help in aquiring a power wheelchair

[pinkangel]

hi,i'm new here and was wondering if anyone had any advice on how and where i need to go to get an nhs powered wheelchair.i telephoned my rhuematology nurse and she adviced me to contact my gp,my gp said to collect a referral form from reception,which i did,but when i read through it it says manual or indoor powered chair[obviously its needed also for outdoors]i don't know whether to send the form off anyway and see what happens and explain its needed for outdoors,but i don't want to wait about only to be told they can't help me,if there is somewhere else i should be applying to.i need a powered chair because i have arthritis mutilans and my hands are twisted and deformed and my wrist is fused and i am unable to wheel the manual chair myself at all.i hate having to depend on someone else to do this,i feel like i have absolutely no independence and it gets me down.any help will be greatly appreciated many thanks

[sea queen]

May be worth filling in the form and sending it off but also try and get an O.T. as well as they should be able to advise you more about this. Very often there is a waiting list for NHS ones but some areas do still do wheelchair vouchers to help you to buy your own.
Good Luck

[tinker]

Have you already been given an NHS wheelchair? if not get one then explain that as you cannot use it you're depressed. Then your consultant should request the upgrade (assuming, like me you cannot afford to treat yourself)