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Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Brinton (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Thursday, 21 April 2016.


Wheelchair Users

Question

My Lords, the NHS guidance on the website to people seeking a powered wheelchair says:

“Each service will have a strict criteria of eligibility. Usually the NHS services do not provide powered wheelchairs … for outdoor use only”.

Some areas, including mine, say that this means you get one only if you need to use it inside your own house. This does not mean independent living. When will the criteria be changed to ensure that if a powered wheelchair is needed for work purposes it will be provided?

Answer

As the noble Baroness knows, the criteria are local at the moment. The point of collecting the data and developing a tariff, which takes into account assessment, the equipment and repair and maintenance, is to have local commissioning against the national standard.


Secondary information

Type
Oral question
Reference
771 c758 
Session
2015-16
Oral question type
Supplementary
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Standards Wheelchairs
Link
View this Oral question on hansard.parliament.uk