HEALTH chiefs have opened a new wheelchair service centre in Crewe.

The purpose-built facility, based at Infinity House on Mallard Way at Crewe Business Park, features two clinical rooms, which include a multi-direction and bariatric specialist hoist, a workshop area and a spacious waiting area.

There is also an extensive storage room to store numerous styles of wheelchairs available for patients to potentially take away on the day of their appointment.

It will be used by the Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership (CCICP) to deliver services to patients situated across the South Cheshire, East Cheshire and Vale Royal areas.

The service - which was previously based at Congleton War Memorial Hospital - provides initial and on-going assessment and prescription of manual and powered wheelchairs, specialised seating, modifications, accessories, and pressure cushions for wheelchairs.

It provides for people of all ages with long-term mobility problems and associated postural needs.

Tony Mayer, Associate Director of CCICP, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer such an amazing purpose-built facility for patients across East and Central Cheshire.

"The wheelchair services team have always provided an excellent service and now they have the facilities to match their high standards."

The workshop area will enable engineers to fix and modify a patient's wheelchair to suit their needs and in addition, allows a quicker service for patients using the service.

Mary Foulerton, Advanced Clinical Specialist for Wheelchair Services, said: "It is great to provide our patients with a smart, spacious and well kitted out facility.

"We have had a lot of positive feedback about the new location and have seen the benefit of patients using the extra space to test out equipment. Having a second clinic room also means we can have two clinics operating at one time thereby shortening service users' waiting times."