The Spinal Injuries Association has been awarded a grant of £800,000 from the Motability Foundation to help with its work in supporting disabled people travel independently and confidently. More than 700,000 disabled people receive their cars, wheelchair accessible vehicles, scooters and powered wheelchairs through the Motability scheme. The Motability Foundation funds, supports, researches, and innovates so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. The grant of £800,000 will be delivered over two-years through its Traveling with Confidence Grant Programme. Travel is regularl ..read more

In an important step towards a National Care Service in Wales, the Minister for Social Care Dawn Bowden has welcomed the launch of the new National Office for Care and Support. With a focus on innovation, improvement and transformation of adult and children’s services, the National Office for Care and Support forms a major part of the Welsh Government’s longer-term goal to strengthen social care arrangements at a national level. The launch of the national office is the first part of the phased plan to implement the National Care Service, which is a shared priority in the Co-operation Agreemen ..read more

Healthcare equipment provider Innova Care Concepts has installed a Changing Places restroom facility at the iconic heritage railway station at Ravenglass, that sits on the famous Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in West Cumbria, to enable disabled people to better access the station and museum. The new Changing Places facility is a fully accessible restroom that can be used not just by visitors to the railway and museum, but also the public. Changing Places are advanced, accessible toilet facilities designed specifically to cater to the needs of individuals who require more support and space tha ..read more

Aaron Craven demonstrates the Raiser lifting device Aaron Craven, founder of the OT4Life Occupational Therapy service, discusses the importance of developing solutions which help to reduce the knock-on effects of falls. Falls can lead to long-term consequences for the individual, causing pressure ulcers to develop and even death in some cases, while also putting pressure on the cash-strapped NHS… With over 250,000 falls recorded by the NHS every year, the pressure it puts the ambulance services, emergency responders, and other healthcare professionals under is extreme – particularly at this ti ..read more

Centaur Robotics have developed a self-balancing electric wheelchair Midlands-based wheelchair design company Centaur Robotics has secured £500,000 funding to enable the self-balancing electric wheelchair it developed to begin production. The funding was secured from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF I) through the MEIF West Midlands Equity Fund, managed by Midven, part of the Future Planet Capital Group. This comes in addition to additional funding from Seedrs and angel investors. This investment will enable the company to finish development of its innovative wheelchair ..read more

Information panels with Makaton symbols that promote walks, trails, cycle routes, nature reserves and heritage attractions have been installed at six Northern Rail train stations across Cumbria in North West England. Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people with disabilities to communicate. Northen says it is used by over 100,000 children and adults in the UK as their main method of communication or as a way to support speech. The panels have been installed at Corkickle, Dalston, Harrington, Seascale, St Bees and Wigton stations. Craig Harrop ..read more

The UK Government has launched a review into how patients and their families are kept informed when healthcare goes wrong. The new call for evidence that launched on 16 April 2024 aims to capture and consider views about how the duty of candour system is honoured, monitored and enforced in health and social care settings. Duty of candour requires health and care providers to be open and honest when things go wrong. It means that patients and families have a right to receive explanations for what happened as soon as possible and a meaningful apology. The current system has been in place for a ..read more

The Uplifts team at Stannah launched its Uplifts brand at the Exposanità healthcare exhibition in Italy last week Lift solutions provider Stannah has announced the launch of Uplifts by Stannah, its new dedicated homelift brand. Making its debut at Exposanità healthcare exhibition in Italy last week, the Uplifts team showcased what distributors can expect once the range becomes available for order in Italy, France, and the UK from 1 May 2024. With a rich legacy in commercial lifts and homelifts that predates Stannah’s renowned stairlift endeavours, the new range marks a significant milestone in ..read more

A campaign calling for a national strategy to tackle the poor quality of the country’s homes has been launched today after a survey commissioned by the Centre for Ageing Better revealed that there are 3.7 million dangerous homes in the UK blighting the lives of their inhabitants. The Safe Homes Now campaign, which is already being supported by nine charities including St John Ambulance, Race Equality Foundation and The Runnymede Trust, is calling for a national strategy to tackle the poor quality of the country’s homes.   Currently eight million people live in 3.7 million dangerous homes ..read more

Knee scooter manufacturer KneeRover has reported a significant rise in interest in its products after Victoria Beckham recently showed off the mobility scooter that her husband David had bought her after she broke her foot recently. The former Spice Girl had been wearing a medical boot since the accident and was so excited with the gift from the former England football captain that she shared a clip of herself on Instagram social media whizzing around in it. The scooter, which has a soft platform for the knee, which removes the need for crutches or putting weight on the foot, comes with a ran ..read more