Referrals
If you are an existing service user, and have a wheelchair issued by us, you can contact us by either calling or emailing and we will advise if a further referral is required from a registered medical professional.
If you are not known to us, then a referral will be required from a Registered qualified healthcare professional. The referral form can be requested by the healthcare professional by contacting us.
Alternatively, the healthcare professional can access our relevant forms by clicking on the ‘Professional Area’ link where they will be asked to entre a unique access code.
You may find it useful to refer to the ‘Criteria’ to check that any request doesn’t fall outside our provision remit.
Once a referral is received it will be uploaded onto a ‘Triage’ system for the clinicians to investigate, review, action or allocate to the waiting list for assessment.
Whilst we aim to see clients promptly the waiting list is currently running at approximately 18 weeks wait depending on the clinician and service you will require.
Criteria
We do provide:
- Standard transit chair for long term use (6 months or longer)
- Self-propel wheelchairs dependent on need and medical condition
- Indoor use powered wheelchairs following satisfactory assessment for Wheelchair service team
- Specialist seating cushions following assessment by a clinician and dependent on requirements
We don’t provide:
- Wheelchairs in place of a suitable static seat
- Short-term loan standard transit and self-propel wheelchairs
- Powered packs or powered wheels that are retro fitted to manual wheelchairs
- Powered outdoor only wheelchairs
- Powered wheelchairs above Class 2
- Seat risers in powered wheelchairs
- Mobility scooters
- Equipment specifically for work, education or sporting requirements
- Sunshades / canopies for buggies unless identified specific medical need
- Trays unless required for postural support as identified by wheelchair service on assessment.
- Transportation clamps or head restraints for transportation purposes.
- Transit wheelchairs for portering purposes to Nursing and Residential Care Homes in St Helens.
Changes to Bridgewater Wheelchair Services Eligibility Criteria for Adults
From 1 April 2025, Bridgewater Wheelchair Services will no longer provide wheelchairs for social or occasional use, this will allow us to focus on supplying essential equipment exclusively to full-time wheelchair users.
This change aims to allocate resources effectively and reduce waiting times for patients with complex needs.
For short-term use, wheelchairs can often be borrowed at low or no cost from venues like shopping centres, supermarkets, and garden centres.
For long-term wheelchair hire in Halton and St Helens, users can contact Ableworld or the British Red Cross.
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