Wheelchair services referral-how long?

[jenk1]

It has taken me months to get dd referred to wheelchair services.
Her hospital is in a different NHS borough to the one we live in and they were arguing between themselves over who was going to do it, but she has been referred.

So........

I got a letter on Friday telling me that the wait for an asessment would be minimum of 10weeks BUT, that i could ring a series of numbers to loan a wheelchair.

So i did, their prices started at roughly 10-15 per week to hire a wheelchair and no one hires a major buggy which is what we want.

Is this normal to have to wait this long and i have been told that major buggy,s cost over £300 and i may get a part or a full voucher.

Can anyone advise me?

Thanks

10 weeks sounds pretty good. Here its 10 MONTHS to get an apppointment for an assessment (my daughter has severe CP and can't even sit up) and then you wait 6 months or so for the chair.
Waiting for a voucher is about the same length of time usually cos you still need an assessment.

That is disgusting, I just asked ds2's OT about a major buggy & within 2 weeks it was delivered, no questions or forms but apparently Suffolk has no waiting list for Wheelchair services.
Are there any other professionals that can try & bump her up the list a bit, does she have to have an assessment or can her referral count as an assessment if you know a major is suitable?

at Suffolk not having a waiting list!

Sorry to say Jenk, 10 weeks sounds pretty good if waiting for an assessment.

However, did the person who referred you ask for an assessment or for a major buggy? Most wheelchair services train other professionals to refer for basic wheelchairs, including the major, so there might be someone eg OT or physio who can ask for one.

I think more and more though they are doing the assessments themselves to try to save money by avoiding requests for inappropriate equipment, which of course means more money being spent on the actual assessments, and longer waiting lists.

Have you tried the Red Cross? They loan equipment for limited periods of time (negotiable) and round here they ask for a donation according to your means rather than a set fee. I dont know if they will have a branch local to you or even if they will have a buggy, but its worth asking.

oh i feel a bit silly moaning about 10 weeks now

I think the physio has referred her for an asessment.

I will try the Red Cross though, thanks for that or any other charities that anyone else might know of?

the only problem i found with the red cross was the children's wheelchairs they provide are a standard size and not really suitable for a small child(possibly 9 years or under according to size!!)
don't know if they have major mclaren ?