HAVING THE DISCUSSIONS NEEDED FOR CHANGE
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Wheelchair Users is committed to improving the lives of wheelchair users in the UK. Working to transform NHS wheelchair services, the APPG aims to ensure that every wheelchair user has fair and equal access to education, employment, and full participation in society.
After years of hard work, the Wheelchair Alliance is proud to have been an integral part of the founding and formation of such an important group.
The group has formulated the following plan and guiding objectives, allowing them to focus on how to effectively achieve their goal of improving wheelchair services in the UK.
The APPG for Wheelchair Users is seeking to recommend an independent commissioning body for wheelchair services to enable shared frameworks, such as the Quality Framework, to be fully utilised by providers. Through the work of the Alliance, alongside feedback from wheelchair users, this approach aims to increase the effectiveness and quality of wheelchair services countrywide.
The APPG aims to review and improve the current processes for managing data within wheelchair services for commissioners and providers. At present, the data collected is difficult to use effectively, with limited standards for how it should be gathered, applied to benefit patients, or stored for nationwide accessibility. To address this, the APPG intends to create a centralised commissioning body that can establish consistent data standards and develop systems for producing and utilising datasets. This will enable a more evidence-based, efficient, and patient-focused service across the country.
Due to the complexity of wheelchair provision, it is essential that highly skilled clinicians lead the delivery of these services. The APPG seeks to address this by advocating for mandatory advanced, comprehensive training for all clinical professionals within wheelchair services. This training will emphasise the importance of recognising that every wheelchair user has unique needs. By equipping clinicians with the knowledge and skills to adopt a flexible, individualised approach, we aim to empower them to provide the highest standard of care for every person they support.
The APPG intends to request a review into the benefits of incorporating dedicated paediatric expertise within wheelchair services. This would include allocating specific resources and budgets to ensure that every child receives the right equipment at the right time, supporting their mobility and overall development.
To drive meaningful change, the APPG combines robust research with the lived experiences of wheelchair users. Through this evidence-based approach, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Wheelchair Users aims to ensure that every individual has access to the right wheelchair, enabling full participation in all areas of life including education, employment, leisure, housing, and travel. This not only enhances quality of life but also delivers wider societal benefits and reduces long-term costs to the public purse.
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
| Labour | |
| Ruth Cadbury, MP | Labour |
| Juliet Campbell, MP | Labour |
| Ben Coleman, MP | Labour |
| Daisy Cooper, MP | Liberal Democrat |
| Neil Coyle, MP | Labour |
| Jen Craft, MP | Labour |
| Marsha De Cordova, MP | Labour |
| Neil Duncan-Jordan, MP | Labour |
| Daniel Francis, MP | Labour (Chair) |
FRIENDS OF THE APPG
|
Clive Bassant |
Ross Care |
| Mollie Bonnamy | Whizz Kidz (Secretariat) |
| Anne Buchanan | MND Association |
| Kripen Dhrona | British Polio Fellowship |
| Pete Donnelly | Wheelchair Skills College |
| Jo Fashan | Whizz Kidz (Secretariat) |
| Ben Foley | Wheels for Wellbeing |
| Nick Goldup | Wheelchair Alliance |
| Laura Littler | National Wheelchair Managers Forum |
| Stephen Morgan | Newlife Charity |
| Karen Pearce | Wheelchair Alliance |
| Sarah Pugh | Whizz Kidz |
| David Stockdale | British Healthcare Trades Association |
| Fiona Suleman | National Wheelchair Managers Forum |
| Allison Gardner, MP | Labour (Vice-Chair) |
| Alison Hume, MP | Labour |
| Ruth Jones, MP | Labour |
| Mary Kelly Foy, MP | Labour |
| Rachael Maskell, MP | Labour |
| Joe Morris, MP | Labour |
| Katrina Murray, MP | Labour |
| Dr Al Pinkerton, MP | Liberal Democrat |
| Alistair Strathern, MP | Labour |
| Rachel Taylor, MP | Labour |
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS
| Baroness Brinton | Liberal Democrat |
| Lord Dodds | Democratic Unionist Party |
| Baroness Grey-Thompson | Cross Bench (Co-Chair) |
| Lord Rennard | Liberal Democrat |
| Lord Shinkwin | Conservative (Officer) |
| Lord Weir | Democratic Unionist Party |
Our partners at the Wheelchair Alliance are connected to the APPG through us and can influence its direction with their input
All-Party Parliamentary Groups are not official bodies of the government’s House of Commons or House of Lords. They are informal groups of members of the houses who have a common interest in particular issues.
This webpage page is hosted on behalf of the APPG for Wheelchair Users by the Wheelchair Alliance.
