Many types of surgery leave patients unable to safely navigate stairs during recovery. This creates a difficult situation: you want to recover at home, in familiar surroundings, but your bedroom, bathroom, or living areas are on a different floor to where you can comfortably stay.
Without a stairlift, the alternatives are often unappealing. Extended hospital stays cost the NHS thousands of pounds per day and expose you to hospital-acquired infections. Staying with relatives means leaving your home and losing independence. Sleeping downstairs on a sofa bed is uncomfortable and undignified, and doesn’t solve the bathroom access problem if your only bathroom is upstairs.
A stairlift solves all of these problems. It allows you to move safely between floors, access all areas of your home, and recover in comfort. For many surgical patients, a stairlift is the difference between going home on time and facing delays, additional costs, and unnecessary stress.
Hospital discharge teams increasingly recognise stairlifts as a key part of the discharge planning process. If stairs at home are a barrier to discharge, your hospital’s occupational therapist can help arrange a stairlift through your local council or recommend private providers who offer rapid installation.
Contact a stairlift provider and request a free home survey. If you have a straight staircase, you have more flexibility on timing.
Confirm your chosen provider and arrange the installation date. For straight stairlifts, a few days' notice is usually sufficient. For curved stairlifts, you'll need 2 to 4 weeks for manufacturing.
Have the stairlift installed and tested. Do a few practice runs so you're comfortable with the controls before your surgery.
Your stairlift is ready and waiting at home. You can focus entirely on your surgery and recovery knowing that stairs won't be a barrier when you return.
If your surgery was unplanned (emergency hip fracture, cardiac event, or accident), you’ll need a stairlift arranged quickly. The good news is that straight stairlifts can often be installed within 24 to 48 hours of ordering.
Speak to the hospital’s occupational therapist or discharge coordinator as early as possible. They can assess your home situation and either arrange a stairlift through the local council (which may be funded) or recommend private providers who offer rapid installation.
If you’re arranging this privately, call providers directly and explain the urgency. Most reputable companies understand the time pressure around hospital discharges and will prioritise your installation. Be clear about your staircase type (straight or curved) as this determines how quickly the stairlift can be ready.
As a general rule, if you expect to need the stairlift for less than 12 months, renting is usually more cost-effective. For longer recovery periods, or if there’s any chance the stairlift may be needed permanently, purchasing makes more financial sense. For a full breakdown, see our guide to renting a stairlift.
You may not need to pay the full cost yourself. Several sources of financial help are available:
Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG): Your local council can provide up to £30,000 towards home adaptations, including stairlifts. Hospital discharge teams can fast-track DFG applications in some areas. The grant is means-tested, but even if your income is above the threshold, you may receive a partial grant.
VAT exemption: If you have a qualifying condition or disability, you pay 0% VAT on your stairlift, saving 20%. Most post-surgery patients qualify. You simply sign a self-declaration form provided by the installer.
Insurance: Check your home insurance and any critical illness or personal accident policies. Some policies cover home adaptations needed as a result of illness or injury.
How long you’ll need a stairlift depends on the type of surgery and your individual recovery:
If you’ve rented, simply contact your provider to arrange removal once you’re confident on the stairs again. Most rental agreements require 4 weeks’ notice.
If you purchased, you have a few options: keep it for future use (many people find it useful long-term), sell it back to the provider (some offer buyback schemes), or have it professionally removed (typically £300 to £600). The staircase and wall are left in good condition with only minor cosmetic patching needed.
Don’t rush the decision to remove the stairlift. Even when you feel ready to use the stairs, your strength and confidence may fluctuate during recovery. Many people keep their stairlift for a few months longer than strictly necessary, just as a safety net.
If you know surgery is coming, arrange the stairlift now. Trying to organise installation while recovering from surgery, in pain, and possibly on strong medication is much harder. Most providers offer free surveys and no-obligation quotes, so there's no cost to planning ahead.
Absolutely, and we strongly recommend it. Having the stairlift installed before your operation means everything is ready when you return home, reducing stress and risk during the critical early recovery period. Most providers can install a straight stairlift within a few days of ordering.
Request a free, no-obligation quote from a trusted UK provider.
Join thousands of UK homeowners who have saved money by comparing quotes through Stairlift Compare.
