Drive Ability North West

31/10/2025

🎃👻🎃 Happy Halloween from everyone here at Drive Ability North West 🎃👻🎃

🧟‍♀️We hope you have a spooktacular weekend 🧟‍♂️

29/10/2025

🧠 Today is World Stroke Day! 🧠

The World Stroke Day Campaign works to improve public awareness and understanding of stroke, with a “focus on stroke prevention, symptom awareness and the needs of stroke survivors.” 🩺

A stroke is a medical emergency‼️ 🚨
The acronym identifies early warning signs of a stroke and prompts fast action for a suspected stroke:

😓 Face drooping
💪 Arm weakness
💬 Speech difficulties
📞 Time to call 999

After a stroke, drivers must stop driving for a month (at the minimum), and driving assessment centres play a crucial role in assessing if and when it is safe to return to driving. 🚗

The assessment evaluates physical 💪🏼 , cognitive 🧠 and visual 👁️ abilities, to ensure a person can safely handle the demands of driving, such as attention, decision making skills, and fatigue management ✅

If needed, we can also provide specialised driving adaptations to individuals who would benefit from them. 🚘

If you or someone you know has had a stroke and needs a driving assessment, please contact Drive Ability North West on 0300 300 1100 📞

Credit to our OT Student, Izzy for the post and photo design 👏🏼

27/10/2025

🥳 Happy World Occupational Therapy Day! 🥳

Here are our friendly Occupational Therapy (OT) team! 👋🏼 💚They are representing the variety of assessments that we offer here at Drive Ability North West to support with maintaining and improving vehicle related independence and safety! 🤩

Thank you to all the OTs out there who play a pivotal role in helping people to participate in meaningful activities such as driving or travelling safely in a vehicle. 🚘 👏🏼

We offer advice and assessment for vehicle equipment and adaptations in the following areas:

✅ Mobility scooters
✅ Wheelchair/ scooter loading
✅ Passenger or driver access
✅ Driving adaptations
✅ Children’s car seats

Get in touch for more info! 📞🧑‍💻

26/10/2025

❓Recently had a stroke and wondering about returning to driving?

Our experienced, friendly team can help 😀

📱 Contact us on 0300 300 1100 or visit our website below to find out more;

🛜 https://bridgewater.nhs.uk/drive-ability-north-west/

🚗 Returning to Driving: The Assessment & Referral Process 🩺
After a stroke, many people want to know when — or if — they can drive again. A driving assessment provides expert, evidence-based guidance to help make that decision safely and confidently. 💙

Referrals to mobility centres can be made in several ways:
👉 Self-referral – individuals can contact their nearest centre directly
👩‍⚕️ Professional referral – from GPs, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, or other healthcare providers
🏛️ Organisational referral – from the DVLA, NHS services, or Motability

Assessment fees vary depending on the referral route:
🔹 Private referrals usually incur a fee (which differs by region)
🔹 DVLA or Motability referrals are typically free of charge
🔹 Some NHS referrals may also be provided at no cost

Find your nearest centre here 👉 https://vist.ly/4brvr

25/10/2025

Supporting Safe and Independent Driving After Stroke 🚗💙

Over the next week, we’re recognising World Stroke Day (October 29) — raising awareness of stroke recovery and how safe driving can still be possible with the right support.

People who have experienced strokes make up a significant portion of the clients we help across our network of independent mobility centres. Yet, there are still many others who never access this support. Some believe that driving after a stroke is no longer possible, unaware that clinical assessments and vehicle adaptations can help them safely return to the road. Others may worry about the cost of an assessment, but there are funding solutions such as the Motability Scheme and the Driving Assessment Grant (DAG) that can help cover or reduce costs.

Every stroke is different, and recovery looks different for everyone. With expert advice, assessment, and the right adaptations, many people can return to safe, independent driving — regaining both confidence and independence. 💪

Follow us this week as we share information about:
✅ Legal requirements
✅ Medical considerations
✅ Vehicle adaptations
✅ Family and professional support

Scott from Hertfordshire suffered a stroke and regained driving independence through expert assessment and guidance from Herts Ability. Read his story here:
https://vist.ly/4bftb

24/10/2025

✨👋Meet our client Ria 👋✨

Ria recently sustained a spinal cord injury which meant she had to discount her legs from the driving process 🚘

Today she attended an adaptation assessment here at Drive Ability North West and trialled various hand controls to find a solution enabling her to continue driving and maintain her independence following her injury.

Ria adapted amazingly well to all methods trialled today and has chosen to use an over-ring accelerator and push away brake as her new method of driving 🙌🙌

It was great to meet you Ria, we wish you well in your recovery 😃

If you would like to know more about how we can help, or what adaptations are available for driving, please contact one of our team below:

📱 0300 300 1100

📧 bchft.driveability@nhs.net

20/10/2025

Find it hard to get out and about❓

If your child has a disability or challenging behaviour, we can help with a free car seat and harness assessment ✅

📲 0300 300 1100
💻 www.bridgewater.nhs.uk/drive

17/10/2025

Need support getting back on the road after a ? 🚘

We can help ✅

For free driving support and assessment:

📲 0300 300 1100
💻 www.bridgewater.nhs.uk/drive

14/10/2025

Today on we are featuring our student Occupational Therapist, Izzy who is currently on placement with us! 🤩

We asked her what she is looking forward to the most about becoming a qualified Occupational Therapist (OT) and joining the AHP (Allied Healthcare Professional) family! 💗🥳

🗣️Izzy said “I’m looking forward to qualifying so that I have the opportunity to directly influence someone’s life in a positive way by helping them regain their independence”. ✨😀

Our OTs here at Drive Ability North West can help people with physical impairments to regain independence by exploring adaptations for driving controls, vehicle access and equipment loading! 🚘 ✅

14/10/2025

Happy Allied Health Professionals Day!!!! 🥳🤩

Allied Health Professionals (AHP) include Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech Therapists, Radiographers, Paramedics, Dieticians and many more! 🏥

Today is a day to celebrate the diverse roles of these professionals! 🎉👏🏼🙌🏼

Thank you to all of the Occupational Therapists within Driving Mobility who assess and support driving safety in a holistic and empathetic manner 🫶🏼

13/10/2025

Feel older age may be affecting your driving? 🚗

We can help you drive safely, maintaining your independence as a driver or passenger 💙

For free driving support and assessment:

📲 0300 300 1100
💻 www.bridgewater.nhs.uk/drive

10/10/2025

Today we had a visit from Lynne to talk about her lived experience with dementia 🧠

It was an insightful experience for the team and it was great to hear Lynne’s positive and honest outlook about her diagnosis. Thank you Lynne for a valuable morning! 🤗

Lynne ensures that she remains safe to drive by having regular driving assessments to monitor her driving skills in relation to her dementia. 🚘 ✅

Please get in touch to find out more or to arrange a fitness to drive assessment if you or a loved one has dementia.

📞0300 300 1100

Or

Refer online 💻:
https://bridgewater.nhs.uk/drive-ability-north-west/