NHS to give £1m to private firm

NHS chiefs in Kirklees and Calderdale have agreed to hand the private firm providing NHS wheelchairs for the boroughs an extra £1m.

Oxfordshire based Opcare was awarded a threeyear, £4.5m deal to run wheelchairs for the two boroughs from October 2014.

It vowed to radically improve on the service formerly provided by Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

But throughout its three-year tenure people continued to complain of huge delays waiting for the right equipment.

The Examiner has featured a number of stories of young and old being unable to get the wheelchairs they need in a reasonable time.

A year ago, Bradley woman Amanda Gillson revealed she had been waiting more than a year for the electric chair she needed.

A service user survey in September 2017 found many people felt Opcare was under-performing.

The survey highlighted numerous complaints about customer service, long waiting times, unsuitable equipment and a shoddy repairs service.

Despite this the contract was extended for a year until October 2018 and it is thought an option to continue until 2019 has been taken.

Health bosses at Greater Huddersfield and North Kirklees clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have now agreed to give Opcare an extra £1.1m to clear the backlog by September.

Patients’ group Healthwatch Kirklees compiled a report detailing the experiences of nearly 100 people who needed wheelchairs.

Its spokesperson, Clare Costello, said: “This has been a massive issue for Kirklees groups like PCAN (Parents of Children with Additional Needs), and all sorts of people in our community.

“A wheelchair that fits properly, is delivered on time and is fixed when it breaks, is an essential service for many people.

“The NHS must make sure that we don’t fail people in this way again.

“We’re grateful to all of the people who have told us their stories over the last 12 months because it is those stories that have highlighted the need for change and additional funding.”

Healthwatch Kirklees Director Rory Deighton added: “At its heart this is a story about underfunding in the NHS.

“Our local NHS organisations are being asked to make massive savings; our hospitals are millions of pounds in debt.

“Under this kind of financial pressure, key services like wheelchairs, providing critical support to many of the most vulnerable people in our community, are coming under pressure as well.

“Being told by government that the NHS has never been better funded is unhelpful.”

A spokesperson for Calderdale, Greater Huddersfield and North Kirklees CCGs said: “Working closely with the wheelchair service provider, service users and other stakeholders, we have agreed a range of actions designed to reduce waiting times and improve other elements of the service for users, their families and carers.

“To support these improvements the CCGs have made additional investment in the service.

‘Looking forward, we are in the process of carrying out a full review of the wheelchair service so that in the future it is better able to meet local needs.”

More information about a chance to have your say on wheelchair services is available online at www.greaterhuddersfieldccg.nhs.uk/get-involved