My wife 88 yrs old is crippled with spinal arthritis and needs to be conveyed in a wheelchair to hospitals and care homes. Transport to hospitals is provided by NHS ambulance. but at 95 years of age I have to provide transport to Care Homes and fortunately, I have access to a truly remarkable taxi firm who are fully equipped to do the job. Recently, my wife had to be transported from our home to a care home, and then later in the week to Bishop Auckland Hospital. The taxi driver used his common sense, but the Moving someone with my wife’s condition from a wheelchair is a painful process be kept to a minimum.
On this occasion the taxi journey involved one transference and the ambulance journey involved two – doubling the pain and distress to my wife. This was because the ambulance crew declared my wife’s wheelchair was not ‘fit for purpose’ because (and I quote) “it does not have the correct labels attached to it.” This is just one episode from our experiences over the last two years which indicate the robotic attitude NHS staff are forced to take under the present system. I think ‘the system’ needs to be changed and I wonder if other readers have had similar experiences. Name and Address supplied