Adults in Eastbourne who need a wheelchair will have to wait at least three months before they are even assessed by the local NHS trust.

Following the first assessment patients will face a one-year wait for a manual wheelchair or two years if they need an electric wheelchair.

Bernard Curtis, the chairman of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, said, “We have tried to work with the wheelchair clinic for the past year.

“We have now been informed that due the lack of funds there is now a three-month wait for assessments.

“This is right across the board for any adults with a disability, including people with MS and people who have had a stroke.

“It just doesn’t make sense. There will just be a backlog at the end of the three months.

Mr Curtis also expressed his disappointment in the time it takes for a patient to eventually be given a wheelchair.

A spokesperson for the local NHS Primary Care Trust said people who are in urgent need of a wheelchair will receive an immediate appointment, but others, including people who are referred by GP’s, could have to wait.

She said, “If it’s an urgent referral, patients with rapidly deteriorating conditions are seen as soon as possible.

“If it’s a non-urgent referral, the service (which is based at Southern Mobility in Cavendish Avenue) aims to match the NHS waiting time targets for outpatients.

If you are waiting for a wheelchair or have concerns about how long the process is taking, contact the Wheelchair Clinic on 413798.

Eastbourne Herald 29th December, 2006