Many people assume that if a doctor or physiotherapist says you would benefit from a mobility scooter, the NHS will provide one. It is a reasonable assumption, but it is not how things work. This guide sets out what the NHS’s own social care and support guide says about scooters, wheelchairs and help with costs. The NHS page it draws on refers to England’s integrated care boards (ICBs) and the personal wheelchair budget scheme introduced in England, so this article describes the position in England; NHS services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are organised separately and are not covered here.
Scooters are not generally available on the NHS
The NHS’s guide is short and direct on this point: mobility scooters are not generally available on the NHS. That is different from the position on some other walking aids. The same guide says you can borrow some types of walking sticks and walking frames from the NHS, sometimes for a small deposit, after speaking to a GP, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or hospital staff. It adds that your local authority may provide a walking frame for free after a needs assessment.
Wheelchairs are different
For wheelchairs there is an NHS route. The NHS says you ask a GP, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or hospital staff to refer you to your local wheelchair service for an assessment, and that you need to do this before you can get an NHS wheelchair. The service then helps you decide whether you need a wheelchair and, if so, what type. In some areas you may be able to refer yourself directly; the NHS says to contact your local wheelchair service or your ICB to find out. You may also be eligible for a personal wheelchair budget, which the NHS says allows you to pay towards the cost of a different type of wheelchair. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may need to pay towards the cost.
The practical point for scooter buyers is that an NHS wheelchair assessment is a separate matter from buying a scooter. If your needs are best met by a wheelchair, the assessment is the route; if you decide a scooter suits you better for longer outdoor journeys, you will generally be buying, hiring or otherwise funding it yourself.
Borrowing before you buy
The NHS guide lists some ways to try equipment first. You can sometimes borrow an NHS wheelchair for a short time, for example after an operation. Red Cross branches often hire wheelchairs weekly. Some shopping centres have a Shopmobility scheme, where you can borrow a wheelchair while you shop, usually at low cost or free. Our separate guide to Shopmobility explains how it works for scooter users.
What scooters cost, according to the NHS
The NHS says mobility scooters range in price from £500 to more than £5,000, and that a basic electric wheelchair costs around £2,000 (manual wheelchairs from around £150). It advises searching online for local mobility shops. Those are the NHS’s figures, so treat them as a broad guide and get quotes for a specific model.
Help with the cost
For funding, the NHS points to two places:
- Grants and charities. The NHS says you might be able to get a grant or help from a charity, and links to a list of charities that can help pay towards a scooter compiled by Better Mobility.
- The Motability Scheme. The NHS says the scheme can help if you want to hire or buy a mobility scooter or electric wheelchair, and allows some people to use their benefits to pay for one. Our guide to the Motability Scheme and PIP explains the eligibility conditions in more detail.
Choosing a scooter
The NHS guide suggests thinking about several things before you buy:
- how often you need to use a scooter;
- what you need it for, roads or pavements;
- whether it needs to go in a car;
- where you will store it;
- the cost of maintenance and repair;
- whether you can steer it, since some have special levers for people with arthritis in their hands.
It also says to ask to try different types before you make your decision, and describes scooters as useful if you struggle to walk or are disabled, need to travel long distances, and are able to get on and off a scooter easily. Our own practical addition: when you try a scooter, ask to test it on the kind of surface and kerb you meet every day, and to see how it is taken apart or folded if you will be lifting it into a car.
The bottom line
In England, the NHS does not generally provide mobility scooters, although its wheelchair service assesses need for wheelchairs and personal wheelchair budgets may help. For a scooter, expect to buy, hire through Motability where you qualify, or look for a grant or charity. Try before you buy, and use the NHS’s checklist of practical questions to narrow the choice.
Sources
- NHS, “Walking aids, wheelchairs and mobility scooters” (nhs.uk)