Resident Doctors are on strike from 7 - 13 April. Please continue to attend appointments at the hospital unless you are contacted directly to rearrange. Our hospitals will be busy, but we are still here to provide emergency care when you need it.

Specialist Rehabilitation

Based at Seacroft Hospital, Specialist Rehabilitation Services comprises the Regional Prosthetics Service, the Leeds Orthotics Service and the Leeds Wheelchair and Special Seating Service.

What we do

The Specialist Rehabilitation Centre is a multi-award winning service situated on the Seacroft Hospital site that provides holistic and bespoke patient-centred solutions in order to help patients to achieve maximum functional independence.

Prosthetics

The Prosthetic Rehabilitation Service has a full complement of prosthetists and Technicians who specialise in both upper and lower limbs. The clinical staff are employed by steeper group together with a consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapist, a dedicated clinical psychologist and rehabilitation engineers. Qualified nursing support is provided along with healthcare assistants.

Following a new (primary) referral to the prosthetic centre, the patient will be assessed by the multi-disciplinary team (MDT). The MDT, in conjunction with the patient, will assess  individual rehabilitation needs and aims of the patient. If, after consultation, a prosthesis (limb) is to be made then the patient will be allocated to their own prosthetist. The prosthetist is responsible for measuring, making and fitting the prosthesis. The process will usually take approximately ten working days, however a limb can be made on the same day by prior arrangement.

More about Prosthetics

The Leeds Specialist Rehabilitation Centre – 2 Prosthetics Lower Limbs


Seacroft offers one of the largest amputee services in the UK and has been awarded national centre of excellence for its holistic approach to patient care.
We have also won the national UK lean award for best practice standards and sharing.

We provide a regional service to both the NHS and veterans, and we can also accept GP referrals from outside the region.

On arrival please report to reception where a member of staff will check that the personal information they have been given is correct, and they’ll inform the appropriate staff that you’ve arrived for sensitivity or family support issues we have a privacy room available nurse will check your weight and then escort you to your appointment you’ll meet the team to talk about your needs and identify your goals the team will discuss with you what type of prosthesis is most appropriate for you.

You’ll then have either a plaster of Paris cast or an electronic laser scan of your body part the prosthesis is then passed to the workshop to be made to your individual specification.

Some plaster of Paris casts will require additional rectification work once the limb is completed your prosthetic will check the alignment and fitting to ensure it is comfortable for you matching it as normally as possible to your correct walking patterns you will get the opportunity to try your new limb, and then you’ll require physiotherapy to maximize balance and safety.

More established patients may require more specialist prosthetic components these may need to be aligned in an external environment in order to maximize their function for further help and advice staff are available Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm to deal with any of your questions on zero double one three two zero six three eight double six.

Our service

The Leeds Specialist Rehabilitation Centre – 4 Prosthetic Upper Limbs & Occupational Therapy


The prosthetic upper limb service and occupational therapy work very closely together to accommodate patients of all ages this ranges from newborn babies through adulthood to older people.

We’re able to advise patients prior to elective amputation, and we also offer advice to prospective parents whose baby has a congenital limb absence identified on a scan our aim is to support patients and their families throughout their lives at our weekly clinics.

You’ll meet the team, discuss your needs and identify your goals the prosthetist and occupational therapist will show you a range of suitable prostheses which could meet your needs.

The occupational therapist will discuss with you what activities you need to be able to do at home at work at school and in your leisure time. You will look together at equipment that may help you carry out these tasks. The assessment may also include a demonstration of how you’ll be enabled to carry out these activities. The team will then decide if a prosthesis is needed or if a piece of equipment will be required. The prosthetist will measure and cast you for a prosthesis by either taking a plaster of paris cast or an electronic laser scan of your body part. The prosthesis is then passed to the workshop to be made to your individual requirements. Once the prosthesis is ready the prosthetist will fit and adjust it onto you, you may be able to take it away on the day, or you may need to return for a final fitting appointment. 

You’ll return after you have worn your prosthesis for a few weeks for a review appointment at this point any further alterations can be made the team will review your goals, and you can discuss any activities which you may be finding difficult to explore possible solutions for further help and advice staff are available Monday to Friday between 9 a.m and 4 p.m to deal with any of your questions on 0-1-1-3 206-3866.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists specialising in gait training also play an important part in the patients’ rehabilitation and work closely with the patient as part of the multi-disciplinary team.

