Wheelchair Services
The Vision
A world leading national wheelchair service that costs less than the current service
The TCEWS programme team asked users and carers/personal assistants to identify what they would like to see from a new wheelchair service. Their design requirements were used to develop the recommended solution:
Vision Statement
- "Nothing about us without us"
- Users as consumers
- Creating the ability to give freedom, choice and control back to users
- Open up the market - competition, innovation and price reduction
Organisation Objectives
- Reflects holistic needs health/social/lifestyle
- Issues appropriate wheelchair provided to meet needs in full
- Continuous assessment to meet needs in full on an ongoing basis
- Needs met for individual and carer
- Repairs and breakdown service as standard
- End postcode lottery - manual/powered chairs
Transition Statements
- Urgent action required
- Right first time service=cost savings
- Reduce unnecessary overheads and duplication - reduce price of service
- Pooled or joined funding streams to support above
The user requirements have been collated into 8 themes relating to a new organisation. The first 4 key themes relate to:
The final 4 key themes relate to:
The conceptual design requirements were tested as part of the conceptual design development process and the user design requirements were shared with the TCEWS Programme Steering Group in January 2007.
The TCEWS Programme modelled potential scenarios to deliver the user requirements set out above. The objective in the modelling exercise was to design a service that could deliver on all user requirements or to improve on user requirements.
The final developed design has not been shared with key stakeholders. Our expectation is that key stakeholders will endorse the new service proposal as it delivers (or improves upon) the original user design requirements endorsed at design stage.
The high level business case incorporating the final developed design was presented to the Minister mid January 2008. The detailed business case is currently under consideration. The TCEWS Programme is working with Senior Executives in the NHS to agree the most appropriate way forward.
Until then we are unable to provide any further information.
For more information about this programme please email Lynne Horn
Equality Impact Assessment
Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme – Phase 1
Phase 1 of the TCEWS Programme developed a radical new model of service delivery for community equipment that puts users and carers at its heart. It was delivered to the Minister in February 2007, supported by a robust outline business case and an indication of market appetite for change .. read more
Community Equipment Services Phase 2: Developing the retail model
The model has been developed to ‘outline business case’ level. This means that it is seen as broadly the right solution by the majority of stakeholders; and has been developed to a sufficient level of robustness to demonstrate that further investment in resources is worthwhile. The model supports access to information and services to enable all people and their supporters who use statutory community equipment services, as well as those who self-fund to make informed decisions about how and what they need in terms of equipment. There is still a lot of work to do and we do not have all of the answers yet. In Phase 2 the team will be working closely with all of our stakeholders to find answers and to understand how to make the model a reality .. read more
Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme – Wheelchair Review Phase 2
The next phase for wheelchair services is a further data gathering exercise approved by the Review of Central Returns Steering Committee – ROCR – Reference number ROCR/O7/010) to enable Ministers and the NHS to determine the future shape of wheelchair services .. read more
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