"I would have thought, though, that this sort of thing was for the Social Services department of the her local council rather than the NHS. "

Maybe you need to make a few phone calls and see which agency is actually responsible for installing handles. Here in the US, if I call Medicare regarding an issue handled by Social Security I will not get service. If I yell, scream obscenities and claim that the country is in ruins, they will assume I am a nut job and hang up.

Once again you are off and running in six diiferent directions blaming everyone for everything rather than settling down and handling your mother-in-law's need for a simple safety bar.

"I ranted! I raged! I wept!"
I am sure that helped a lot.

"And through it all, little Vi sat there, bewildered, utterly bewildered! "
I don't doubt it.

"Well, my little girl is now 22 years old and my beloved country is in absolute SHITE and no-one gives a fuck at the top!!!!!!

They count their pennies...they make us work for 6 hours, on basic wages with no tea breaks, no lunch breaks, even telling us that if we WANT a tea break, they'll take 15 minutes OFF our salary!!!???????????"

WHAAAA?????? How will this help get your mother-in-law a safety bar?