Published 24 July 2026
Only 8 of England’s 42 NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) met the NHS’s 18-week wheelchair waiting standard in 2025/26, and more than one in five children waited over 18 weeks for their wheelchair or equipment. That is the headline finding of Review Mobility’s analysis of the full 2025/26 financial year of NHS England’s National Wheelchair Data Collection — the first complete-year league table compiled since the data for January–March 2026 was released in May 2026.
Key findings at a glance
- 634,104 people were registered with NHS wheelchair services in England at the end of March 2026 — 560,960 adults and 73,144 children.
- Across 181,301 completed episodes of care in 2025/26, 82.0% received their wheelchair or modification within 18 weeks — well short of the NHS standard that 92% of people should.
- 32,586 people waited longer than 18 weeks, including 6,413 children.
- Children fare worse than adults: 78.3% of children were seen within 18 weeks versus 82.8% of adults.
- The postcode lottery is stark: 98.5% of patients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland were seen on time, against just 53.4% in Norfolk and Waveney — a gap of 45.1 percentage points.
- In Lincolnshire, only 29.9% of children received equipment within 18 weeks — the worst children’s figure in England.
- People with the most complex needs wait longest: only 68.5% of high-need and specialist episodes were completed within 18 weeks (90.2% for low-need episodes) — meaning nearly one in three people needing specialist wheelchairs waited over 18 weeks.
- National performance slipped year on year (82.5% in 2024/25 to 82.0% in 2025/26) even as ICB-reported annual spending on wheelchair services rose from £144.5 million to £149.4 million.
Why this matters now
Wheelchair provision is under active political scrutiny. In April 2026, MPs held a Westminster Hall debate on establishing an independent national review body to oversee wheelchair provision, following a public petition calling for an independent review of NHS wheelchair services. The NHS’s own standard says people referred (or re-referred) for a wheelchair or modification should receive it within 18 weeks in 92% of cases. This analysis shows how far most of England remains from that benchmark — and where.
The 2025/26 league table: every ICB in England ranked
The table below ranks all reporting ICBs by the percentage of completed episodes (children and adults combined, new referrals and re-referrals) where equipment was delivered within 18 weeks across the four quarters of 2025/26. Northamptonshire ICB submitted no activity data and is excluded.
| Rank | ICB | Region | All patients within 18 weeks | Children | Adults | Change vs 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | Midlands | 98.5% | 98.0% | 98.7% | −1.1pp |
| 2 | Somerset | South West | 96.5% | 93.8% | 97.0% | −2.6pp |
| 3 | West Yorkshire | North East and Yorkshire | 93.8% | 88.0% | 95.0% | +1.1pp |
| 4 | Black Country | Midlands | 93.8% | 92.2% | 94.2% | +1.5pp |
| 5 | Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | East of England | 93.3% | 90.3% | 93.8% | +6.1pp |
| 6 | Gloucestershire | South West | 93.0% | 94.8% | 92.6% | +5.6pp |
| 7 | North Central London | London | 92.3% | 86.3% | 93.1% | −0.2pp |
| 8 | Suffolk and North East Essex | East of England | 92.3% | 89.1% | 92.8% | +1.4pp |
| 9 | Greater Manchester | North West | 91.2% | 90.9% | 91.3% | +1.0pp |
| 10 | South Yorkshire | North East and Yorkshire | 91.0% | 90.8% | 91.0% | +0.1pp |
| 11 | Mid and South Essex | East of England | 90.5% | 85.3% | 91.7% | +1.9pp |
| 12 | North West London | London | 90.3% | 87.5% | 90.6% | −3.3pp |
| 13 | Coventry and Warwickshire | Midlands | 89.7% | 93.9% | 89.0% | +10.9pp |
| 14 | Hertfordshire and West Essex | East of England | 89.5% | 86.4% | 90.0% | +15.0pp |
| 15 | Cheshire and Merseyside | North West | 89.1% | 90.9% | 88.7% | −3.4pp |
| 16 | South East London | London | 84.3% | 68.5% | 86.7% | +1.9pp |
| 17 | Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West | South East | 82.9% | 76.1% | 83.9% | −5.4pp |
| 18 | Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | Midlands | 81.6% | 72.5% | 83.4% | −2.8pp |
