Information for Healthcare Professionals
The information on this page is intended to support Healthcare Professionals with referrals to East Sussex Wheelchair Service.
Information for Healthcare Professionals
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Requesting information in an alternative format
To request information or any of our key documents in an alternative format such as braille, easy read, larger print, audio, or another format, please call 0333 003 5619. Alternatively, you can email us at eastsussexwheelchairservice@rosscare.co.uk quoting the publication title plus the format you require.
Establishing Eligibility
The Commissioners, under guidance from NHS England, have created the eligibility criteria for the Wheelchair Service.
Referrals must meet the criteria to be accepted, so please read them carefully to make sure your client is eligible for the service.
If your service user requires a short-term loan of a wheelchair, please contact the British Red Cross (other short-term loan providers may be available).
East Sussex Wheelchair Service Eligibility Criteria
Referral Form
If you are a healthcare professional and want to refer to our service, please download and complete the referral form on this page.
You must complete the sections of the referral form that are relevant to your service user and the type of equipment they require. Sending an incomplete referral may result in your referral being delayed or rejected.
East Sussex Wheelchair Service Referral Form
Joint Appointments
We welcome the opportunity to be involved in supporting a holistic care plan, working with a service user's Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). If you would like to work together, please provide contact details where indicated on the referral form. Providing details of the availability of the MDT members by email when returning your form is very helpful.
Assessments normally need to be carried out at our clinics, so that we have direct access to specialist equipment and advice.
Please note that we require your client’s consent to invite you or any other professionals to any scheduled appointment.
Information Guides
We have put together some guidance and considerations for Healthcare Professionals, available to download below:
Referrals for a Powered Wheelchair (ESX167)
Read this guide BEFORE you refer for a powered wheelchair. It will help you to decide if this is the right time for a referral and if your client is eligible.
ESX167 Referrals for a Powered Wheelchair
Referrals for People in Residential or Nursing Homes (ROS166)
Provision will be considered for those individuals within residential and nursing care homes who meet the general criteria and for whom the wheelchair will provide a means of independent mobility.
You can find more detail in this guide on the general eligibility criteria that applies to people who live in residential or nursing homes.
ROS166 Referrals for People in Residential or Nursing Homes
Guidance Videos
Wheelchair and Seating Guidance for Healthcare Professionals
We have curated a series of videos providing general guidance about positioning specifically for Healthcare Professionals, visit our YouTube channel to watch the full playlist:
Personal Wheelchair Budget (PWB)
A Personal Wheelchair Budget, or PWB, is a resource available to give service users more choice over their wheelchair provision, offering them more control, so that their postural and mobility needs can be included in their wider care planning.
Service Users may be eligible to access a PWB whenever they require a new wheelchair, either because their clinical needs have changed or if their existing wheelchair is no longer fit for purpose.
Children’s Service Information
Click the button below to access the Children’s Service Information page where you can find further information for children, their parents or guardians, carers and healthcare practitioners on all aspects of the service related to children.
This section includes helpful guides, frequently asked questions and signposting information relating to Children’s Wheelchair Service.
Who’s Who?
Below is just a selection of the roles that make up Surrey Wheelchair Service, including their job titles and a summary of what they do and how they help:
Occupational Therapist (OT) or Physiotherapist (PT)
Our OT’s abd PT’s are qualified healthcare practitioners who are experienced in assessing people with moderate through to complex needs and prescribing appropriate mobility and postural equipment.
Rehabilitation Engineer (RE)
Our RE’s have experience in assessing people with moderate and complex needs and prescribing appropriate equipment that may require more specialist technical input.
Rehabilitation Engineering Technician (RET)
An RET will pre-fit and adjust equipment in accordance with instructions from an RE, OT or PT. They may also carry out less complex modifications or assessments.
Therapy Assistant (TA)
A TA is trained to assess people with less complex needs and may also assist on OT or PT in clinic.
Customer Services (CS)
Our customer service staff answer calls, acknowledge correspondence and book appointments and repairs. One of the team will greet you when you arrive for a clinic appointment.
Field Service Engineer (FSE)
FSE’s undertake wheelchair repairs and, although they do not undertake assessments, they may hand over non-complex wheelchairs and cushions if an OT, PT or RE judges this to be appropriate.
Workshop Engineer (WE)
A WE will undertake wheelchair repairs, servicing, and maintenance from the workshops in our service centres.
