Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the provision and commissioning of local wheelchair services and are expected review and assess the quality of their commissioned wheelchair services, with support from NHS England. NHS England is supporting ICBs to reduce regional variation in the quality and provision of National Health Service wheelchairs, and to reduce delays in people receiving timely intervention and wheelchair equipment. This includes publishing a Wheelchair Quality Framework on 9 April 2025, which sets out the quality standards expected from providers with regard to repair and maintenance of equipment, and references the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessment framework. The Wheelchair Quality Framework is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/wheelchair-quality-framework/
Under Regulation 15 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, providers registered with the CQC must ensure that all equipment used for care is clean, suitable, well maintained, and properly used.
If the service user owns the equipment or it is not supplied by the provider, the provider must still ensure it is clean, safe, and suitable for use. Providers retain legal responsibility for equipment, even if delegated to third parties.
Providers must supply wheelchairs for general use, for instance portering, or temporary use. For personal or long-term use, care home residents should access local wheelchair services through their ICB.
Under Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulations Activities) Regulations 2014, care and treatment must be provided safely, including ensuring equipment is safe and used safely.
The CQC has published guidance on managing risks associated with wheelchair use, including learning from safety incidents, such as Learning from safety incident, Issue 13: Protecting people using wheelchairs, which is available at the following link:
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