Long waits for wheelchairs and poor communication with patients have put an NHS service used by children and adults in Ealing under increased scrutiny.
AJM Healthcare, which runs NHS wheelchair services across Ealing and six other west London boroughs, was issued with a Contract Performance Notice in December 2025 after concerns were raised about its performance.
The problems included lengthy waits for assessments and equipment and poor communication with people using the service.
AJM is now working through a recovery plan, with NHS West & North London Integrated Care Board (ICB), which commissions the service, meeting the company every fortnight to monitor progress.
The service was discussed at Ealing Council’s Health and Adult Social Services Scrutiny Panel last week (17 September 2026) after Liberal Democrat councillors Andrew Steed and Matt Mellor asked for it to be examined.
Figures presented to the panel show there were 1,380 open cases involving adults and children as of 5 August 2026.
The 1,380 cases cover the wider North West London service, with no breakdown yet available for Ealing. The ICB report also does not say how many people have waited up to a year. The committee has asked for separate figures for children and adults, while Liberal Democrat councillors are seeking Ealing-specific numbers.
AJM says its overall backlog has fallen by 27% since April 2026, including 35% for children and 23% for adults, although the ICB says some people are still facing long waits.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman contacted the ICB in November 2025 as part of a wider review of complaints involving AJM. Nine North West London cases remained open amid concerns about access to essential equipment, while the ICB said concerns had also been raised by MPs and its safeguarding teams.
Councillor Matt Mellor said: “The Liberal Democrats are really concerned that hundreds of children and adults are waiting a really long time to receive life changing equipment, sometimes up to a year, and this can have a really detrimental effect on people’s quality of life.
“Whilst we support the ICB and AJM with their recovery plan, it is important that the committee continues to have oversight and holds them to account.”
EALING.NEWS has approached AJM Healthcare for comment.