| 19 | Herefordshire and Worcestershire | Midlands | 81.4% | 87.3% | 79.9% | +7.7pp |
| 20 | Nottingham and Nottinghamshire | Midlands | 81.4% | 78.1% | 82.4% | −0.9pp |
| 21 | Frimley | South East | 81.2% | 77.9% | 81.9% | +2.2pp |
| 22 | North East London | London | 81.0% | 83.9% | 80.4% | −4.8pp |
| 23 | Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | South West | 79.6% | 79.1% | 79.7% | +10.7pp |
| 24 | Humber and North Yorkshire | North East and Yorkshire | 78.4% | 73.9% | 79.4% | −4.0pp |
| 25 | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | South East | 78.0% | 67.0% | 80.5% | +3.0pp |
| 26 | Sussex | South East | 77.7% | 81.1% | 76.8% | −2.2pp |
| 27 | Derby and Derbyshire | Midlands | 76.4% | 79.1% | 75.7% | −19.9pp |
| 28 | North East and North Cumbria | North East and Yorkshire | 75.9% | 68.7% | 77.0% | −1.3pp |
| 29 | Dorset | South West | 75.6% | 68.6% | 76.5% | −4.2pp |
| 30 | South West London | London | 73.9% | 61.3% | 76.3% | −4.3pp |
| 31 | Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent | Midlands | 73.4% | 74.6% | 73.1% | +10.2pp |
| 32 | Kent and Medway | South East | 72.6% | 60.8% | 75.5% | +1.6pp |
| 33 | Devon | South West | 72.3% | 66.5% | 73.3% | −6.1pp |
| 34 | Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | South West | 70.4% | 76.3% | 68.6% | −2.1pp |
| 35 | Birmingham and Solihull | Midlands | 63.9% | 45.5% | 69.4% | +3.3pp |
| 36 | Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | South West | 63.1% | 69.8% | 61.8% | +0.2pp |
| 37 | Surrey Heartlands | South East | 62.3% | 55.7% | 63.6% | +3.6pp |
| 38 | Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes | East of England | 59.2% | 68.0% | 56.1% | −7.9pp |
| 39 | Lincolnshire | Midlands | 56.4% | 29.9% | 59.5% | +19.3pp |
| 40 | Lancashire and South Cumbria | North West | 55.5% | 44.6% | 57.0% | −8.5pp |
| 41 | Norfolk and Waveney | East of England | 53.4% | 32.1% | 57.2% | −9.9pp |
Source: Review Mobility analysis of NHS England National Wheelchair Data Collection, Q1–Q4 2025/26. Percentages are the share of closed episodes of care where equipment was delivered within 18 weeks of referral or re-referral. “pp” = percentage points.
Children wait longer than adults almost everywhere
Nationally, 78.3% of children’s episodes were completed within 18 weeks in 2025/26, compared with 82.8% for adults — and children’s performance also declined slightly from 78.9% the year before. In four ICBs, fewer than half of children received their equipment within 18 weeks: Lincolnshire (29.9%), Norfolk and Waveney (32.1%), Lancashire and South Cumbria (44.6%) and Birmingham and Solihull (45.5%). At the other end of the scale, Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland delivered on time for 98.0% of children — a 68-percentage-point gap between the best and worst areas of England for a disabled child needing a wheelchair.
The more complex your needs, the longer you wait
The NHS data grades each episode by need. In 2025/26, 90.2% of low-need episodes (typically standard manual wheelchairs and simple equipment) were completed within 18 weeks. For high-need and specialist episodes — powered wheelchairs, complex postural support, bespoke seating — that figure falls to 68.5%. Nearly one in three people with the most complex needs, including 3,383 children, waited longer than 18 weeks for equipment they depend on for independence, education and work.
Regional picture
| NHS region | All patients within 18 weeks | Children | Adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| East of England | 86.2% | 82.0% | 87.0% |
| London | 85.8% | 78.3% | 86.9% |
| North West | 83.2% | 84.5% | 82.9% |
| North East and Yorkshire | 83.0% | 78.8% | 83.7% |
| Midlands | 81.0% | 77.0% | 81.9% |
| South West | 77.7% | 76.8% | 77.9% |
| South East | 76.4% | 71.7% | 77.5% |
The South East is England’s worst region for wheelchair waits overall, and its children’s figure (71.7%) means more than one in four children in the region waited beyond 18 weeks. The East of England contains both top-ten performers (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Suffolk and North East Essex) and the worst ICB in England (Norfolk and Waveney) plus the fourth-worst (Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes) — the sharpest within-region divide in the country.
