Mobility specialists EMS Lifts studied the NHS’s national wheelchair data collection figures and found that in 2024, there were 30,397 referrals made for patients to access the NHS’s wheelchair services.
| Total New and Returning Users | |
| Area | Total |
| North East and Yorkshire | 46,999 |
| Midlands | 38,723 |
| North West | 31,447 |
| London | 30,397 |
| South East | 26,633 |
| East of England | 22,233 |
| South West | 18,883 |
The figures contained both new referrals, and patients who had been re-referred to the service, separated into adult and children.
In London, there were 26,021 referrals for adults and 4,376 referrals for children in total.
| Region | New Adults | New Children | Re-referral Adults | Re-referral Children | Totals |
| North East and Yorkshire | 23,984 | 2,729 | 16,295 | 3,991 | 46,999 |
| Midlands | 14,146 | 2,267 | 17,319 | 4,991 | 38,723 |
| North West | 13,856 | 1,801 | 12,381 | 3,409 | 31,447 |
| London | 13,915 | 1,341 | 12,106 | 3,035 | 30,397 |
| South East | 8,764 | 1,110 | 13,359 | 3,400 | 26,633 |
| East of England | 8,566 | 1,137 | 10,261 | 2,269 | 22,233 |
| South West | 6,411 | 903 | 9,401 | 2,168 | 18,883 |
Overall NHS North West London Integrated Care Board saw the most referrals at 8,277.
NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board came second with 6,745, NHS North East London Integrated Care Board third with 5,856, and NHS South East London Integrated Care Board fourth with 5,089.
NHS South West London Integrated Care Board rounded out the table with 4,430.
| ICB Name | Total New and Returning Users |
| NHS NORTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | 8,277 |
| NHS NORTH CENTRAL LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | 6,745 |
| NHS NORTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | 5,856 |
| NHS SOUTH EAST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | 5,089 |
| NHS SOUTH WEST LONDON INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | 4,430 |
Alex Muir of EMS Lifts gave his thoughts on the figures:
“When you take into consideration that a referral to the wheelchair service is made when a condition may leave someone unable to walk, or suffer from difficulty walking for a minimum of 6 months, the numbers speak to the number of patients with severe mobility issues within England.
“The data also showed that out of the 167 care boards, 148 of them have now moved to offering patients personal wheelchair budgets. This is an important step for the service, as it allows people to have more control and agency. This can be incredibly valuable for them when dealing with something as personal as their own mobility.”