Lib Dems Press for Action on Ealing Wheelchair Service
Concerns raised about wait times and care issues
Picture: AJM Healthcare
September 24, 2026
Liberal Democrat councillors have called for greater scrutiny of Ealing borough's wheelchair service amid concerns about lengthy waiting times, customer care issues and the impact delays are having on residents' quality of life.
The issue was raised at the Health and Adult Social Services (HASS) Scrutiny Panel on 18 September, where Andrew Steed, the panel's vice-chair, and fellow Liberal Democrat councillor Matt Mellor questioned representatives from the West and North London Integrated Care Board (ICB) about the performance of the borough's wheelchair service, currently operated by AJM Healthcare.
The review was requested following reports of long waits both for new wheelchairs and repairs to existing equipment, alongside complaints about customer service. Councillors heard that the ICB had issued a contract performance notice to the provider in December 2025 and that a recovery plan introduced earlier this year had led to some improvements since April 2026.
However, Liberal Democrat members said further information is needed to understand the scale of the problem. They asked the ICB to provide data showing how many children and adults are currently waiting longer than contract standards for equipment, details of complaints received and any recurring issues, information on quality concerns and serious harm reviews linked to delays, and plans to improve accessibility at the wheelchair service site.
Councillor Matt Mellor said, "The Liberal Democrats are really concerned that hundreds of children and adults are waiting a really long time to receive life changing equipment, sometimes up to a year, and this can have a really detrimental effect on people's quality of life" .
He added that while councillors supported efforts by the ICB and AJM Healthcare to improve the service, ongoing oversight was essential to ensure progress continued and service users received the support they needed.
Councillors from across political parties, together with lay members representing the voluntary and community sector, agreed that the ICB and AJM Healthcare should return to a future scrutiny meeting to provide more detailed performance information and to explain how wheelchair users are being involved in shaping future service improvements.
The wheelchair service provides essential mobility equipment to children and adults with long-term mobility needs. Councillors said timely access to equipment is vital to maintaining independence, education, employment opportunities and overall wellbeing.
The HASS scrutiny panel is expected to revisit the issue once further information has been provided by the ICB and the service provider.
The ICB has not responded to a request for comment.
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