Patient with MS had to wait 18 months for a wheelchair
APATIENT suffering from Multiple Sclerosis in North Wales had to wait 18 months for a wheelchair.
In other cases patients in Gwynedd were having to wait up to 40 weeks for posture assessments and electric wheelchairs, while one man had to wait 13 months just to have the footplate on his wheelchair replaced.
The case was revealed by a Gwynedd council working group which was set up in June 2017 after Cllr Peter Read voiced concerns disabled residents living in the North Wales area were being offered a poorer service than those in other parts of the country.
Cllr Read lost the ability to walk after breaking his back in a hangglider accident in 1995.
In Wales, the provision of prosthetics and wheelchairs is currently supplied by the Posture and Mobility Service, which is commissioned via the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, and provided by a collaboration between three health boards.
The provision for Gwynedd and other residents in the north is usually organised through the Wrexham centre.
Cllr Menna Baines told a Care Scrutiny Committee meeting in Caernarfon: “There are some statistics that jump out, such as one individual with MS having to wait 18 months for a wheelchair, which is difficult to comprehend to be honest.”
Cllr Angela Russell added: “From reading this report I feel we have turned several stones and have probably taken this as far as we can, as a council.
“We have found there are discrepancies in the level of service and would like to thank everyone for their work, and hope that both the Community Health Council and health board take on board the findings and act.”
Members voted unanimously that the cabinet member for adults, health and well-being should now refer the report to the attention of the North Wales Community Health Council and ask them to consider requesting that the Welsh Government hold a national review of the suitability of the wheelchair provision from the perspective of the service users.
Among other recommendations are that the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee should publish annual reports on the performance of the Posture and Mobility Service so it can be scrutinised publicly and consideration should be given to training local nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and carers to monitor the use of specialist chairs and equipment in order to attempt to anticipate potential problems.
Responding to the report, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board confirmed that it was already taking action.
“As highlighted in the Gwynedd report, WHSSC sets a target that 90 per cent of all adults and children are assessed and receive their wheelchair within 26 weeks.
“Currently (as of July 2019) the adult service is sitting at 92 per cent and children is at 100 per cent.
“This is a significant improvement on the adult performance, which was at 81 per cent at the time of the (January 2019) scrutiny committee meeting.
“Weekly meetings are in place to review all service users who are currently above 26 weeks, to identify what measures need to take place to improve this position further.
“The Posture and Mobility service will continue to review a variety of methods of capturing service user feedback.
“The service does respond promptly to formal concerns and On the Spot concerns.
“The service does acknowledge that not all informal concerns/complaints may reach the department but it will look at ways of making this easier for service users as well as improving some of the lines of communication that the report highlighted.”