How do I go about getting a wheelchair assessment?

Hi @angie610m

Sorry to hear about the difficulties that you are having in obtaining  a wheelchair.

There really are only too routes to obtaining a wheelchair, via the NHS wheelchair service or privately which might also include getting some assistance from charities towards the cost.

Getting an NHS wheelchair involves attending  a Wheelchair Clinic for a full assessment before the staff there decide what, if anything, the disabled person will be allocated. The disabled person needs to be referred to the Wheelchair Clinic, this is normally done by their GP but could also be other health professionals working with them (e.g. Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Hospital Consultants ) if they feel there is a clinical necessity to do so. 

It appears that perhaps in your case that communication has broken down leaving you unsure what is happening about getting an appointment to be seen at the Wheelchair Clinic. Your GP should be able to clarify if there is a referral in the system and chase it up if necessary.

Alternatively you could contact the Wheelchair Clinic yourself to see if they have a referral for you, their details might be found at:  http://www.wheelchairmanagers.nhs.uk/services.html

I'm not overly surprised that it seems that somewhere in your paperwork a professional (OT?) had written that in their opinion you needed a wheelchair for outdoor use only. Generally speaking if a person is capable of walking at all they would be encouraged to maintain this skill within the relative safety of the home even if they needed to use a wheelchair outdoors for longer distance. Sometimes, some adaptations are necessary within the home to make it safer for the disabled person to walk around it (handrails, walking aids, removing trip hazards etc).  The majority of wheelchair users are people who mainly use them outside. However, the Wheelchair Clinic staff will still conduct their own assessment and advise accordingly. 

If you decide to obtain a wheelchair privately it would still be wise to get professional advice about what you need. You might be interested in this  information on how to choose a wheelchair, it includes advice on measuring to get the correct size:  https://www.dlf.org.uk/factsheets/manual-wheelchairs

In answer to your specific question about how to enter your flat and how to store your wheelchair, the solution to this (assuming you maintain some walking ability) maybe to buy a folding wheelchair.  

If in the future you get offered a hospital appointment that you would struggle to attend because of transport difficulties do check out if the 'non-emergency patient transport service' is available for you: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/how-do-i-organise-transport-to-and-from-hospital/ 

Best Wishes

Jean