§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those categories of people eligible to be provided with electric wheelchairs at public expense; and what plans he has to review this provision. [47590]
§ Mr. BoatengThe National Health Service provides powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs for severely disabled people, including children, who can benefit from them. Each health authority assesses local needs and determines local eligibility criteria within the broad national framework that the severely disabled person is unable to propel a manual wheelchair outdoors, is able to benefit from the chair through increased mobility leading to improved quality of life, and is able to handle the chair safely.
44WNHS provision of electronically powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs was introduced in 1996, at the same time as a voucher scheme to enable wheelchair users to contribute towards a more expensive wheelchair of their choice. The NHS Executive will shortly begin an evaluation of the operation of both these initiatives and it aims to complete the study by the end of the 1998–99 financial year.