BOLTON health bosses are now running their own wheelchair service - after a barrage of protests about the existing service.

Under a new scheme launched today wheelchair services are now the responsibility of the Bolton Community Healthcare Trust and Wigan and Leigh Health Services NHS Trust.

Until now the service has been run from the Disablement Services Centre at Withington Hospital which meant long journey times for many Bolton and Wigan area people who had to make several journeys for the needs to be assessed then met.

In some cases people were forced to wait eight months for a chair as the centre was also responsible for maintenance, repairs and storage.

From today people needing a wheelchair will be served by Bolton Community Healthcare Trust after the health authority switched its contract to the local health provider.

A new local wheelchair service offering assessment of individual patient needs, supply, maintenance and storage of wheelchairs will be established at Lever Chambers Centre for Health in Bolton town centre.

Equipment for Wigan residents will be sorted out through the Trust's equipment store at Ashton in Makerfield, and there will be wheelchair clinics at Leigh Infirmary and Whelley Hospital.

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