Wiltshire Primary Care Trust is investing £250,000 to speed up the provision of specialist wheelchairs to patients.

The PCT has received a number of complaints from people waiting for electrically powered indoor and outdoor chairs.

These hi-tech wheelchairs are suitable for use both within the home and outside. Different models are available including those which can climb stairs or kerbs.

The PCT was unable to say how long patients were waiting for such wheelchairs as it said there was a range of criteria to be met.

But Alison Knowles, the PCT's director of corporate affairs and communications, said about 140 patients in Wiltshire (including Swindon) were waiting assessments for the wheelchairs.

She said: "There is no spare capacity within the existing service to reduce waiting times. The plan is therefore to run additional evening and weekend assessment clinics to reduce the waiting time.

"Each assessment clinic can see three to four patients during which the patient's clinical status and driving ability will be assessed."

She said all patients on the waiting list have access to at least a manual wheelchair and, in many cases, a powered indoor chair.

She said the aim was to have assessed all patients on the current waiting list by autumn 2008.

New patients referred for a specialist wheelchair from the beginning of this month are being issued with a powered indoor chair for a trial period of up to six months to ensure that they are able to make best use of such a wheelchair.

The PCT plans to retender the service in 2008/9 meaning another organisation could run the service in the future.