UK families await wheelchairs as backlog grows, charity says

More than a thousand disabled children across the United Kingdom are waiting for wheelchairs and mobility equipment that could transform their daily lives, Whizz Kidz says. The charity, which serves wheelchair users up to 25 years old, has closed its specialist wheelchairs waitlist for the first time in its 35-year history, citing escalating costs and squeezed NHS budgets that have created a surge in demand and long delays. NHS England says it is working with local providers to improve services, while NHS Scotland says it is committed to protecting vital services. In Northern Ireland, health authorities say the regional service delivered 87% of all wheelchair categories within 13 weeks by the end of August.

Wren’s case illustrates the challenge. The 11-year-old, who has cerebral palsy affecting her speech, limbs and posture, waited more than a year for an NHS manual self-propelled chair at home. She can attend school with a powered chair provided by Whizz Kidz for use there because she was deemed ineligible for a powered NHS chair. The home chair is heavy and cumbersome, limiting how far she can travel without assistance. The family fears she will quickly outgrow the school chair, and they worry about losing independence as she grows up. “She doesn’t get another childhood,” her mother, Anna, tells the BBC. “We want to keep the options open for her for whatever she wants to do.”

The charity says the elevated demand reflects several factors: NHS wheelchair services have tightened eligibility criteria while budgets remain tight, and equipment costs have risen sharply. Whizz Kidz notes that the average specialist wheelchair costs about £4,800, with inflation continuing to push prices higher. Sarah Pugh, the charity’s chief executive, called the situation a “national crisis,” saying, “Behind every statistic is a child missing school trips, missing playtime with friends, or living in pain. This cannot be acceptable in the UK in 2025. We urgently need the public’s support to reopen the list - because childhood can’t wait.” Whizz Kidz has launched the Childhood Can’t Wait appeal, aiming to raise £750,000 to reopen the waitlist and shorten waiting times.

Ivy’s story underscores the ongoing pressures on families awaiting help. A teenager with a single-ventricle heart condition can walk short distances but relies on a manual NHS chair and assistance from others to propel it. She was not eligible for a powered chair, and her family was told to wait for an electrical attachment Whizz Kidz had promised to provide. They applied in January 2024 and are still waiting. Ivy’s mother Emma says the arrangement entails significant physical strain: “I have to rely on my mum to drive me to school—and it’s only a 15-minute walk. I have to have my friends push my manual wheelchair around from lesson to lesson... It’s not fair.” Emma describes the effort of pushing a wheelchair for long periods as a heavy burden on her shoulders and back, and she worries about Ivy’s independence as she enters secondary school.

The BBC contacted health services in each part of the UK for responses. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said the regional service had delivered 87% of wheelchair categories within 13 weeks by the end of August. NHS England said it offers personal wheelchair budgets that allow people to select a chair that fits their needs and that the system is working to deliver better access and experiences for wheelchair users. Scotland said the government remains committed to protecting vital services and that eligibility criteria for children’s wheelchairs have remained unchanged since 2014. The Welsh government has not yet responded. The organizations note that nationwide waiting lists persist even as some regions report improvements in specific metrics.

For Whizz Kidz, the scale of the backlog means the charity must operate under strain while still delivering for families who need help now. The charity argues that the delays have real, everyday consequences: children missing school trips, social activities and the chance to participate in typical childhood experiences because a chair is not yet available or cannot be replaced as they grow. The group emphasizes that every kept waiting represents a barrier to education, social development and independence, particularly for those with complex medical needs.

The issue has focused attention on how health systems balance immediate mobility needs with limited budgets. NHS England says it provides personal wheelchair budgets to tailor equipment to individual circumstances and is working toward improvements in access and experience for wheelchair users. In Scotland, officials reaffirm that the 2014 eligibility framework remains in place while striving to protect essential services. Northern Ireland notes progress in meeting a high proportion of categories within a 13-week window, but even there families report delayed access to equipment that can be life-changing.

Meanwhile, Whizz Kidz’ fundraising drive aims to rebuild the waitlist and reduce waiting times. The Childhood Can’t Wait appeal seeks to mobilize public support to reopen the specialist wheelchairs list and accelerate provision for children who could benefit from earlier access to power-assisted mobility. Advocates say the situation is urgent not just for individual families but for the broader health and education systems that rely on timely, stable mobility support to keep children in school and engaged in everyday activities.

As providers work to navigate the complex mix of eligibility rules, budgets and rising prices, families say the human stakes are high. For Wren and Ivy—and thousands of others—the outcome will shape a child’s sense of independence, their ability to participate in school and social life, and their long-term health and development.