Services For Disabled People (No. 2)

EDM number 1472 in 1989-90, proposed by Robert Parry on 30/10/1990.

That this House regrets that the Health Service offers a fairly rudimentary choice in the provision of facilities such as wheelchairs and notes that power-assisted wheelchairs are not more widely available on the National Health Service; further recognises that the wheelchair repair service is underfunded and is therefore capable of leaving those who are most dependent, stranded, isolated and virtually helpless if their wheelchairs have a mechanical failure at week-ends or public holidays; therefore urges the Government to ensure that week-end and public holiday repair services for wheelchairs are fully available and that funds allocated to the regional health authorities for this service should be specifically earmarked so that the facilities for disabled people do not compete with other claims in declining budgets; furthermore urges that this wheelchair repair and breakdown service should be available to the disabled who are forced to purchase their chairs privately; and considers such an approach to be the absolute minimum that should be undertaken in securing a new deal for disabled people.

This motion has been signed by a total of 9 MPs.