Wheelchair provision - short-term loans: guidance

Short-term loan survey

In 2018 the Scottish Government carried out a short survey of Health & Social Care Partnerships, Health Boards and regional wheelchair centres to establish the current provision of short term loans.

Responses were received on behalf of twenty individual Integration Authorities. Eleven Integration Authorities indicated that wheelchairs were already provided for short-term use. Of those, eight confirmed appropriate protocols were also in place.

It was clear from this survey, that a small number of joint equipment services and local authority and NHS partners had already recognised the need to address this gap in service provision.

Respondents were also asked for their views on how short-term loans should be funded and provided in the future. The majority of respondents indicated that responsibility for the assessment and supply should rest with joint equipment services, with funding provided from statutory services.