'No end in sight' for teen waiting for wheelchair

Mylo has been waiting for a power wheelchair for over a year

A mother says her 16-year-old son has been waiting for a new wheelchair for more than a year due to a backlog in supplying the NHS.

Sophie Elliott, 36, from Sandiacre, Derbyshire, said the request for her son Mylo's wheelchair was accepted in July 2024 by AJM Healthcare, which provided wheelchairs to NHS patients in Derbyshire at the time.

Blatchford Mobility took over the service in April this year, after reports of long wait times and poor communication under the previous operator.

Blatchford has said it is "working hard" to clear a "large inherited backlog" and has reduced the size of the waiting list by 30% since it took over.

Mrs Elliott says the prospect of a new wheelchair has been "keeping them going"

Mylo was born with lipomyelomeningocele, a form of spina bifida, as well as cerebral palsy, charcot, arthropathy and neuropathy and has used a wheelchair for more than four years.

He was initially assigned a self-propelling chair, which Mrs Elliott said seemed suitable until the physiotherapy team which was working with his neurosurgeon raised concerns and asked AJM Healthcare to provide a new power wheelchair.

Mrs Elliott said she received a letter from AJM Healthcare regarding the transition in April - but has received "no news" on her son's order since then.

She added: "It may seem like it's just a chair but it's so important for him to have for his independence."

"He's missed out on a lot of things because of not having appropriate equipment. We want him to be able to experience those things."

Mrs Elliott has said the power wheelchair is important for Mylo's independence

A spokesperson for the NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board said: "We know waiting times for wheelchairs are too long in many cases and that this causes discomfort, distress and inconvenience to patients. We sincerely apologise for those delays.

"Our new wheelchair provider Blatchford is working hard to reduce the inherited waiting list and we are working with them in identifying the necessary actions to address the waits and improve access."

Blatchford's Wheelchair Services said it "inherited a large waiting list" and had been "working hard since then to implement positive changes to improve waiting times".

The company said: "We've managed to reduce the inherited waiting list by 30% thanks to our new faster assessment processes and waiting times for the service have improved.

"However, we absolutely recognise that more needs to be done."

AJM Healthcare said: "In Derby, a very detailed handover was undertaken with the new operator in advance of the service being transferred.

"At handover in April, four months' supply of equipment was transferred, alongside outstanding equipment orders, meaning the new operator had ample time and opportunity to manage cases and meet equipment requirements."