Question follow-through · 120724

Disability Aids: Waiting Lists

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the waiting times for the provision of disability equipment, such as a) wheelchairs, b) hoists and c) grab rails.

answeredDepartment of Health and Social Care

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Department of Health and Social Care
Tabled
13 Mar 2026
Target answer date
17 Mar 2026
Answer
20 Mar 2026 · 7 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Health and care

Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.

Votes on this topic

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Recorded timeline

  1. 13 Mar 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the waiting times for the provision of disability equipment, such as a) wheelchairs, b) hoists and c) grab rails.

  2. 17 Mar 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 20 Mar 2026

    Answer published

    Not all of the data requested is held centrally. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services to meet the health needs of their local population, and responsibility for providing equipment and wheelchairs to disabled people typ...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Pharmacy

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Pharmacy First scheme in reducing avoidable attendances to accident and emergency departments.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Primary Care

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve public awareness of alternative urgent care services, such as a) community pharmacies, b) urgent treatment centres and c) NHS 111.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

General Practitioners

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of levels of access to GP appointments in influencing patients’ decisions to attend accident and emergency departments for non-emergency conditions.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Accident and Emergency Departments

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people attending accident and emergency departments during winter 2024-25 with minor conditions such as a) itchy skin, b) ingrown toenails or c) a sore th

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Accident and Emergency Departments

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure patients with minor ailments are directed to appropriate NHS services before they attend accident and emergency departments.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: Hospital Beds

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative assessment of bed occupancy levels at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust between October and December 2025 with the national average during the same period.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: Hospital Beds

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has held discussions with the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust on potential factors that contributed to bed occupancy rates at the Trust between October and December 2025.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Hospital Beds

16 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support NHS trusts to maintain an appropriate level of bed occupancy during winter months.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Care Homes

17 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the need for out-of-area placements in residential and nursing care.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Care Homes

17 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of out-of-area residential and nursing care placements on individuals’ access to family support networks.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Social Services: Essex

17 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities in Essex on pressures on adult social care services and the adequacy of the Better Care Fund support.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Ambulance Services

17 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department provides to ambulance services on directing patients to alternative services where an ambulance conveyance to hospital is not required.