A disabled man was left housebound for more than three months while waiting for his NHS-funded wheelchair to be fixed.

Mark Bishop received the electric chair in June, but soon realised there was an issue that made it jerk around uncontrollably.

He says it would swerve “without notice”, making him reluctant to leave his Beltinge home as he feared for his – and pedestrians’ – safety.

His wife, Sue, says this would happen “several times a day”.

“If he happened to be on a narrow pavement, he could drop into the road,” the 58-year-old said. “It concerned Mark because he’s worried about himself and people around him.

“It was dodgy ever since we got the chair and restricted where we’d go because he wanted to avoid busy places.

“We also have an adapted vehicle for the chair, which is entered by a ramp on the back, so it was dicey getting in and out. It made Mark housebound through no fault of his own.”

The chair also caused considerable damage to the walls and doorframes in the couple’s home.

But it was only this week that Mr Bishop’s chair was fixed and fitted with a new part to solve the issues.

It marked the end of a three-month ordeal for the 61-year-old, who was diagnosed with the muscle-wasting condition becker muscular dystrophy more than 50 years ago.

He has been using an electric wheelchair since 1985 and was told two years ago that he needed the new one because his condition had worsened.

The couple had been trying to get Millbrook Healthcare – which has the clinical commissioning group’s wheelchair services contract – to install the part since June.

Speaking last week, Mrs Bishop said: “It needs this part fitted, but we’ve been contacting Millbrook on a weekly basis and at the moment we’re no further forward.

“Mark’s extremely angry and he doesn’t have any confidence or trust in the chair for it to do what he wants.

“It’s very frustrating. It’s a power chair; it’s meant to enhance life and get you out and about, not force you to stay indoors.”

Mrs Bishop stated the pair has “a low opinion” of Millbrook Healthcare following the ordeal.

Last month, the Kent Wheelchair Users Group issued a three-month deadline for Millbrook to improve its service.

A spokesman for Thanet CCG, which manages the wheelchair contract on behalf of the eight Kent and Medway CCGs, apologised for people “waiting longer than they should”.

He said: “We are working together with the newly-formed Kent and Medway Wheelchair Service User Group and with Millbrook Healthcare, which provides the wheelchair service across the county, to make sure patients get the help and support they need.

“Many changes have been made, including the recruitment and training of more staff, and we will continue to make improvements.”

“Wheelchair users and their families remain at the heart of our service improvements and it is our aspiration to ensure they get an excellent service.”