Last Updated on 23/04/2024 by Sarah Sarsby
Newlife, a national charity for disabled children, has published a new report, which reveals that a growing number of disabled children are being let down due to a lack of access to essential support and specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, buggies, beds, and car seats.
The report states that there has been a big increase in the number of disabled children in the UK over the last 10 years, but that local services are not robust or responsive enough to evolving pressures. This includes a holistic and proactive approach to equipment provision.
Newlife’s report underlines that disabled children and their families are navigating a “failing system” that is too often leaving them without the specialist equipment and support they urgently need.
Four key themes have emerged: a lack of leadership at government level, a shortage of suitable professionals, increasing waiting times for assessments, and insufficient equipment budgets.
One key finding from the report is that 75 percent of professionals are concerned there are children living without essential equipment, with only 39 percent of families feeling their child has all the specialist equipment they need.
Moreover, local services provided less specialist equipment in 2022/23 than the previous year, with 41 percent cutting their equipment budgets.
In addition, there has been a 27 percent increase in disabled children waiting for assessment over the last two years – nearly a quarter of local authorities have waiting lists over one year, with some exceeding three.
Based on the report’s findings, Newlife is urging policymakers to implement a series of cost-effective recommendations to break these barriers and secure a brighter future for disabled children.
The charity has made the following recommendations to policymakers:
The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) supports Newlife’s key recommendations to policymakers and urges the next government to implement them in full.
Hayley Phillippault, Chair of BHTA Children’s Equipment Section, said: “Obtaining the right equipment at the right time has been demonstrated time and again to offer huge health, economic and wellbeing benefits to disabled children, their families and UK taxpayers.
“The forthcoming UK general election presents an opportunity to transform the life chances of these children and save vital NHS resources through the adoption of the six recommendations put forward in Newlife’s policy manifesto. The BHTA Children’s Equipment Section fully support these recommendations and urge the next government to implement them in full.”
