Wheelchair Services

Wheelchairs are provided to individuals who have a permanent disability or medical condition impacting significantly on the person’s mobility and activity levels. Shorter term loans of wheelchairs are also considered in support of terminal illness and palliative care, depending on the clinical and lifestyle needs. In addition to the wheelchair, modifications and accessories may be provided to address specific health, mobility and /or postural needs.

The minimum age for referral is 30 months for children with postural needs, specialist health needs and clinical needs. There is no upper age limit.

The service is commissioned collaboratively across five Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and provides wheelchairs for those who are registered at local GP practices.  All areas use the same criteria and in Southampton all patients who are registered with a Southampton City GP practice and meet the criteria can access the service.

The Millbrook Wheelchair Service is located at:

SOUTHAMPTON – COMMUNITY EQUIPMENT SERVICE                                               Unit D, Centurion Business Park                                                                      Bitterne Road West                                                                                 Southampton SO18 1UB

Tel: 0333 240 8335

The minimum age for referral is 30 months for children with postural needs, specialist health needs and clinical needs. There is no upper age limit.

Wheelchairs are provided to individuals who have a permanent disability or medical condition impacting significantly on the person’s mobility and activity levels.

Wheelchairs will be supplied to people who need them on a frequent basis (greater than 4 times a week and over 4 hours a day and for permanent use, which is usually longer than six months).

Shorter term loans of wheelchairs are also considered in support of terminal illness and palliative care, depending on the clinical and lifestyle needs.

In addition to the wheelchair, modifications and accessories may be provided to address specific health, mobility and /or postural needs.

New referrals to the service are made by a qualified health or social care professional, commonly a person’s GP, Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist. Existing clients of the service or their carers can re-refer themselves to the service if there is a change in their health or environmental needs or contact the service directly for repairs or any queries.  There is no charge for the service. 

Some clients may prefer a different wheelchair to that which the clinician assesses as meeting their health and lifestyle needs. The voucher scheme allows a client to receive a voucher for the cost of the wheelchair that would be provided through the Wheelchair Service rather than receive the wheelchair itself. The client can then use this voucher towards the cost of a privately purchased wheelchair.  A pilot scheme is being undertaken in some areas of the country around the use of personal health budgets to fund wheelchairs. 

Once the referral has been accepted, the request will be triaged and processed according to clinical need. The triage process aims to ensure that clients who have the highest clinical need are seen first. (Once a referral is accepted, all clients referred urgently are commissioned to assess clients within 10 working days of receipt of referral. All clients referred non-urgently will be assessed within 15 working days of receipt of referral).

The provision of wheelchairs and related equipment is provided against a service Equipment Product Matrix to meet the clients clinical and lifestyle needs. If however the client would prefer another chair which is outside of the product matrix the NHS voucher scheme is available.

During triage, a decision will be made by the clinical team as to whether a home visit or a clinic appointment is more appropriate, with clinic appointments being the norm.

During the appointment, a holistic assessment will establish the client’s health, mobility, and lifestyle needs. This may include liaising with other health professionals and agencies, with the client’s agreement, and patient reported outcomes agreed.

At the end of the assessment the client will receive a copy of what has been agreed with them during the assessment and the next steps. This summary will confirm the outcome of the assessment, clearly state the next steps (for example, when any further appointment or assessment will be required) and the expected delivery times for any equipment that is required.

The service and commissioners have held a series of engagement events in the last 6 months and these have informed the new Communication and Engagement Policy. This policy details the key objective for the Hampshire Wheelchair Service for 2016/17 in aiming to strengthen service user engagement and this strategy document will outline the range of activities the service will undertake to achieve this. This strategy will go beyond a straight forward process for how we encourage, receive and act upon feedback as it will build upon existing practice and will describe and develop new ways of working to ensure that our service users’ voices are at the heart of what we do.    

Feedback can be left on the website and via the cards left with service users at each stage of the process.

A review of the service is currently being undertaken and a number of stakeholders, which include parents of children and a representative of Parent Voice, have been invited to participate in determining the scope of the review.

There is an Independent funding review panel (IFR)- if service users do not agree with the decision following assessment or want something that is not available within the NHS matrix then you are able to appeal through the IFR process

The service has recently created questionnaires for feedback and these have been shared with service users, families and clinicians.  Advice has been taken to ensure that these are in accessible formats.

The building is fully accessible however, where appropriate, assessments can be conducted at the person’s home.  For children these are often undertaken at school.

There are ramps and automatic door entry – via a buzzer system.   Toilets are wheelchair accessible and although there is no Changing Places facility the toilets are spacious and would be appropriate for personal care for young children.

Signage is large and clear.

The training requirements for Millbrook Healthcare staff include:

• Equality, Diversity and Disability
• Understanding Illness and Impairment
• Safeguarding Children, Young Adults and Vulnerable Adults (Clinicians)
• Safeguarding Children, Young Adults and Vulnerable Adults
• Safeguarding - blended learning
• Mental Capacity Act 2005

Millbrook’s staff training includes:                                                                   Safeguarding Children, Young Adults and Vulnerable Adults

The service meet with Commissioners for contract review meetings on a monthly basis and also quarterly specifically around quality.  Patient experience, safety alerts, staff training and incident reporting from part of these reviews.

The service meet monthly with Commissioners where incidents and feedback are reported on.

The website link can be used for feedback, phone, email, and social media

http://www.millbrook-healthcare.co.uk/contact-us/

Feedback is gathered at each contact with the service user via a post card system and the service has their own Friends and Family feedback form.

There are yearly listening events where service users, families, carers and clinicians can meet with the service.

In order to measure the experience of service users and stakeholders, the Hampshire Wheelchair Service is looking to develop Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) questionnaires. PREMs are questionnaires which measure experience of care and can be developed in response to exploring what matters for service users and also as a local measure for the Hampshire Wheelchair Service. All service users and their carers have been given the opportunity to report to the service their experience of the service. The questionnaires have been shared with service users and stakeholders for their views before being rolled out.

The Communications and Engagement Strategy has been shared with service users, parents, parent group and clinicians and this has helped inform the Implementation Plan.

http://www.millbrook-healthcare.co.uk/contact-us/service-centre-locations/wheelchair-services/

Concerns and complaints can also be sent to

Patientexperienceservice (NHS SOUTHAMPTON CCG) SOCCG.Patientexperienceservice@nhs.net

Referrals are made through GP or Occupational Therapist and therefore are a point of contact too.