Specific eligibility criteria for Wigs

Assessor / Prescriber - General Practitioner Specialist

Prescriber Level - Not applicable

Delegate approval required - No

Wig Definition

A false covering of the head made from real or synthetic hair.

Provided (as clinically required): a real or synthetic wig.

Not Provided - The issue of the initial wig following the treatment of an illness. This will be supplied by the hospital or acute service provider.

Clinical indicators for provision of wigs:

Wigs will be provided in the following circumstances:

• The client has a permanent loss of hair as a result of treatment for a major illness (for example. alopecia or oncology)
• It is at least 12 months since the initial issue of the wig from the acute care service provider (for example hospital).
• It is at least 12 months since provision of the last synthetic wig or at least five years since the provision of the last real hair wig (the key approval criteria for equipment do not apply to wigs).

Notes:
Real hair wigs are much more expensive than synthetic hair wigs but have a much longer lifespan. As such, the client should be advised that if they chose to have a real hair wig provided, it will not be replaced by DHS within 5 years. A synthetic wig may be replaced no more than annually.