Biggest movers since 2024/25
Derby and Derbyshire recorded the largest deterioration in England, falling 19.9 percentage points from 96.3% to 76.4%. Norfolk and Waveney (−9.9pp), Lancashire and South Cumbria (−8.5pp) and Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (−7.9pp) also fell notably — all three now sit in the bottom four. The largest improvements came in Lincolnshire (+19.3pp, though it remains third from bottom), Hertfordshire and West Essex (+15.0pp), Coventry and Warwickshire (+10.9pp) and Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (+10.7pp) — proof that rapid recovery is possible within a single year.
Methodology
Review Mobility analysed the four quarterly ICB-level data files of NHS England’s National Wheelchair Data Collection covering April 2025 to March 2026, published between August 2025 and May 2026, together with the equivalent 2024/25 files for year-on-year comparison. Waiting-time percentages are calculated from closed episodes of care (new referrals and re-referrals, all need levels), as the number of episodes where prescribed equipment was delivered within 18 weeks or less divided by all closed episodes. This replicates NHS England’s published methodology: our quarterly figures match the percentages in NHS England’s statistical briefings exactly (e.g. Q4 2025/26: children 79.1%, adults 81.5%). Registered-user counts and annual expenditure are as reported by ICBs in Q4 of each year. Northamptonshire ICB submitted no activity data for 2025/26 and is excluded from the league table. Figures cover England only.
Cite this research
This analysis is free to use with attribution. Please cite as: “Review Mobility analysis of NHS England National Wheelchair Data Collection 2025/26” with a link to this page. You can download the full league table as a CSV. Journalists can request regional breakdowns or comment by contacting Review Mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions About NHS Wheelchair Waiting Times
How long do you wait for an NHS wheelchair?
The NHS standard says 92% of people referred for a wheelchair or modification should receive it within 18 weeks. In practice, 82.0% of episodes in England were completed within 18 weeks in 2025/26, and 32,586 people waited longer. Actual waits vary widely by area: in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland 98.5% of patients were seen within 18 weeks, while in Norfolk and Waveney only 53.4% were.
What is the 18-week wheelchair waiting standard?
NHS England’s performance standard states that people referred, or re-referred, to a wheelchair service should receive their wheelchair, equipment or modification within 18 weeks of referral in 92% of cases. Performance against this standard is published quarterly in the National Wheelchair Data Collection. In 2025/26, only 8 of England’s 42 integrated care boards met the 92% benchmark.
Which areas of England have the longest wheelchair waiting times?
In 2025/26 the worst-performing ICBs were Norfolk and Waveney (53.4% within 18 weeks), Lancashire and South Cumbria (55.5%), Lincolnshire (56.4%), Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (59.2%) and Surrey Heartlands (62.3%). For children specifically, Lincolnshire was worst: only 29.9% of children’s episodes were completed within 18 weeks.
Do children wait longer than adults for NHS wheelchairs?
Yes. In 2025/26, 78.3% of children’s episodes were completed within 18 weeks compared with 82.8% for adults, and 6,413 children waited longer than 18 weeks. In four ICBs — Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Waveney, Lancashire and South Cumbria, and Birmingham and Solihull — fewer than half of children received their equipment within 18 weeks.
Why do specialist wheelchairs take longer on the NHS?
Specialist and high-need equipment, such as powered wheelchairs and bespoke postural seating, requires detailed assessment, custom prescription and often made-to-order manufacture. In 2025/26 only 68.5% of high-need and specialist episodes were completed within 18 weeks, compared with 90.2% of low-need episodes, so nearly one in three people with complex needs waited over 18 weeks.
How many people use NHS wheelchair services in England?
634,104 people were registered with NHS wheelchair services at the end of March 2026 — 560,960 adults and 73,144 children. During 2025/26 the services received around 91,000 new referrals and 108,000 re-referrals, and integrated care boards reported combined annual expenditure of £149.4 million on wheelchair services.
What can I do if my NHS wheelchair is delayed?
Chase your local wheelchair service for a timescale first, and ask your GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist to support an expedite request if your needs are urgent. You can complain via your ICB’s PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service), and many areas offer a personal wheelchair budget, which lets you put NHS funding towards a chair of your choice. If you cannot wait, our guides to wheelchair costs and the best wheelchairs cover buying privately, and charities such as Wheelchair Foundation UK and local mobility schemes may help with funding.
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Published 24 July 2026
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Free to reuse with credit to Review Mobility (CC BY 4.0). A link back is appreciated.