Prosthetics physiotherapy is an outpatient facility for assessment and rehabilitation of lower limb amputees with regards to prosthetic limb wearing. We accept referrals for patients of all ages ranging from newborn babies through to adulthood and older age. We are able to see patients pre-elective amputation on request.

In-patient amputee physiotherapy is routinely supplied on wards L15 at Leeds General Infirmary. For amputee physiotherapy input and support on other wards within the Trust contact the main prosthetics physiotherapy department.

The department is always available to accommodate allied health professionals or students to further their knowledge and experience, regarding prosthetics rehabilitation and limb wearing.

More about the Leeds Prosthetic Physiotherapy service

The Leeds Specialist Rehabilitation Centre – 3 Prosthetic Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy for a patient with a lower limb amputation should start as soon as possible after discharge from hospital. A physiotherapy assessment includes muscle strength and movement of the lower limbs. Exercises will be given to help strengthen the muscles that will make walking with an artificial limb easier.

Rehabilitation with a prosthetic or artificial limb includes learning functional tasks like walking up and down stairs. At the start of the rehabilitation, a patient may use a pamade within the parallel bars to re-educate standing posture and balance. Pam stands for pneumatic postamputation Mobility Aid. It also helps reduce edema or swelling, preparing the residual limb for the prosthesis.
Most patients find it gives them a boost to walk again, for the more able patients we have a treadmill and bike, both these pieces of equipment help improve cardiovascular fitness but also give the patients a chance to experience fitness equipment before joining a gym.

prosthetists also like to check the fit of a socket while using the bike or treadmill. For patients with a transfemoral level of amputation, the early walking Aid we choose is the femur. This piece of equipment allows the patient to experience what wearing an artificial limb may be like.
The physiotherapist also uses an outside area to practice walking on uneven surfaces so that it’s more like real life. This includes walking on Sand gravel steps and slopes. On Monday afternoons, a ladies group gets together to maintain their Fitness and to support one another. The hour-long session includes a warm-up stretches and fitness stations.

The initial stage of Rehabilitation involves two sessions of physiotherapy a week for 3 months, after that period top-up sessions can be arranged if required for further help and advice, staff are Available Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. to deal with any of your questions on 01326 3639.

Occupational Therapy

Prosthetics Occupational therapy can accommodate patients of all ages ranging from newborn babies through to adulthood and older age. We are able to advise patients prior to elective amputation. We also offer advice to prospective parents whose baby has had a congenital limb absence identified on a scan. We aim to support patients and their families throughout their lives.

There are weekly upper limb clinics with both the Occupational Therapist and an Upper Limb Prosthetist. We can see patients with upper limb amputations at any point in the process of becoming a limb user and we receive referrals direct from ward based Occupational Therapists at Leeds General Infirmary (surgical team),as well as referrals from the Physiotherapists and Prosthetists from our own team.

We are able to offer a complete range of prostheses including cosmetic, body powered and myo-electric and third generation. Each new patient is given a full assessment to ensure they gain the maximum benefit from their prosthesis. The assessment includes advice on strategies and assistive devices for daily living tasks i.e. bathing, preparing food, dressing, children’s play activities and educational needs such as writing.

The Leeds Specialist Rehabilitation Centre – 4 Prosthetic Upper Limbs & Occupational Therapy


The prosthetic upper limb service and occupational therapy work very closely together to accommodate patients of all ages. This ranges from newborn babies through adulthood to older people. We’re able to advise patients prior to elective amputation, and we also offer advice to prospective parents whose baby has a congenital limb absence identified.

On a scan, our aim is to support patients and their families throughout their lives at our weekly clinics. You’ll meet the team, discuss your needs and identify your goals. The prosthetist and occupational therapist will show you a range of suitable prostheses which could meet your needs. The occupational therapist will discuss with you what activities you need to be able to do at home, at work, at school and in your leisure time. You will look together at equipment that may help you carry out these tasks.

The assessment may also include a demonstration of how you’ll be enabled to carry out these activities. The team will then decide if a prosthesis is needed, or if a piece of equipment will be required. The prosthetist will measure and cast you for a prosthesis by either taking a plaster of paris cast or an electronic laser scan of your body.

