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NHS wheelchairs are available to people of all ages who have a long-term need for mobility help. However, your eligibility will be decided locally and can vary depending on where you live.
Some wheelchair services or local hospitals will also provide wheelchairs on loan in certain circumstances – for example, following surgery.
The NHS is unlikely to provide you with a mobility scooter.
Before you can get a wheelchair on the NHS, you'll have to have an assessment. This is done by the NHS wheelchair service, and will decide whether you're eligible for an NHS wheelchair and, if so, what type.
Assessments are usually carried out at the wheelchair service centre. You can have the assessment at home or at work, but you won't be able to see and try the full range of chairs available.
To get an NHS wheelchair assessment, ask your GP, hospital doctor, physiotherapist or occupational therapist to refer you to your local wheelchair service. Many wheelchair services have a waiting list for assessments, so expect it to take several weeks after being referred.
How to access a local physiotherapist.
How to get occupational therapy.
Seeing an Occupational therapist is a good start, another option would be to check if you can lease a scooter via the motability scheme. You'd need to be getting either DLA (disability living allowance) mobility component at the higher rate, or the enhanced motability component of PIP.
Hi @jamesinited.....some life insurance companies are known to give ex-gratia grants to reward long-term customers. There is one in particular [I won't name it] who volunteered their service and helped me out with a £1000 award towards the cost of a mobility scooter. May be worth your while to make enquiries of your life insurance policies.
Good luck.
Hi @jamesinited
It is unlikely that you will qualify for a powered mobility aid via the NHS wheelchair clinic, unless they assess you as needing to use it both indoors and outdoors.
Some people who are on the appropriate qualifying benefit lease a scooter via the Motability Scheme https://www.motability.co.uk/cars-scooters-and-powerchairs/scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-overview/
It is sometimes possible to get a grant towards the cost of buying a scooter from charitable funders. There is a grant search tool on the Scope website that may help you identify charities you could apply to: https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/search-grants
One charity that may be able to offer assistance is the Mobility Trust: https://mobilitytrust.org.uk
Hope this helps
Jean
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