Disability Aids
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of specialist (a) wheelchairs, (b) beds and (c) armchairs for tall disabled people.
Answered by Dr Zubir Ahmed
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services. National Health Service trusts work with the patient and wheelchair supplier to best meet the patient’s needs and requirements.
A typical hospital bed is 200 centimetres long and can be extended by 20 centimetres with pressure relieving infills available. With regards to armchairs, the NHS Supply Chain works with customers and suppliers if any bespoke products are needed in the market.
Equipment provision, where required for use in peoples’ own homes, is typically through a community equipment service; these are usually funded through a combination of the local authority and local NHS and provided via an outsourced provider or a locally-run service.
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