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The provision of electric powered indoor and outdoor wheelchairs by the NHS has not significantly improved in the four years since the Audit Commission condemned the postcode lottery of provision (in Fully Equipped, 2000).
Nor have the crucial recommendations from the Government commissioned “Evaluation of the Powered Wheelchair and Voucher Scheme Initiatives” report by the York Health Economics Consortium been followed up: “Significant unmet need remains. Therefore additional, preferably ringfenced, funds are needed”.
It is a scandal that Electric Powered Indoor and Outdoor Wheelchairs (EPIOCs), vital tools for independence, have, so often, to be obtained through private or charitable funding rather than through the NHS.
Just as serious are the long waiting times for assessment and provision of EPIOCs and the seemingly routine lack of provision of features such as ‘tilt in space’.
It is a scandal that the findings of the Audit Commissions “Fully Equipped 2” report in 2002 have not been acted upon. It said, “Auditors found that eligibility criteria were generally set by provider organisations with a view to their meeting the available annual budget: thus ‘need’ is equated with ‘money available’, not with long-term healthcare and social needs.”
Nor have the crucial recommendations from the Government commissioned “Evaluation of the Powered Wheelchair and Voucher Scheme Initiatives” report by the York Health Economics Consortium been followed up: “Significant unmet need remains. Therefore additional, preferably ringfenced, funds are needed”.
It is a scandal that Electric Powered Indoor and Outdoor Wheelchairs (EPIOCs), vital tools for independence, have, so often, to be obtained through private or charitable funding rather than through the NHS.
Just as serious are the long waiting times for assessment and provision of EPIOCs and the seemingly routine lack of provision of features such as ‘tilt in space’.
It is a scandal that the findings of the Audit Commissions “Fully Equipped 2” report in 2002 have not been acted upon. It said, “Auditors found that eligibility criteria were generally set by provider organisations with a view to their meeting the available annual budget: thus ‘need’ is equated with ‘money available’, not with long-term healthcare and social needs.”
- The efforts of Wheelchair Services to improve the service will be wasted unless the Government and commissioners recognise the urgent need for additional funding for powered wheelchairs.
- Managers and occupational therapists in the Wheelchair Services should not have to juggle urgent needs against budgetary constraints.
- Individuals and their families should not have to apply to numerous charities or carry out local fundraising drives in order to meet their mobility and health needs.
- Charities should not have to divert money to provide funding for powered wheelchairs that should be routinely available from the health service.
- Severely disabled people should not have to live with the lack of independence caused by long waiting times for and inadequate NHS provision of powered wheelchairs.
- Severely disabled people should not have to live with the discomfort, pain and health risks associated with having the wrong wheelchair.
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