Part of the prosthesis is then passed to the workshop to be made to your individual requirements. Once the prosthesis is ready, the prosthetist will fit and adjust it onto you. You may be able to take it away on the day, or you may need to return for a final fitting appointment. You’ll return after you have worn your prosthesis for a few weeks for a review appointment. At this point any further alterations can be made, the team will review your goals, and you can discuss any activities which you may be finding difficult. To explore possible solutions for further help and advice, staff are available Monday to Friday between 9 a.m and 4 p.m to deal with any of your questions on 0-1-3 206-3866.

Psychology

The Clinical and Health Psychology service is a core component of the multidisciplinary prosthetics care provided at Seacroft Hospital. The purpose of the service is to assist patients of all ages in coping with the challenges of limb loss and to make the most of their prosthetic rehabilitation.

The service provides a range of different psychological therapies for people who are experiencing difficulties relating to their limb loss such as:

  • Low confidence
  • Upsetting memories
  • Worries/panic
  • Self-consciousness
  • Sadness/depression
  • Relationship problems
  • Anger
  • Shock/disbelief

The service also offers group therapy, advice on chronic pain management, neuropsychological assessment and consultancy to the multi-disciplinary team.

Orthotics

The Orthotics service in Leeds is based over 5 sites:

There are eleven health and care professional council registered Orthotists and one Orthotic assistant who specialises in complex orthoses. The team provide a service for over 20,000 active users.

We provide orthotic treatment solutions to a wide range of conditions including:

  • Diabetes
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Cerebral Palsy

Orthotic devices are used to provide pressure relief, correct or accommodate deformity and to improve function. Our orthotists will assess for, measure and fit orthotic devices for all parts of the body using bio-mechanic principles.

We run standalone clinics, and we also take part in specialist multi-disciplinary clinics such as paediatric orthopaedics, child development, diabetic and rehabilitation, alongside other allied health care professionals and consultants.

We have orthotists with special interests in paediatrics, diabetic care, rehabilitation and orthopaedics, so feel free to contact us if you are unsure as to whether or not we can help. to contact us if you are unsure as to whether or not we can help.

Wheelchairs

A multidisciplinary assessment service is offered to people of all ages with long-term mobility problems. Clinical assessments for manual and powered wheelchairs and buggies, all with a Personal Wheelchair Budget are available. Postural and special seating systems for NHS Wheelchairs can also be provided.

The long term provision of a wheelchair, buggy or related disability equipment is subject to assessed need and prescription guidelines. Access to this service is open to children and adults including provision of buggies to children over 30 months and can be made via a GP or approved therapist. (NB/ Outdoor only user controlled powered wheelchairs or scooters are not available).

The service also provides modifications and adaptations to equipment they have supplied. Maintenance and repairs of loan equipment are provided by Ross Care. Advice and training for users, carers and professionals in the ‘supply and use of’ equipment is also available.

Videos

Seven wheelchairs

The Leeds Specialist Rehabilitation Centre – 7 Wheelchairs


The wheelchair centre offers a multidisciplinary assessment service to people of all ages with long-term mobility problems, clinical assessments for manual and powered wheelchairs buggies, postural and special seating systems are usually carried out at the wheelchair clinic.

At seacroft at a wheelchair assessment a member of the therapy team will check that the personal information they have been given is accurate. The wheelchair centre holds a range of demonstration wheelchairs, a therapist will discuss with you what type of wheelchair is most appropriate for your needs. This may be a transit wheelchair which has small rear wheels or a self-propelling wheelchair with larger rear wheels.

The service can provide both adult and children’s equipment. The therapist may take you outside to try a wheelchair on different surfaces, which is more like a real-life situation. This may include slopes and uneven ground. Some patients may also be eligible for an assessment of an electric powered wheelchair that they can use inside their home, or an electric powered indoor outdoor wheelchair which they would use both inside their home and outdoors. Assessments for these type of wheelchairs will involve a driving assessment both inside and outside depending on the type of wheelchair that is required.

The centre also has a wide range of cushions available both for comfort and pressure relief, these can be issued to go into a wheelchair following an assessment by the therapist of seating and posture. Clinics are available for people with more complex needs requiring bespoke items if equipment needs to be adjusted, adapted or modified.

Then we have rehabilitation engineers on site to do general repairs and maintenance to loan equipment. Carried out by our service engineers where possible equipment will be issued on the day of an appointment, if this isn’t possible then the equipment will be delivered to your home at a later date by our contractors. For further help and advice, staff are available Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm to deal with any of your questions on 0013-638-55.

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 1 The Parts of a Wheelchair

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 1 The Parts of a Wheelchair

This video will explain to you how best to use your new wheelchair by learning about your new equipment. You will know how to operate it safely, and keep it running well when you get the chair. It might be packed in plastic, if it is then removed all the packaging and be careful not to lose any parts or instructions.

What you see in this video should be used in conjunction with the leaflets that you were given with the chair. You need to read all those leaflets before using the chair for the first time. The wheels come in different sizes with wire or plastic spokes and some have quick releases to make the chair lighter, and smaller for transporting in the car.

ERS swivel as the chair is turned making it easier to steer, most wheelchairs have detachable armrests these can be removed if you need to transfer sideways into or out of the chair or to sit at a table. You remove the armrests by pressing this lever at the front side of the chair and lifting the armrest out from its sockets, when you want to replace the arm rest you have to make sure it lines up with both of the sockets front and back. You should make sure the lever always locks back into place.

Different wheelchairs might have armrests that simply slide in and out of their sockets without anything to lock them, and some other models have a lever like the one you see here to release the armrest. You’ll need to lock it again to keep the armrest secure.

A tray can often be fitted to the armrests, these are provided to improve posture or to assist with feeding. Often a tray can be fitted by reversing the armrests and swapping them from one side to the other, as you can see here if this isn’t possible with your chair then an extra bracket might be available or some trays just slide over the armrests.

Most wheelchairs have a folding back rest making it smaller for travelling, or storage Bridge hinged back rests usually have two levers that are lifted at each side of the frame. When they’re fully up, the back rest can fold at the hinge. To raise the back rest, simply lift until it’s upright and check that the levers are fully into the locked position.
There are parking brakes at both sides of the chair, they stop it from moving by securing the wheels they must always be applied when getting into and out of the chair to prevent it from rolling. As your body weight transfers, the brakes should also be used when folding the wheelchair.
Opening it or lifting it into a vehicle tires are usually solid rubber but occasionally may be filled with air like on a bike, these should be inflated to the pressure written on them so that the brake pads can work properly. Foot rests turn up to make it easier to get into the wheelchair, if the chair has Swing Away hangers they should be swung away before getting into or out of the chair. It’s important never to stand on the footrests as this would cause your wheelchair to tip forwards, the distance from the seat to the footrests can be adjusted to fit you more comfortably.

If you feel that you need adjustments to your foot rests then please contact your local wheelchair chair service for advice, you might also have heel loops fitted to the foot rests. You should turn these to the back of the chair when the foot rests are down. To remove the foot rests Al together, push this lever and swing this part which is called the foot plate outwards, then lift it up to put it back to line up its holes to the pins on the chair and swing it inwards. Always make sure to check that the lever locks back into place.

Most wheelchairs have canvas seats, and back rests cushions can be provided to give extra support and comfort. A lap belt is fitted for your safety and can be adjusted to fit you comfortably. Push handles have hand grips of moulded plastic or rubber, making it easy for a helper to operate your wheelchair.

Every wheelchair has a unique ID number printed on a label like this. Your service provider’s contact details will be on here, if you need to ask any questions for advice and support on repairs and maintenance, please get in touch with your local wheelchair service. Contact details are available from www. Wheelchair managers. nhs.uk SLS services.

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 2 Using a Wheelchair

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 2 Using a Wheelchair


Before using your wheelchair for the first time, you must adjust the lap belts to fit you securely. Two halves of the belts go between the armrest and the back rest. These pass around your waist and clip together with buckles. When it is fastened, you should be able to put the flat of your hand between your body and the belt, but you should not be able to slip down in the seat. To release the belt, squeeze these parts of the Buckle inward whilst pulling the belt apart.

There are two ways to transfer to and from a wheelchair, either sideways or forwards. To transfer sideways, position the wheelchair alongside the seat that you want to move to and apply the brakes. Undo your lap belt and remove the armrest that is between you and the seat.

Next move the footrest out of the way, bend slightly forward and with one hand on the seat, you are going to and the other hand on the remaining armrest, push yourself up and pull yourself over. It can also help to slide along a transfer board if you have one, alternatively you can transfer forwards. To do this, position your wheelchair facing the seat and apply the brakes.

You should always swing both footrests out of the way if you need to. Now move your wheelchair closer to the seat, place your feet firmly on the ground to the right. Grip the right armrest with your right hand and grip the seat you are getting into with your left, slowly push up to transfer your weight from the wheelchair to the seat.

To get into your wheelchair without a helper, have its back up against a wall or a solid piece of furniture. Visually check that the brakes are fully applied and that the foot plates are out of the way. Stand in front looking away from the chair and grasp the armrests. You should feel for the edge of the seat canvas with the back of your legs before sitting down. Now bend your knees and lower your body into the seat. When sat in your wheelchair, you should push the foot plates down and rest your feet on them in front of the heel loops.

To get down a curb, first check if there is an alternative nearby, like a ramp or a dropped curb. If there is not, then position the chair square to the curb. Then place one foot on the tipping lever and push down on it. Your helper should grip both handles firmly, they now balance the chair on its rear wheels so that the front casters are clear of the curb and move forwards. Gently lower the chair with the rear wheels against the lip of the curb while supporting the weight. Finally, gently lower the front wheels before moving off. Alternatively, your wheelchair can be taken down a curb backwards, by lowering the back wheels onto the road first then lowering the casters.

To get up a curb with a helper, first look around for a ramp or a dropped curb nearby. If there aren’t any, then position the wheelchair with the casters almost touching the curb. Your helper should push down on the tipping lever and pull the handles towards them, balancing the chair on its rear wheels with the casters off the ground. When the rear wheels touch the curb, lift the chair gently onto the pavement. Alternatively, you could turn the wheelchair so that the rear wheels are against the curb. Your helper should tip the chair backwards to balance on the rear wheels. Now pulling the wheelchair up onto the curb and gently lowering the casters, so your chair is level again.

Wherever possible you should avoid going up or down steps, instead look for a ramp or a lift nearby, if there is no alternative to using steps then you will need two helpers. They should stand either side of the wheelchair facing you, gripping the chair by the frame and not by any movable parts. They can lift it slowly, get back when going downstairs they should steady the wheelchair on each step as you go.

If your chair has a folding frame, it can be folded to make it easier for transportation or storage to close the wheelchair. Apply the brakes and turn the foot plates upright and footrests out to the sides, or you can remove them. Stand to the side and hold the middle of the seat canvas at the front and back and pull It upwards until the chair is fully closed.

To fold the back rest, stand behind the chair and lift the lever on each handle and push the handles down. When straightening the back rest to be upright, check that the levers are pushed down so that it locks into place. To open a folded wheelchair, apply the brakes and, while standing at the front, push down on the side edges of the seat with your fingers facing inwards.

Some chairs have quick release wheels which let you remove them, making the chair lighter to pick up and smaller for transportation. To remove the wheels from the back of the chair, first make sure the brakes are off. Then hold the wheel block in one hand, lifting the wheel slightly off the ground and use your thumb to press the centre cap in, now you can pull the wheel off.

To reattach a wheel, hold the chair and wheel as before and slide the spindle into the hole, up to the lock balls. Now press the cap, which lets you push the spindle fully in. to check everything is okay, pull the wheel gently back and forth to make sure it is secured to the chair. This swinging elevating leg rest can support your whole leg at any position. To raise a leg rest, simply lift it to the desired position, where it will lock automatically. To lower it again, you need to deactivate this locking catch.

Now lower the leg rest to the position you prefer, then release the catch. Remember to swing the leg rests away before getting into or out of the chair. You must be careful when moving a wheelchair with leg rests straight out in front. Your legs are more at risk of being bumped into things. They will also affect the forward stability of your chair, so you should always be cautious for advice and support on repairs and maintenance.

Please contact your local wheelchair service, contact details are available from www.wheelchairmanagers.nhs.uk.

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 3 – Transportation

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 3 Transportation


Your wheelchair will dismantle easily for transporting in vehicles. To stow away your wheelchair in a car boot, first apply the brakes. Remove all accessories such as straps and cushions, as well as any removable parts, including arm rests and foot rests. If your chair has quick-release wheels, you can remove them to make it easier for lifting.

Now fold the chair and position it parallel to the boot, you could use an old rug or carpet to protect the car from scratches. Bend your knees, keeping your back straight, and grasp the wheelchair frame. Now lift it into the boot balancing the chair on the edge of the boot, then slide it in. other luggage such as shopping or suitcases should never be placed on top of the wheelchair, or in the position where they could slide or fall onto the chair.

Any objects not secured would be a potential missile if your vehicle had to brake hard, or is in a collision, so make sure everything is safely positioned. You should always choose to transfer to a seat in the vehicle and travel with your wheelchair folded down. However, if occasionally this isn’t possible, and you have to travel whilst sat in the wheelchair. Then you must make sure it’s firmly secured to the vehicle floor, facing forwards. With the wheelchairs brakes applied, tie-down restraints must be fitted to the frame of the wheelchair, not to its accessories. These restraints should ideally be at 45 degrees to the floor, and always tighten securely.

Space should be left around the wheelchair to access the floor restraints, you must be safely restrained to the vehicle with its own seatbelt crossing your shoulder. Any belt or harness that supplied with your chair, can be used in addition to the vehicle’s seat belt, but it’s never a substitute for this.

Remember, you must never travel with only your wheelchairs lap belt. Additional fittings, such as trays should be removed from your wheelchair, before you set off travelling like this in your wheelchair. It’s riskier, and you should always prefer to transfer to a seat in the vehicle as your first choice.

For advice and support on repairs and maintenance, please get in touch with your local wheelchair service. Contact details are available from www.wheelchairmanagers.nhs.uk/services.html.

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 4 – Maintenance

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 4 Maintenance


Maintenance of your wheelchair is important to keep it in good working order. You should never attempt major repairs or modifications, other than routine checks and cleaning. Upholstery and metal parts should be wiped over regularly with a soft cloth, and any marks such as food or mud can be cleaned off with warm water and washing up liquid.

Any moving parts like armrests and foot plates can also be cleaned with warm soapy water. If you need to, then a mild antiseptic can be used on the upholstery. Allow wet parts to dry before folding and storage. Remember, never to put away a damp chair if you have tires with air in them. These should be regularly checked and pumped up to the pressure written on the side of the tire. Never use a garage four quartz compressed air like you would for a car, you should regularly check for excessive wear or damage and tires should be replaced by your service provider as soon as needed.

Soft tires affect the chair’s performance and are more likely to become damaged, so keep them pumped up. If you get a puncture, this will cause a flat tire that can’t be inflated, please phone your provider immediately so they can repair it. For wheels with metal spokes, check that these are undamaged and are equally tight. You can do this by running the back of your finger over them, they should all sound like the same tone.

You should check the free running of the casters and the wheels should always run. When spun, too much wobble means that they’ve worn, and you need to contact your provider. For each of the brakes, check that its nuts bolts and screws are tight. It’s easier to do this with the brake lever disengaged, you should also check that each brake pad grips firmly on the tire. Check that the hand grips are secure and aren’t damaged, and you should look at the screws holding the canvases to make sure they’re tight and don’t swivel.

For advice and support on repairs and maintenance, please get in touch with your local wheelchair service contact details are available from www.wheelchairmanagers.nhs.uk/services.html

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 5 Your NHS Wheelchair

A beginner’s guide to NHS wheelchairs – Part 5 Your NHS Wheelchair


The wheelchair has been supplied especially for you, if you look after your wheelchair well then it’ll look after you well too. Your wheelchair will need you to keep it clean, in good working order and protected from damage at all times. Remember, it’s your wheelchair designed just for your use, so please don’t let others use your wheelchair.

For safety reasons, please don’t alter or fit attachments to the wheelchair without first getting agreement from your provider. Please contact your provider if you feel the chair is no longer the right size for you, or if the chair is involved in an accident and is damaged, lost or stolen. You’ll also need to tell your provider if you change your address, or if you no longer need your wheelchair.

For advice and support on repairs and maintenance, please get in touch with your local wheelchair service contact details are available from www.wheelchairmanagers.nhs.uk/services.html.

This production was made with the support of the Yorkshire and Humber children’s collaborative commissioning group and funding from the NHS high impact innovation funds.

Personal wheelchair budget film

Setting the wheels in motion – personal wheelchair budgets in Leeds

My name is Sinead Stanley, and I’m a commissioning manager at NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning group. I’ve been working with wheelchair services in Leeds to implement personal wheelchair budgets or PWB’s as we call them. This has been happening from the 1st of April 2018. The purpose behind personal wheelchair budgets is very much around enabling the person to have the wheelchair of choice. Before personalized wheelchair budgets people had two options, the first was to accept what Leeds wheelchair service could offer, and the second was to take a voucher to an approved supplier and buy the equipment themselves.

PWB’s enable the person to have more control over the choice of wheelchair. the person can actually have an NHS wheelchair, or they might choose to have additional accessories with the wheelchair, or they can actually obtain their wheelchair through an independent provider. We have noticed an increase in people going for the notional plus option, so they are choosing to top up either to upgrade a wheelchair within wheelchair services, or to spend it on an additional feature of the wheelchair.

What will happen is we will do a prescription form for the piece of equipment, we will then ask for the payment for the top-up from the service user. In some cases, this may be from charitable funding, or it may come from the person’s personal health budget. We will then order the equipment, and then it will be brought to the Leeds wheelchair service. We will then arrange to hand it over with the service user.

In the past, the wheelchair was just like this is what you’re getting, and it was just kind of that’s it. There was no scope for adaptations or anything like that. So this new process when we contacted them, and we met with the sunrise medical representative, it was just like kind of you get a standard chair, and then you can adapt it to the way that kind of suits Isabelle better. So there are things like the seating, and then we also said that we do quite a lot of like going out places. Like places that I thought to now be things like that where a set of outside tires would be better. Like mountain bike wheels, and they’ve got the white knob away so they don’t dig in to grass and things.

It enables people to go on different terrains, they are then able to access more outdoor mobility which they couldn’t do before. They can spend more time doing family activities, and then she wanted sparkly front casters that shine, so it’s just it was so much easier to kind of have extra bits. She gets to choose, it makes her feel more independent having your own kind of saying how she wants her chair to look, feel the choice of colour, the wheel of Wilts Bogart. It just makes her feel like well, it is actually my chair and somebody’s not actually telling me that this is all, this is what you get.

I’d say for the first time I’ve actually properly sat down with someone and actually looked at what my proper needs were for a new chair. So we saw you a couple of weeks ago in clinic for an assessment. What were the problems that you had last time, mainly that I mean the chairs getting old, and a bit more kind of unpredictable with charging times. The backrest is getting very uncomfortable, with the actual back where it’s kind of cutting in under my armpits.

So I think the personal world to our budget really kind of sat down, and said look you know what might be the best chair for me that’s still practical and can still go at a reasonable speed, but actually properly meets my needs. The wheelchair service provision is unique because it cuts across lots of different areas of a person’s life. The seat raiser has been an important one for me, not least for going out and socializing with friends, so I can actually chat with them at the same level. Particularly, if you go anywhere noisy trying to chat with someone who’s standing up in a different level is it’s very difficult to do so. I can now come up to the same level this end but equally.

If I’m out at networking events, or out even doing talks where I’m at the front of a room, it could be difficult for people to see me. So being able to effectively come up to the same level that I would be at, if I was standing up without a wheelchair is quite important and just for that general feeling, to be able to always effectively stand like anyone else in the room.

Other important ones, may have been actually being able to adjust the leg rests because I’ve had circulation issues with my feet over the last year. Getting ulcers in between my toes and being able to adjust that myself. There’s been an important feature that I’ve wanted to have, I think for the first time, this process in the same way that my personal health budget is actually to my needs and my outcomes with absolute parity.

So rather than just saying you can only have a chair that meets these needs you actually want to be able to do something with that as well what I certainly do, and so treating those two absolutely equally has been fundamental for me in terms of giving me that the flexibility to live that independent lifestyle that I want to by working in partnership across the system with Health and Social Care. There are real opportunities to support people with their wheelchair of choice.

Contact us

General enquiries

Prosthetics and Orthotics
Tel: 0113 206 3787
Email: [email protected]

Wheelchairs
Tel: 0113 206 3855
Email: [email protected]

Head of Service

Shaunty Mudd
Tel: 0113 206 3392
Email: [email protected]

Business Manager

Samantha Sterling
Tel: 0113 206 3350
Email: [email protected]

Branch Manager – Steeper Group

Steve Carter
Tel: 0113 206 3526
Email: [email protected]

Get Involved

For more information please contact a member of staff.

  • Page last reviewed: