NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups in Kent and Medway

Wheelchair Service –User Survey

The NHSin Kent and Medwayis reviewing the way Wheelchair Servicesare currently delivered. If you are a wheelchair user, are a parent of a wheelchair user or if you care for someone that uses a wheelchair, we would appreciate your feedback. Your comments and feedback will help us understand what peoplethinkis important when it comes to the provision, maintenance and repairs of your wheelchair.

Wheelchair Service budgets are under pressure due to increasing demand. The NHS needs to find ways to support as many people as possible within the available resources and still provide the very best service, especially to those people who need our help the most.

Please be assured, the information you provide will remain confidential and health professionals will not receive any information that identifies you personally. Please complete the survey and return it by Tuesday 21st Augustto the freepost address below (no stamp needed):

Freepost Plus RTEG-RHKB-EJGJ

NHS Kent and Medway Commissioning Support Unit(Rebecca McClymont)

Kent House

81 Station Road

Ashford

TN23 1PP

  1. Please could you tell us the first part of your postcode so we know the area in which you live? E.g. TN1.
  1. Please write in the name of your GP practice:
  1. Please indicate which of the following apply to you?

A wheelchair user / 
A parent, partner or carer of a wheelchair user / 
Other (please write in) / 
  1. What, if anything, do you think has worked particularly well with the wheelchair service that you would like to share with us?
  1. Have you used any of the following service sites? Please tick all that apply.

Ashford (Norman House) / 
Aylesham (New Aylesham Health Centre) / 
Canterbury (St Martin’s House) / 
Dartford (Greenacres) / 
Gillingham (Medway Maritime Hospital) / 
Maidstone (The Heathside Centre) / 
Other (please write in) / 
  1. Have you used any of the following services?

Approved Repairer (AJM Healthcare) / 
Rehabilitation Engineering (Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust) / 
Other (please write in) / 
  1. Have you or the wheelchair user you care for, ever experienced delays with the services? Please tick all that apply.

No delay / Less than a week / 1 week to a month / 1-2 months / More than 2 months
Delay for an assessment /  /  /  /  / 
Delay for delivery or collection of a wheelchair /  /  /  /  / 
Delay for repair of a wheelchair /  /  /  /  / 
Delay for service on a wheelchair /  /  /  /  / 
  1. Were you made aware of the delay and the reason for it?

Yes made aware of delay and reason / 
Yes made aware of delay only / 
No not aware of delay or reason / 
  1. If you have experienced a delay, please explain how this affected you or the person you care for?
  1. When you or the wheelchair user you care for received the wheelchair, did it meet your/their needs (if not please explain why not)

Fully met my/their needs / 
To some extent met my/their needs / 
Did not meet my/their needs (please explain why not) / 
  1. Please indicate which of the following would be most beneficial to you to improve access to the service? Please tick ONE only

Opening times to be extended / 
Occasional late evening opening / 
Weekend opening / 
No change to opening times / 
Wheelchair Service budgets are under pressure due to increasing demand. The NHS needs to find ways to support as many people as possible within the available resources whilst still providing the best service, especially to those people who need our help the most. We are reviewing a number of changes in order to ensure the service performs efficiently and the following three questions seek your opinion on these changes.
  1. To make sure patients who need a wheelchair full-time receive a prompt service, we are considering stopping the service for people who need transit wheelchairs (wheelchairs that need to be pushed) for occasional outdoor use only. Would you support this proposed change?

Yes support fully / 
Yes support to some extent / 
No, do not support / 
  1. Please write in any comments regarding this possible change:
  1. As a result of increasing activity, the service may need to place clients on a list each month, prioritising by date and postural and pressure care needs. Would you support this proposed change?

Yes support fully / 
Yes support to some extent / 
No, do not support / 
  1. Please write in any comments regarding this possible change:
  1. In order to reduce the number of people who fail to turn up for their appointments, we are considering stopping self-referrals for clients with wheelchairs who wish to re-access the service. Instead, clients would need to see their GP or therapist to be referred. Would you support this proposed change?

Yes support fully / 
Yes support to some extent / 
No, do not support / 
  1. Please write in any comments regarding this possible change:
  1. Do you have any other comments regarding the wheelchair service?

Now please could you tell us a bit about yourself to help put your answers into context. Please be assured this information will remain confidential and will not be passed on to any health professionals.

  1. Please indicate which of the following age groups you fall into?

16-24 years /  / 25-34 years /  / 35-44 years / 
45-54 years /  / 55-64 years /  / 65-74 years / 
75 years or more /  / Prefer not to answer / 
  1. Are you…?

Male /  / Female /  / Prefer not to answer / 
  1. Please indicate your ethnic group? Choose 1 option that best describes your ethnic group or background.

White / English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British / 
Irish / 
Gypsy or Irish Traveller / 
Any other White background, please write in below: / 
Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups / White and Black Caribbean / 
White and Black African / 
White and Asian / 
Any other Mixed / Multiple ethnic background, please write in below: / 
Asian / Asian British / Indian / 
Pakistani / 
Bangladeshi / 
Chinese / 
Any other Asian background, please write in below: / 
Black / African / Caribbean / Black British / African / 
Caribbean / 
Any other Black / African / Caribbean background, please write in below: / 
Other ethnic group / Arab / 
Prefer not to answer / 
  1. Please indicate below if you are interested in being further involved in the work to improve wheelchair services and/or if you want to join yourlocal Health Network, and be kept informed about health issues in your area.

Yes I am interested in being further involved in the continuing wheelchair work / 
Yes I would like to join the local Health network / 

Please complete your contact details below:

Name:
Email Address:
Telephone Number:

Thank you for your time and feedback.

NHS Kent and Medway– Wheelchair User Survey 2015 1