Invacare Action 3 – Manual Wheelchair

Wheelchair Description:
A black folding frame that is lightweight and manually operated. It has removable armrests, swing-away footrests, an additional back bar, transit wheels and push handles.

Source of Wheelchair:
Local NHS Wheelchair Services

Diagnosis:
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

Personal Opinion:
Initially, our local NHS Wheelchair Services department seemed very helpful. My daughter was given two manual wheelchairs to choose from, but instantly opted for the Invacare Action 3 purely based on how it looked. It is a lightweight manual folding wheelchair, available in both self-propel, transit and one arm drive models. As the frame only weighs 14.5kg, we opted for transit wheels to ensure the frame could easily be lifted in and out of our car once folded. You could also flick two leavers on either side of the backrest to fold it down and remove the swing-away footrests. Lauren opted for a mid-range backrest and a Matrix, Flo-Tech Lite seat cushion also made by Invacare. Although much to Lauren’s disappointment, our local wheelchair services only allow you to order this frame in a colour of your choice if you are under the age of 18; she had no choice but to go with the standard matt black frame.

Sadly after waiting for 3 months for the wheelchair to be delivered, we were instantly disappointed with the product. The wheelchair was the wrong width, the footplates were not right and the backrest offered zero support. Despite our disappointment, we were offered a reinforced backrest, a solid footrest and a better fitting frame (they somehow ordered the wrong dimensions). Unfortunately, the second wheelchair was even worse than the first! Somehow they got the measurements wrong yet again, meaning Lauren now had a wheelchair that was even bigger than the original. Each of the alterations listed above took several months to complete, meaning Lauren was stuck without a functional wheelchair for nearly ten months.

To conclude, I would recommend this wheelchair to someone requiring a compact, folding frame. It is perfect for people who have a disability/medical condition that can fluctuate in symptoms because you can easily change the height/angle of the footplate, backrest etc. I actually cannot fault the wheelchair, just the poor customer service. I completely understand that the NHS is bound by budgets, meaning you can only able to pick from a select range of wheelchairs and the adaptations. However, we have since learnt that many additional alterations could have been made to the Invacare Action 3 Wheelchair had we contacted a specialist retailer. So I suggest doing some research before putting your order in with your local Wheelchair Services!