WHEELCHAIRS

WHEELCHAIR SUPPLY AND REPAIR

See important and useful links at the bottom of this page

THE SUPPLY SERVICE

Since the implementation of the ‘Proposals for the Reform of the Northern Ireland Wheelchair Service’ and the Whole Systems Thinking intervention, we are told by the DHSSPS that the Northern Ireland Wheelchair Service has become more accessible, person centred, responsive, equitable and efficient.

The Reform and Modernisation of the Regional Wheelchair Service has been overseen by a Regional Wheelchair Implementation Board, which comprises a Senior Health and Social Care Trust Manager with responsibility for Occupational Therapy Services, a service user representative from each Trust area, and representatives from the Health and Social Care Board and this Department.

WAITING TIMES

Waiting times for the Wheelchair Service are now reduced so that:

-all referrals will be registered on the relevant information system within one working day of receipt.

-within the following three days all referrals will be triaged to determine their urgency and

-appropriate contact will be made with the referrer by the fifth day.

-no client should wait longer than nine weeks from referral to the first assessment meeting.

The Department tell us that they are now committed to ensuring a 13 week maximum waiting time for specialised wheelchairs by March 2011.

THE REPAIR SERVICE

The Approved Repairer has an important role within the Regional Wheelchair Service and it is responsible for the modifications, repairs and refurbishment of wheelchairs provided through the Health and Social Care Trusts.

The current contract specifies that:

-emergency repairs will be carried out within 24 hours;
-repairs within 3 days;
-modifications within 12 days; and
-refurbishment within 15 days.

Increased cost benefits are being realised through the refurbishment of wheelchairs by the Approved Repairer. For example, a refurbished manual wheelchair now costs £55 instead of
£120, and a refurbished powered wheelchair costs £246 instead of £2000 or more.

Emphasis has also been placed on the establishment of locally based wheelchair resource centres, so that people who need wheelchairs and associated equipment no longer have to undertake difficult and/or lengthy journeys.

Each Health and Social Care Trust outside Belfast now has at least two local wheelchair resource centres;

-there are now centres in

-Downpatrick
-Newtownards
    -Armagh
      -Newry
        -Antrim
          -Coleraine
            -Derry
              -Omagh and
                -Enniskillen.

A mobile domiciliary wheelchair service is also provided in the Northern and Southern Trust areas. In addition, specialist wheelchair training has been provided to Occupational Therapists and Technical Officers to enable them to provide this decentralised wheelchair service.

A regional staff training strategy is currently being developed for wheelchair service Occupational Therapists.

Further reading:

1. DHSSPS Wheelchair Services - NIDirect

2. Hiring and Buying Wheelchairs - NIDirect

3. Proposals for the reform of the wheelchair service

4. Minister's announcement about reform of the wheelchair service

The Northern Ireland Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus