‘Not fit for purpose’: Patients waiting years for wheelchairs from NHS’ leading provider
"They've sincerely failed my dad": ITV News' North of England reporter Amy Welch speaks to the family of John Clarke, who died while waiting for a wheelchair from the NHS' leading provider
The son of a man with motor neurone disease who died while waiting for a wheelchair from the NHS’ leading provider has accused them of "sincerely failing his dad".
John Clarke, 67, was diagnosed with the disease in April. The NHS integrated care board in Stoke-on-Trent told him that AJM Healthcare would be providing his wheelchair and, following an assessment in May, he was told that it would be delivered in July.
His family said they were then offered a different wheelchair, which was far too heavy, and instead resorted to buying him a second-hand wheelchair from eBay.
John Clarke told ITV News AJM Healthcare was "not fit for purpose". He sadly passed away on October 21, 2024, while waiting for a wheelchair
Ben Clarke, John's son, told ITV News: "It’s not something anyone should have to face.
"If you’re faced with a terminal illness and you’ve got limited time left, you don’t want to be fighting what you take to be the professionals from the off.
"These guys are the experts - or so we're told - in the wheelchair field and they've sincerely failed my dad."
John's son, Ben Clarke, said his dad had been "sincerely failed"
John sadly passed away on October 21, 2024. His family asked ITV News to tell his story, in the hope they can prevent other people from facing the same fight that they have.
But eight-year-old Summer Calvin is struggling at the hands of the same provider.
She has a rare genetic condition which means she can’t walk or speak. It means that Summer is abnormally tall for her age and she grew out of her wheelchair in September 2022.
But her family say the replacements being offered by AJM Healthcare haven’t been suitable.
"We were told that they had a certain list of chairs that they could pick from, and they were only allowed to use those ones," Summer's mother Larissa Evans told ITV News.
Larissa Evans' daughter, Summer, is still waiting for a suitable replacement wheelchair
AJM Healthcare describes itself as the NHS’ leading provider of wheelchair services. The company supplies approximately 150,000 registered users, representing around 20% of all wheelchair service needs for NHS England.
Yet over the past 12 months, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has seen a sharp rise in complaints. Most relate to people not receiving new wheelchairs or the correct parts, and the waits range from a month to two years.
Data shared with ITV News shows that of the 135 complaints the PHSO has had since 2017, 38 were made last year, followed by a further 62 in the past six months.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, from the PHSO, said: "It's the spike in complaints, it’s the increase in number that drew our attention to the fact that something seemed to be going wrong.
"All of these complaints are from people who haven’t received wheelchairs or haven’t received parts to wheelchairs or who’ve had to wait, and have had real delays in receiving them."
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has seen a sharp rise in complaints, mostly relating to people not receiving new wheelchairs or the correct parts
Meanwhile, NHS data across England shows nearly one in five children waited more than 18 weeks for chairs or modifications between June 2023 and June 2024.
Charity Newlife is the UK’s largest charity provider of specialist disability equipment for children across the UK. It says demand for its services has doubled, and that only two in five families feel their child has all the specialist equipment they need.
Last year £1.3 million was spent providing grants for wheelchairs and buggies, and they say an increasing number of families are turning to them for help.
Matthew Jackson from Newlife said: "For many children, their conditions are deteriorating whilst they're waiting for the equipment which they urgently need.
"The message is pretty clear from professionals and families who we speak to each and every day. But it's never been this difficult."
Matthew Jackson, from the charity Newlife, says many children's conditions are deteriorating while waiting for the equipment they "urgently" need.
Teenagers Harry and Albert Jones both have Duchenne Muscular dystrophy and rely on their wheelchairs.
Harry, 18, was fitted for a new chair last December by AJM Healthcare which provides wheelchair services for the NHS in Portsmouth where he lives, but it still hasn’t arrived.
His current chair is too small, causing him to slope to one side and his mum says he feels embarrassed about the way he looks and often doesn’t want to leave the house, telling her he looks "wonky".
Harry said he has been promised an elevating power chair that raises him to the same height as the world around him. In emails seen by ITV News, AJM Healthcare blames supply issues and clinical availability for the backlog.
"When I go outside I feel intimidated by everyone being up high and I have to look up," Harry said.
"And being low down makes you feel like I'm just a tiny little speck in the world."
Muscular Duchenne syndrome is a condition that causes muscle weakness. There’s no cure and sufferers rarely live beyond their early 30s, but his mum says the right wheelchair would make all the difference to the days Harry has left.
"I'm just a tiny little speck in the world," Harry told ITV News
Who is responsible for wheelchair services?
In England, you are entitled to a wheelchair via the NHS if you meet the local criteria.
After you’ve been to see your GP, you’ll be referred to your local NHS Integrated Care boards (ICBs) - who will either provide your wheelchair themselves or ask a private company such as AJM Healthcare to provide you with one on their behalf.
Patients will be required to go for an assessment, which involves a meeting with an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, or a rehabilitation engineer depending on the complexity of the condition.
If patients meet certain criteria, they are prescribed a chair. However, these criteria often vary depending on where you live.
NHS England says that although ICBs are responsible for commissioning wheelchair providers based on the needs of their local population, you might also be able to get a voucher that allows you to pay towards the cost of a different type of wheelchair.
NHS England also advises that "eligible patients also have a legal right to a personal budget to find the right wheelchair for them".
In Stoke-on-Trent, where Summer Calvin and John Clarke both live, wheelchair services are commissioned by the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB.
In a statement, it said: "We are aware of delays being experienced by some patients. The wellbeing and care of everyone is our utmost priority and we will continue to work with the provider company to reduce the backlog locally."
NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, which is responsible for providing Harry Jones with his wheelchair in Portsmouth, also gave a statement.
It read: “We have been working alongside the providers of wheelchair services to address any delays that patients are experiencing. This has all resulted in meaningful improvements and lower waiting times in the past few months but we acknowledge there is more to do and we remain committed to continuing to improve care for patients.”
According to NHS data, AJM Healthcare’s referral to completion of chairs within 18 weeks is higher than the national average by more than 7.9%.
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In a statement, AJM Healthcare told ITV News: "Our service users are our number one priority. We are dedicated to maintaining high quality clinically led services, across all interactions, including referral, triage, assessment, handover, repair, and maintenance of equipment.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of John Clarke, and we want to reassure all parties that we take all feedback and complaints very seriously. With care, consideration, and compassion for the people we support, we review every area where we can learn and improve.
"Whilst we cannot comment directly on any individual case, we are actively supporting the people affected to reduce any further unnecessary delay and/or miscommunication. We have also updated our complaints policy, which meets the NHS Complaint Standard, and introduced a new ‘Waiting Well’ initiative to ensure regular contact with service users throughout the process.
“We know that a timely resolution is of the utmost priority for everyone experiencing an issue, and we are committed to strengthening our processes and ensuring that our communication channels are clear and effective."
What help is available?
NHS guidance on how to access a wheelchair is available here.
The Wheelchair Alliance campaigns for better rights for wheelchair users and their website can be found here.
The charity Newlife is the UK’s largest charity provider of specialist disability equipment for children across the UK, and their website can be found here.
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