AIBU to think that it is shameful dump all this brand-new NHS equipment?

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

My mother is to go into a care home, after a month in hospital and a failed discharge. She spent all of 2 days at home before being re-admitted. For the failed return home she was supplied with:
a commode chair
two walking frames
two toilet frames
a perching stool
Since she will not now be needing them, I asked how I would return them. Only one toilet frame has ever been used; the other even still has the plastic on the legs.
I was told that there is no collection scheme and that I should sell them if I could, if not, take them to the tip.
I really wish I could do some good with the equipment; send it back, send it to the third world for people who will never get such equipment ... Apparently there is no way of doing this.
Also, we have a very small house, and we keep falling over this mountain of stuff.

Locally we are desperate get stuff back and even have a special team set up to go back out into th community and get it. The manager has been known to demand stuff clearly marked as NHS/Social Services back from charity shops!

The service is massively over spent and it is a really good way of helping balance the books.

I am in Dorset, just in case anyone knows that the information was incorrect ... Might try the Red Cross. Never sold on ebay ... maybe need to learn how to do so ... seems such a faff when I have every second filled with worrying/making arrangements for my mother ...

Not to mention the electric bath seat, which I bought myself and also needs to go ...

It should be issued from here;

The Devon Community Equipment Service is provided by

Pluss
9-11 Heron Units
Heron Road
Sowton Industrial estate
Exeter
EX2 7LL

Tel. 01392 678533
Fax: 01392 678531

Sorry, I thought you said Devon!

This is who you want,

www.ices.dorset.nhs.uk/contacts/index.asp

Well in Derbyshire everything, walking frames, perching stool, bath seat, comode, toilet seat, walking sticks, even the anti bed sore mattress was collected after MiL passed away. Crutches are also taken back and new hand grips fitted ready for reissue.

Contact Age UK they may take them and put them to good use. Or a nursing home may have them. Such a waste of equipment otherwise.

Age UK is a good idea ... I know that my mother would have wanted to do good with anything she had and it is very important to try and do what she would have wanted.

Age UK is a good idea ... I know that my mother would have wanted to do good with anything she had and it is very important to try and do what she would have wanted.

Have just returned DF's stuff (he passed away) to Medequip who supplied them. I spoke to his NHS occupational therapist, who originally ordered the equipment, and they organised for Medequip to collect. There should be a sticker on the equipment saying who has supplied the things, our OT said they are leased from the suppliers in some cases by the NHS. The only thing they won't collect are the incontinence pads supplied by the NHS. we have unopened packets/boxes of them which the care home are happy to take.

Thank you, Woodenheart; I rang the number on your link and they do want it back ... the information I had (from Social Services) was wrong! MN has saved the NHS a few £ ... the bad news for me is that I have to fall over it for the next 21 days before a driver will be in our area ....

While they're at it, would they like the six excellent quality cotton towels that came home with dtd1 when her leg was plastered? They were used to stop plaster dripping on her clothing, wheelchair, my carseats etc.

When I brought her back for the plaster to be cut off a few weeks later, I brought all the towels too. I'd washed them (although not at 90% as I expected they'd go through the hospital laundry anyway - but enough to clear away the plaster dust etc).

The technician looked thoroughly confused and said they didn't want them back. I said 'Are you sure?' and insisted on checking with more senior staff. No, apparently they regarded these towels as disposable.

That was nearly twelve years ago. All six towels are still going strong - as I said they were excellent quality. Replacements of the same size and quality would cost not less than £8 - £12 each. It can't cost more than a few pence to launder them, even at 90 degrees.

But at least you got something useful!
But seriously ... a lot of these cuts in services are ending up costing far more than they save ...

a lot of these cuts in services are ending up costing far more than they save

I don't think the cuts were meant to save money, but to enforce a political agenda (that being poor is a crime). Exhibit A - the bedroom tax.

I broke an arm. Because I live alone and have no-one to help, I was given a NHS seat for the bath so I could shower. It made it easier sort of to get up and get out of the bath. Once I'd finished with it and could wallow underwater again, I asked how to return the seat. I was told to keep it. I assumed from this that they expected me to deteriorate in later life when I would need it again. It's now in a garage in a large plastic bag.

I have just made a call to my local Occupational Therapy Department, to arrange collection of similar equipment issued when I came out of hospital at the end of last year - they are coming to collect next week.

I had to sign a form confirming it would be returned so they def want it back.

Latest update ... I am no told that I will have to wait until after the 15th April for collection ... My bathroom is literally full of equipment and it would take me 20 minutes to empty it to have a bath ... I am fed up ...