THE wheelchair report was not meant to discredit Health and Social Services, according to one of its managers who wrote it.

Senior occupational therapist Joy Battle (pictured)_ released a personal statement at the weekend on the controversial report, which was released to deputies at Wednesday’s States meeting.

‘The report was never intended to be a document used in the public arena to try to discredit HSSD as an organisation,’ she said.

‘The occupational therapy service realises that there are many demands on HSSD to provide services to the people of the Bailiwick.’

Mrs Battle saw the need for a full wheelchair service, but felt that there was a dedicated team of occupational therapists who were doing their best to ensure that users got the appropriate piece of equipment to meet their need.

‘Since the report, we have developed some links with the Southampton wheelchair service and are in the process of developing this further to ensure that the cases for which we do not have the skills or resources to deal with locally are receiving the assessment and provision of equipment needed,’ she said.