Isle of Wight Wheelchair Service to provide patient centred and joined up care from April 2021

Covering the Isle of Wight, Southampton and West Hampshire, a new wheelchair service is set to start in April 2021 and will be provided by community equipment, wheelchair, and assistive technology specialist Millbrook Healthcare.

Although Millbrook Healthcare is the existing operator of the wheelchair service (WCS) for the area, wheelchair users have helped shape a new service. This includes several improvements suggested by wheelchair users, their carers and patient groups who wanted a service which was ‘patient centred, joined up and Island based.’

Service users also suggested other improvements that they would like to see, particularly regarding waiting times, service location, choice and control, and methods of contacting the service.

A focus group was held with wheelchair users and 89 people also responded to a survey, including carers and the parents of children who use wheelchairs. A smaller session was also held to hear the views and feedback from younger service users.

Improvements for the new WCS from April 2021 include:

• improving patient experience by reducing waiting times and repeat assessments by using key members of the community workforce trained as trusted assessors for wheelchairs
• giving more choice and control for wheelchair users offering individual budgets for equipment under the Personal Wheelchair Budgets scheme
• accepting referrals for children under three years of age if they have postural support needs, which means parents and carers will experience a simpler process than they do at present
• using various communication methods to support users accessing the service, and to keep them informed whilst they use the service

As part of the new way of working, the WCS will also look to ensure that users continue to be involved in future service developments.

Dr Timothy Whelan, a GP and a clinical lead for NHS Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which has jointly commissioned the new service with two CCGs in Hampshire, said: “Millbrook’s performance and service delivery on the Island has been consistently good, and we are delighted to have worked closely with them to plan further improvements to the service.

“The CCG and Millbrook recognise that a timely assessment and provision, and having an appropriate chair for an individual’s needs, are essential to the lives of people in wheelchairs who want a service which is flexible, responsive and high-quality.”

Millbrook Healthcare also recently hosted a launch for its new WCS in Surrey, which will see the provider implement a fully integrated care model and personalised service, ensuring that clinical assessments, repairs and maintenance, delivery and collection, specialist seating and ongoing support are all provided through one organisation and a single point of access for clients.

Commenting on the new wheelchair service it will be delivering across the Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Southampton next year, Annette Cairns, Clinical and Quality Director for Millbrook Healthcare, commented: “We’re delighted that we’ve been awarded the contract to manage the new wheelchair service for West Hampshire, Southampton and the Isle of Wight from April 2021.

“We believe this demonstrates the quality of the services that we provide and the confidence our NHS partners have in our approach. We have some exciting developments planned for our service users next year and are pleased that we can continue to work collaboratively to make a difference to their lives, on behalf of the NHS.”