'She doesn't get another childhood': The lives on hold waiting for wheelchairs

Wren waited more than a year to receive her NHS manual wheelchair, which she has nearly grown out of

More than a thousand disabled children across the UK are waiting for wheelchairs and mobility equipment that could transform their lives, Whizz Kidz say.

The charity, which helps wheelchair users up to 25 years old, has been forced to close its specialist wheelchairs waitlist for the first time in its 35-year history.

They say escalating costs and squeezed NHS budgets are creating a "huge demand" for their service, leading to long delays.

NHS England says it's working with local healthcare providers to deliver better services and NHS Scotland says it's committed to ensuring vital services were protected.

The Department for Health Northern Ireland says by the end of August, the regional service had delivered 87% of all wheelchair categories within 13 weeks.

Whizz Kidz recorded a thousand children waiting for equipment when it decided to close the waitlist, but say many more are missing out.

BBC News has spoken to two families about the impact the long waits are having on them.

'She doesn't get another childhood'

Whizz Kidz gave Wren (centre) a powered wheelchair to use at school

Wren has cerebral palsy, affecting her speech, all four of her limbs and her posture, meaning she needs help with everyday activities.

At home the 11-year-old uses an NHS manual self propelled chair. It took more than a year to get this chair, well over the NHS's official target of 18 weeks.

While Wren's mum, Anna, says the arrival of her NHS chair was greatly received - Wren will soon grow out of it.

Anna also told the BBC it's heavy and cumbersome, meaning Wren can only self propel it a few metres before she needs help.

The family turned to Whizz Kidz when they were told Wren is not eligible for a powered wheelchair through the NHS.

Whizz Kidz provided her with a chair to use at school, but her family is worried that Wren will soon outgrow that chair too.

Using her powered wheelchair at school is "one way for her to assert her independence," Anna says. "She has great fun whizzing around."

But the family is unsure when they'll get a new one when she grows, given the back-log at the charity.

"I don't want Wren's world to get smaller as she gets bigger," Anna says.

"She doesn't get another childhood and we want to keep the options open for her for whatever she wants to do."

Whizz Kidz pointed to a number of factors for the increase in demand for their services.

The charity says NHS wheelchair services were implementing a stricter criteria whilst facing squeezed budgets.

It also said costs were escalating across the industry. The average specialist wheelchair costs £4,800, according to the charity, with inflation continuing to push up the cost of equipment.

Sarah Pugh, CEO of Whizz Kidz called the situation" a national crisis".

"Behind every statistic is a child missing school trips, missing playtime with friends, or living in pain," she says.

"This cannot be acceptable in the UK in 2025. We urgently need the public's support to reopen the list - because childhood can't wait."

Whizz Kidz has launched the Childhood Can't Wait appeal, to raise £750,000 to reopen the waitlist and cut waiting times.

'I don't have any independence'

Ivy has been waiting for an electrical attachment from Whizz Kidz for her manual wheelchair since January 2024

Like most teenagers her age, Ivy loves spending days in the park with her friends, shopping and gaming.

But unlike most teenagers, she relies on her friends and family to help her out.

Ivy has single ventricle circulation, a life-limiting heart condition, which means only one side of her heart is working.

Ivy, is able to walk, but only very short distances. It means she's not eligible for a powered chair, but does have a manual wheelchair from the NHS.

However the exhaustion caused by her condition means she's unable to propel herself and relies on others to push her.

"I have to rely on my mum to drive me to school—and it's only a 15-minute walk," Ivy says.

"I have to have my friends push my manual wheelchair around from lesson to lesson...It's not fair."

"I get left out when I'm in the wheelchair because obviously I can't take myself around."

Ivy had hoped starting secondary school in 2024 would provide her with more freedom, which is why her mum Emma applied to Whizz Kidz for an electrical attachment for Ivy's wheelchair to make life easier.

They applied in January that year and are still waiting.

Emma acknowledges that they are not in high need, but says the attachment "would just enhance her [Ivy's] life massively, to not have to rely on somebody else all the time".

There's also a mental and physical toll on the family.

"It gets quite heavy pushing a wheelchair around for 12 hours at a time - your shoulders and your back ache," Emma says.

Emma's ultimate goal for Ivy is to live life like any normal teenager and enjoy her life without constraints.

"It would hugely enhance our lives and give Ivy that independence... we would have to make some real big sacrifices to be able to afford the electrical attachment on our own," Emma says.

The BBC asked the NHS in each part of the UK for their response.

The Department for Health Northern Ireland says by the end of August, the regional service had delivered 87% of all wheelchair categories within 13 weeks.

NHS England told us they offer personal wheelchair budgets for people to pick a wheelchair that meets their individual needs, adding it was working to deliver" better services that improve access and experiences for wheelchair users".

In Scotland a spokesperson said the government was committed to ensuring vital services were protected and eligibility criteria for the provision of children's wheelchairs has remained unchanged since 2014.

The Welsh government has not yet responded.