Unmet need: Paediatric wheelchairs used by children with severe disabilities and their carers are often large and unpleasant to the eye as they need to incorporate the most complex equipment such as ventilators, oxygen cylinders, and large batteries. An improved chair design, whilst still incorporating the equipment needs, would allow them to leave the hospital and be able to get out and about safely, confidently and more independently.

Solution: In collaboration with Frazer-Nash Consultancy, D4D gave children and their carers the opportunity to take part in a Dragon's Den style workshop, hosted by the charity Whizz-Kidz, with the aim of gathering their views and requirements for the development of a new wheelchair concept design.

One of D4D's key strengths is the ability to engage technology users, clinicians and industry to drive forward innovative new products, processes and services to help those with debilitating conditions preserve their dignity and independence. PPI (Patient and Public Involvement) plays a crucial role in this process - something D4D employed when helping design a new wheel chair for children with high dependency needs.

Children with disabilities and their carers were given the opportunity to take part in a Dragons' Den style workshop with leading designers at an event arranged by Devices for Dignity (D4D) Healthcare Technology Co-operative and Frazer-Nash Consultancy and hosted by the charity Whizz-Kidz.

The aim of the workshop was to give children and carers the chance to give feedback on the current design concepts developed in the project and to have the opportunity to talk about the problems that affect their daily lives and highlighting how these are not currently addressed by existing technologies.

The overall aim of the project was to design a chair that would allow children to leave hospital and be able to get out and about safely, confidently and more independently, whilst incorporating the most complex equipment needs such as ventilators and oxygen cylinders.

Over the last year the team have worked closely with NHS National Innovation Centre, paediatric consultants from Great Ormond Street Hospital and Sheffield Children's Hospital, occupational therapists, engineers and clinical scientists to design a new transport system that caters for the children's everyday needs.

Wheelchair user Leanna Horne said: "There isn't a clinical need for wheelchairs to be fashionable but as you get older you want to make sure you fit into society and that your disability isn't any more obvious than it needs to be."

"I have millions of ideas, which are all important such as adding lights and reflectors and making wheelchairs more colourful. I hope that some of my ideas are used." Amber Spear, 8 years old

The children and parents took aspects of the designs presented to them to create a collage of their ideal wheelchairs; these and their feedback were used alongside data from clinicians to produce a final design scheme, to specify the first prototypes.

D4D will be submitting an application with Frazer Nash to develop a prototype.

D4D Partners: Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Sheffield Children's Hospital.