Hayes in the House: Disability Equipment
The unavailability of the equipment necessary to live independently impairs the wellbeing of too many disabled people. With countless improved medical treatments for an ageing population, 25% of the UK population is now designated disabled, with various levels of debilitation; here in Lincolnshire, 20.1% of people are affected by a chronic illness or disability. While for some, this may be manageable, for others it poses life changing challenges. Wheelchairs, stair lifts, grab rails and similar equipment to aid mobility make a huge difference to a huge number of people – yet for many, the system is not working as it should. Which is why I spoke in a recent Parliamentary debate about these systemic failures afflicting numerous disabled people.
NHS England figures show that 70% of wheelchair users wait more than three months for a chair; for 30% it is more than six months; and shockingly, 15% wait more than 12 months! It is wholly unacceptable that those in need hear nothing while being denied the freedom that mobility brings. Appalled by this, I have called for a recycling scheme to connect used equipment with those who need it. Though I recognise this is not a perfect solution, because frequently equipment ought to be tailored to the specific requirements of the user, a recycled wheelchair could provide immediate assistance to someone in need, easing, albeit temporarily, the isolation they might otherwise suffer. The reuse of nearly new equipment is far better than those waiting being left helpless for months, as disappointment becomes dismay then distress.
Similarly, a shortage of adapted housing holds people back. With no obligation on developers to build enough homes suitable for disabled or older Britons, demand constantly outstrips supply. So, it is unsurprising that by May 2025, Citizens Advice had received a complaint from vulnerable people every hour for a year. These included people being stranded over their bath, stuck on top floors, or unable to leave their homes at all. As I said in Parliament, in living memory purpose-built housing for the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled was a feature of most communities, with a resident warden available night and day to take personal care of their neighbours’ interests. Many constituents tell me they do not want a distant unknown individual accessed by means of a telephone or, worse still, online, but someone with hands-on knowledge of local residents. Locally, we retain good practice which could be used as a model for others. I am thinking, in particular, of the Sezanne Walk community centre in Spalding, which I visit regularly. So, let’s learn from the experiences of the best sheltered housing, by obliging the creation of the sufficient number of adapted homes suitable to the needs of our most vulnerable friends and neighbours.
Beyond equipment and housing, there is so much more that can be done to support those in need. Multiple organisations have reported that flat, smooth bank cards have brought huge disadvantages for blind or partially sighted people. The previously tactile, raised numbers allowed card details to be distinguished. The new cards make details unrecognisable for those who can’t see. Cash matters too, as coins, by means of touch, also make life easier for the blind or partially sighted.
My efforts to make repurposed vital equipment quickly available for disabled people secured from the Minister for Health a commitment to “take forward the issue to see what can be done to further marry the demand and supply together”. I will press for a speedy solution for my constituents here in South Holland and the Deepings, and for all those across the UK whose lives can be changed for the better.