Paul Sagar writes eloquently about his experience of the wheelchair service as a well-educated adult, with some access to funds (‘I wish I could say I kept my cool’: my maddening experience with the NHS wheelchair service, 2 December). My 38-year-old daughter was born with a similar level of spinal injury. A wheelchair that is used all day, every day disintegrates after about five years, so she has had to reapply for one seven times. Imagine trying to attend school while negotiating to obtain this essential equipment.
Statistics that support a high level of satisfaction with the wheelchair service do not reflect the experiences of younger disabled people who cannot walk or stand. Disability increases with age, and the typical wheelchair user is an elderly person, often a part-time user who can walk indoors. This may account for the satisfaction with the wheelchair service by older users, who are less dependent on a wheelchair than younger users.
Chris Burgess
Stockport, Greater Manchester
