Wheelchairs for hire. This was laughable news to me. I can not decide whether this service is a good thing or not.
Wheelshare, a company based in Israel, has installed “Boris bike”-style docking stations for wheelchair users, at King’s College Hospital in Lambeth, Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, and Bedford Hospital.
These wheelchairs are for people with mobility issues to get to appointments.
Unlocking the wheelchair requires a credit card. The first four hours are free, but users are automatically charged £ 2 per hour afterwards.
But What if You Have a Long Wait?
Emergency Department waiting time target has been missed every month at some hospitals since 2015 at a national level. Subsequently, the patient using the wheelchair would be charged. However, it’s not their fault.
What else can the Scheme Help With?
I can not decide if this is a good thing, although a promotional video by Wheelshare features a facilities manager praising the scheme’s “reduced carbon footprint” as chairs “don’t go missing” because they must be docked back into their slots.
Complaints.
“It is outrageous that such patients should be financially penalised because they have reduced mobility, said Keep Our NHS Public co-chairman Dr John Puntis.
He continued: “The solution to the problem of wheelchairs is not to outsource it to a private company at the expense of patients, but for the NHS to up its game.”
Dr Puntis said that huge cash pressures on hospitals are driving such arrangements, as is the case with hospital car parking—which, as we might all know, used to be free.*
But if you’re Late?
According to some sources, patients using wheelchairs who experience longer waits can contact Wheelshare to have the costs refunded.
Is Wheelchair Training Available?
I can not decide if wheelchairs for hire at hospitals is a good thing. But what happens if someone is not competent in using a wheelchair? Will the person hiring the wheelchair be safe using it?
I’m not sure if the wheelchair would feature anti-tip bars to prevent anyone from falling backwards. I assume the wheelbase is quite long. Maybe the wheelchair is quite heavy, so it would be hard to tip.
But using one safely is essential. Would people get damaged shoulders when propelling the wheelchair by using the incorrect technique? Is there a risk of taking corners too close and cracking knuckles on door frames or wheelchairs too close to an object, or even a person, and running into them?
If people feel they want to learn how to use a wheelchair, they can contact me through my website www.freedomwheelchariskills.co.uk
*Extract from The Star