Parliamentarians warn systemic failures are leaving children and adults without critical community care equipment

New report finds 71% of people feel system providing hoists, grabrails and other essential medical kit is not meeting their needs as parliamentarians make clear a vision for the future is needed

A new report published today by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Access to Disability Equipment, chaired by Daniel Francis MP, reveals a national crisis in community equipment services – providing children, adults, elderly people with disabilities or temporary care needs with often vital equipment such as harnesses, grabrails and hoists. The crisis is leaving thousands of vulnerable people without the essential medical equipment they need to live safely and independently. The summer-long l inquiry found the issue is systemic. The sector is unable to innovate and is held back by a creaking system, carers are unable to dedicate sufficient time towards patients, and patients themselves reporting the system simply does not work for them.

The report has found evidence of users waiting months and sometimes years for critical care assessments and access to critical medical equipment.

The report, Barriers to Accessing Lifesaving Disability Equipment, found that:

• 55% of equipment users do not have the medical equipment they need for their long-term needs.

• 63% of carers and 55% of users say services are getting worse.

• 74% of equipment providers said they were aware of patients experiencing delayed hospital discharge

• 44% of equipment providers say community equipment provision is “not at all consistent and equitable.”

The APPG inquiry that fed into the report ran between July and September 2025. It has uncovered widespread evidence of systemic and in many cases unsafe delays. The report found the crisis is in part caused by regional inequalities and the lack of national accountability, direction and leadership. It concludes that long-term systemic fragmentation, underinvestment, and absence of political leadership are leaving vulnerable people and their families without the basic tools they need for dignity and independence.

To tackle the crisis, MPs on the APPG are calling on the Government to work with patients, carers and industry to launch a dedicated strategy for community care equipment, overseen by a named Minister with clear responsibility for its delivery.

Launching the report in Parliament today, Daniel Francis MP, Chair of the APPG, said:

“Across hundreds of testimonies, one message came through loud and clear: the system designed to support disabled children and adults is failing them. It is failing to deliver equipment on time, failing to provide the right support, and failing to listen to the very people it exists to serve.”

Under the current system we’re seeing children missing school, adults being forced out of work and carers injuring themselves. It’s failing patients, carers, and  the sector alike, and it’s high time for the Government to get a grip.

Access to community equipment is not privilege, it’s a daily necessity. We need a National Strategy for Community Equipment and clear leadership and accountability in its delivery. Ensuring everyone is given the right support at the right time is simply a matter of political will and commitment.”

The inquiry heard from 626 survey respondents, including equipment users, parents, carers, professionals, and suppliers. Many described a system that “barely scrapes the barrel of what people actually need to live their everyday lives”.

One equipment user told the APPG:

“The delay has disabled me more and had a really negative impact on my mental health.”

Another parent said:

“My child is being stunted by unsuitable equipment, missing vital years of development.”