Warnings that the NHS is being “eaten away by constant privatisation” have been sounded after it was revealed that hospitals in London are charging patients by the hour for wheelchairs.
Revelations by Jim Waterson in London Centric that hospitals in Lambeth and Hillingdon have introduced Boris Bike-style hiring service run by Wheelshare, a private healthcare business, have provoked outrage among social media commentators.
Haseena, a doctor, pointed out that those with mobility issues are often some of the sickest patients who often have to wait hours to be seen.
Those who arrive at A&E who are unable to walk are pointed towards a hiring dock full of wheelchairs unlocked by a credit card machine, Waterson reveals, with charges docked to the user’s credit card after the first four hours, which are free.
King’s has some of the worst waiting times in country, with some patients waiting up to 12 hours to be seen in A&E.
It would result in a typical charge of £16 for any patient with mobility issues having to wait half a day before they get seen.
Wheelshare
Wheelshare has defended charging patients for wheelchair use, saying the rental scheme is designed to improve the supply of wheelchairs and the fees ensure they are returned by patients.
A spokesperson said the hospital pays Wheelshare to provide the hire service: “The scheme helps ensure that every patient who needs a wheelchair can find one when they arrive at hospital.
“Patients using a wheelchair who experience longer waits for treatment are able to have these costs refunded by contacting Wheelshare directly.”
However, according to Waterson, no such option for a refund was advertised at the hospital, nor was it mentioned in text messages sent by Wheelshare to patients who had been charged.
Instead, when settling the bill for a wheelchair on the docking station, patients are prompted to pay an extra donation to the NHS hospital.
Private ambulances
The report comes after a private ambulance service offering call-outs for £99 was described as the epitome of the “two-tier health service” by Wes Streeting ahead of the General Election.
The company’s chief executive Dave Hawkins, who is a paramedic himself, says he launched MET Medical after seeing his elderly relatives wait too long for NHS ambulance services following falls.
He said vulnerable patients waiting for an ambulance can wait up to 12 hours, with stats suggesting that ambulance waits reached a crisis point in the last year.
But Streeting hit out at the new private health service, saying it will be the “sort of two-tier health service we’ll be stuck with if the Tories win another term” in April, before the election was called.
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