6 replies to this topic

[why_d]

Pissed. Seriously pissed. My powerchair is provided through the local healthcare trust. I told the staff what I needed and they told me how to go about it. I told them that I needed to be able to drive. They told me no problem. They came up with the drive from wheelchair solution. They even filled in the forms for the motability grant for me.

Once the car became available all I needed to do was find out what clamp bracket was needed for the chair along with any other modifications, put everything in writing and get the modifications for the chair approved. I was told that this was just a formality.

I sent off the email and got a phone call today telling me that the modifications cannot be approved. That all such modifications are on hold as someone has taken up a legal case, I assume they had some form of accident.

I don’t know where this now leaves me. I now have a £50k car sitting in a garage that I can’t use. I explained on the phone that it was the Trust staff that directed me down this current route. That it was them who filled in the paperwork and made recommendations on chairs and vehicles. They’re going to get back to me. But in the meantime, my life again is up in the air!

To top things off I’ve had hiccups for the last 2 hours! Not happy!

[julibugs]

BOO!!!!!

can't help with the car but hope that got rid of the hiccups.

Sounds like a pile of poo you could do without, have you made contact with the form fillers from the trust? that would be my first move

[why_d]

thanks julibugs, yes, a few emails have been sent

[MTB John]

About a week after my accident I had hic ups for three days. They got so bad that the lady in the adjoining room thought I was dying and insisted on being moved..

Sorry about the car thing..

[August]

why_d, on 15 March 2011 - 08:02 PM, said:

Pissed. Seriously pissed. My powerchair is provided through the local healthcare trust. I told the staff what I needed and they told me how to go about it. I told them that I needed to be able to drive. They told me no problem. They came up with the drive from wheelchair solution. They even filled in the forms for the motability grant for me.

Once the car became available all I needed to do was find out what clamp bracket was needed for the chair along with any other modifications, put everything in writing and get the modifications for the chair approved. I was told that this was just a formality.

I sent off the email and got a phone call today telling me that the modifications cannot be approved. That all such modifications are on hold as someone has taken up a legal case, I assume they had some form of accident.

I don’t know where this now leaves me. I now have a £50k car sitting in a garage that I can’t use. I explained on the phone that it was the Trust staff that directed me down this current route. That it was them who filled in the paperwork and made recommendations on chairs and vehicles. They’re going to get back to me. But in the meantime, my life again is up in the air!

To top things off I’ve had hiccups for the last 2 hours! Not happy!

Make sure you have a written record of how you arrived at this point. It is amazing how quickly one forgets important details. Discover who has the final say on the modifications and contact them directly. If you do not have satisfaction fast, contact your MP and local paper. You might even try writing to The Times as they have had some interest in spinal cord injury as a result of Melanie Reid's accident and your story combines that angle with a saga of bureaucratic incompetence and wastefulness of public money.
I sympathise with your frustration. Our Wheelchair Services makes glacial speed look Olympian.
Good luck
August

[roo]

keep all records ,telephone calls emails letters etc,, and with you not being to us your car bill them for the extra cost its going to cost you to get about
kick some ones arse for this BIG cock -up

hope you get this matter sorted very soon

Roo

[why_d]

thanks guys!

my chair is actually an off contract chair for the trust involved so at the very beginning they actually did a project to work out what the best chair/vehicle would be best for me. i followed their advice. and now i'm at this point.

i'm hoping that once the Service manager speaks to my OT that this will be cleared up but in the meantime, i'm highly stressed. woke up with a nose bleed this morning, which is never a good sign...