Health · Healthcare & Policy · 1 hr ago
Wheelchair waits in England can reach two years, ombudsman says
Disabled people in England can wait up to two years for a wheelchair, according to a report by the parliamentary and health service ombudsman.
The delays involve NHS bodies and private firms that supply wheelchairs, including firms responsible for at least half of those needed by children and adults.
Most complaints concern waits beyond the supposed 18-week limit for a wheelchair or its parts.
The ombudsman opened an investigation after complaints rose from eight in 2020-21 to 110 in 2025-26.
Delays and faulty equipment can restrict independence, cause distress and make it harder to attend school or take part in daily activities.
A three-year-old boy with cerebral palsy waited seven months for a wheelchair and missed the start of nursery with his twin; another user waited 26 months beyond the 18-week deadline for a wheelchair in full working order.
The ombudsman identified a regulatory gap in wheelchair services, but the report gives no next steps to address it.
Disabled people in England can wait up to two years for wheelchairs, according to a report by the parliamentary and health service ombudsman.
The report says delays involving NHS bodies and private providers can limit wheelchair users’ independence and cause physical pain and emotional distress.
Complaints about NHS wheelchair provision rose from eight in 2020-21 to 110 in 2025-26.
Four out of five complaints concern a small number of private firms that provide wheelchairs to at least half of people who need them.
The report describes a child who waited seven months for a wheelchair and an adult whose new wheelchair took more than two years to arrive in full working order.
- Who
- Disabled people in England who need wheelchairs, and the NHS bodies and private firms involved in providing them.
- What
- An ombudsman’s report says wheelchair delays can reach two years and affect users’ independence and daily lives.
- When
- The report was published on 11 November 2026. It covers complaints from 2020-21 to 2025-26.
- Where
- England.
- Why
- The report attributes delays to hold-ups involving NHS bodies and private firms that make or provide wheelchairs.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The ombudsman received eight complaints about NHS wheelchair provision.
Graham Woolner was meant to receive a new wheelchair.
Woolner’s wheelchair arrived, but it did not work properly.
Woolner received a wheelchair in full working order, 26 months past the 18-week deadline.
Complaints about NHS wheelchair provision rose to 110.
- Maximum reported wait
- Up to two years
- Complaints in 2020-21
- 8
- Complaints in 2025-26
- 110
- Private firms
- Four out of five complaints relate to a handful of firms
- Elliot’s wheelchair wait
- 7 months
- Woolner’s working wheelchair
- October 2025, 26 months past the 18-week deadline
What people are saying
For people who rely on a wheelchair, delays, unsuitable equipment or poor repairs can affect every part of their life
We were never told there would be such a long wait for the wheelchair
The wheelchair is effectively my legs. I need it to live my daily life.
Getting wheelchair provision right means giving people the freedom to live their lives and to enable them to contribute meaningfully to society