"More than a thousand disabled children across the UK are waiting for wheelchairs and mobility equipment that could transform their lives, Whizz Kidz say. The charity, which helps wheelchair users up to 25 years old, has been forced to close its specialist wheelchairs waitlist for the first time in its 35-year history. They say escalating costs and squeezed NHS budgets are creating a "huge demand" for their service, leading to long delays."
"At home the 11-year-old uses an NHS manual self propelled chair. It took more than a year to get this chair, well over the NHS's official target of 18 weeks. While Wren's mum, Anna, says the arrival of her NHS chair was greatly received - Wren will soon grow out of it. Anna also told the BBC it's heavy and cumbersome, meaning Wren can only self propel it a few metres before she needs help."
More than a thousand disabled children across the UK are waiting for wheelchairs and mobility equipment after Whizz Kidz closed its specialist wheelchairs waitlist for the first time in its 35-year history. Escalating costs and squeezed NHS budgets have increased demand and produced long delays. NHS England is working with local providers to improve services, NHS Scotland says vital services were protected, and Northern Ireland delivered 87% of wheelchair categories within 13 weeks by end of August. Families report waits exceeding the 18-week target. An 11-year-old with cerebral palsy waited over a year for an NHS manual chair and relies on a Whizz Kidz-powered chair at school to maintain independence.
Read at www.bbc.com
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