchair. I need to be able to get the chair into the boot if I have my leg on or across myself if I am unable to wear leg due to stump.issues or waiting for repairs to prosthetic leg. Besides amputation was 22\8\19 only had leg since February and now need a new socket due to stump shrinkage. Been under virgin services forever yet Millbrook now telling me I have only been on their referral since June 2020. Beggars belief couldn’t make it up. If no joy will have to get the OT at Roehampton limb centre to get in touch with !!!!by have the question who!!!!!! Feel very let down. Discrimination takes many forms. I feel.I won’t get the appropriate chair to enable me to go about my activities.
Hello Margaret
I’m sorry to hear of your experiences with NHS wheelchair services – certainly shouldn’t be this way. Perhaps it would be helpful to get the OT at Roehampton involved: they may be able to gee things up at Millbrook. Generally, a chair is expected to last five years, unless your clinical needs change in the meantime, which it sounds as though yours have. You should get a personal budget, which gives you more choice and control over the chair and the supplier.
Good luck and best wishes,
Frances
For years I have been in my power chair 24/7.
However I find that due to having a dislocated hip I need further posture control when in my power hair. Advice on this would be gratefully received.
Many thanks indeed.
Hello Phil
As your clinical needs have changed, you should ask your local NHS wheelchair services to reassess your seating requirements.
You may need to ask your GP or other healthcare professional treating you to make the referral.
Best wishes,
Frances
I hope the voucher scheme is discontinued in Shropshire so more choice is available. At the moment i can only get the chair that meets my needs from 1 nhs approved scheme participant and they let me down badly and asked me to complete paperwork and sign confirming delivery on a chair they do not have in stock and i had already paid the £550 difference which then took me ages to get refunded.
That sounds like extremely sharp practice by the supplier, Leon. Did you finally get a wheelchair that meets your needs?
I would be personally interested to know whether your responses from the very slow to non-existent repairs cover is covered by in-house or private engineers for repairs and replacements? I have experience of excellent, currently positive and so far so good, attached to the wheelchair service repair engineers provided cover. They are 5 1/2 days a week and do prioritise to next and those who are completely reliant vs those who have a lesser need for full-time functioning wheelchair/powered wheelchair provision. They are excellent at covering the more commonly available and distributed models, and have even covered my very adapted and unusual brand power chair.
You may be right in your suspicion that the private sector is delivering a poorer service, Gina. People who have got in touch to complain do seem more often to be dealing with companies who have been contracted by the NHS – though we don’t really have enough data to reach any meaningful conclusions.
Good to hear that you are getting good service, wherever you are!
2 years waiting for repairs, too unsafe to push for my husband as parts and new update on helping him with back padding with twisted spine. He is blind deaf speech paralysed and unable to grip wheels himself. It has closed down the NHS and said a new notification will take over – that was the start of year and when you phone the number is not recognised.
On the whole Wheelchair Services in Newcastle are very good. But in Emergency, they don’t have the capacity. My partner’s powerchair broke outside our home. I rang to ask for help and they said they could get someone out in 3 days. He cannot walk at all. We haven’t a mobile hoist so I had to transfer him myself. Scary and dangerous for both of us otherwise we would have to wait for an ambulance for hours.
That is a shocking experience – imagine waiting three days for roadside rescue from the AA, et cetera. Sounds like your local service needs more resources, to bring their emergency response up to scratch.
Hi,
This is a real shot in the dark, but I have been trying to track down Debbie Fisk, the author of this comment, for some time now. Sadly we dropped out of touch about 30 years ago (!!) I knew her well then and have been searching for a while knowing that I will be in Newcastle in July this year.
It may an ask too far with privacy rules as they are now, but I would be very grateful if someone can make contact with her and at least give her my email address.
Hoping this works!
Kind regards,
Tim Cook
Hello Tim
I am so sorry, but privacy rules prevent us retaining this data for such a length of time, so we just don’t have Debbie’s email address any more. Otherwise, I could have given her your contact details to do with as she wished…
I hope you manage to find each other!
Best wishes, Frances
Hi Frances, I guessed that might be the case, but thank you for your reply. I’ll keep looking!
Tim