Hospital equipment returns

[VivienneWestwoodsKnickers]

The One Show are talking about the returns of hospital equipment like crutches (£10/pair), wheelchairs, commodes, zimmer frames, walking sticks etc.

WIBU to ask you to look about for any equipment you, friends or family have and encourage you to return bits to the NHS if you can?

They do point out that there is no consistency in the approach nationwide, and I know someone on here the other day said their local hospital didn't take things for some reason. The hospital in the programme recommends taking things into A&E reception.

Seems worth a go to me!

My trust don't accept equipment back either.

I had crutches a few years ago as I'd torn my calf muscle. Once I'd finished with them I took them back to the hospital. The receptionist was quite surprised as apparently no one ever returns them.

Another one here who had the devil of a job getting them to take back the equipment I had after badly breaking my leg (surgery). I had two toilet frames (not commodes, but something to surround the loo to aid standing and sitting), a shower stool, two zimmer frames, and two pairs of crutches (upstairs/downstairs). It took months of non-returned phone messages (no one ever answered the phone at the "Returns" department), along with a suggestion I should travel to a depot 25 miles away (still not driving at that point) to drop them off. Finally, I managed to secure a pick-up, but weeks and weeks after I'd finished with them.

When my mother died, I returned her Zimmer frame, toilet seat and walking sticks. It took ages to get anyone to tell me where to take them.
I find it so wrong that such items are not easily returned, we do not have unlimited resources and returning them means a saving.
They might need a wash but a Zimmer frame is hardly a massive infection risk.
My DW is due to have knee replacement on Monday, I will try to ask how we return her walking sticks or crutches before we leave the hospital.

We accept returns of crutches, sticks and frames (into the physio department, not A+E). Good condition equipment is cleaned and reused. The unsafe equipment is sold to a metal recycling company, the proceeds then ofset the costs of the new equipment.

Presumably when the NHS buys these items they buy them from a manufacturer who has tested and checked them thoroughly for faults etc. The manufacturer will also have insurance the NHS could claim against if there was eg an accident.

As soon as someone hands something back to the NHS it is a second hand good, that the NHS have no idea where it has been. It would require any qualified person to sanitised and check over and certify safety and cleanliness. If there was an accident with this equipment the buck would stop with the NHS. The NHS has less than fuck all money and getting less all the time.

I suggest you do not return equipment unless you specifically confirm that they actually want it back.

I was given a zimmer frame when I had my ankle repaired, but no crutches, luckily my MIL had some.
We returned the zimmer frame to the ward and they were grateful, but again really shocked that anyone would bother!
We hired a commode and wheelchair from the red cross when I was trapped downstairs. The commode had a replaceable pot. They take back the actual seat, but not the pot.

Where I worked we gave out equipment that was very expensive. The NHS could not take it back. We had a link with a charity abroad and everything that was returned went to them. Complete waste of nhs resources, but it makes a massive difference to the country everything goes to.

The trust I work at won't take equipment back either, it's costs a small fortune providing the equipment but once it's been used it cannot be 100% guaranteed to be safe for the next person so we can't accept it back or reuse it, which is sad really as it would save so much money.

A lot of items like commodes and raised toilet seats cannot ever be reused and are binned. It costs more to collect, clean down and recycle equipment then it does to buy new stock. Some exceptions to this but generally that's the case

If anyone is willing to arrange courier, I am keen to avoid costing the NHS via the OT - am in need of raised toilet seat, toilet frame, suction handles for in the shower/bath, shower seat that will fit in a curved side bath, and a perching stool for the kitchen

Where in the UK are you?

A decent pair of elbow crutches wouldn't go amiss either

Equipment is provided by a community equipment provider which is different in each area. Where I work it is an organisation called medequip. They provide equipment for health and social care in the community.

Any equipment provider will take (and collect) equipment back, test it and clean it. They will scrap only where needed. The pressure on budgets is HUGE so there is a clear incentive to do so.

Alice - don't use suction grab rails. They are dangerous and will come off the wall. Get some fixed to the wall. Speak to your health OT or the council if you can't arrange this yourself or needs lots of other things.

Our trust takes equipment back. In fact there's a number you can ring to get them collected if you are unable to drop them off. They are all checked and cleaned and reused if appropriate.

There might well be a number you can ring, but getting anyone to answer it and deal with your request is a different matter.

We had a huge pile of stuff for late FIL, chairs that went over the toilets, Zimmer frames etc. We wanted to return it all but no department would take responsibility. We had no idea where to return it to, and some of the items were big and didn't fold down and so we couldn't get them in a car boot. I don't know what MIL did in the end. As much as I am a huge fan of the NHS, it does irritate me sometimes when they come out with stuff like this but haven't actually considered why people aren't doing it, i.e they are making it very difficult to do so!!

There is usually a sticker on it somewhere with a number to call to arrange collection.

Most equipment is on loan from an equipment store (including wheelchairs, bathroom equipment, kitchen trollies, Zimmer frames, commodes etc). You call the number and they collect it, then it's cleaned, safety checked and sent out to someone else. Bath lifts in particular are in high demand and there may be a waiting list.

It infuriates me when I see equipment left out in the street with the binbags!

Oh my! The irony of equipment not being clean enough to return! Some years ago I broke my arm very badly, was scheduled for surgery and admitted - on a Friday then for some reason the surgery was postponed until the following Monday so I asked to be discharged over the weekend, I was supposed to keep my arm elevated so they lent me a stand to take home to hang my arm from! It was not until I got home that I realised how filthy the thing was, 'encrusted ' is the most delicate way of describing it.
Needless to say it was returned in far better condition than it was lent in.

The hospital as a whole had huge issues of cleanliness( one surgical ward had carpet, honestly, I am not kidding!), I took in wipes and cleaned every surface I touched, including the bed table and locker which were both sticky with God knows what.

My trust takes stuff back and equipment is stickered with the number of the hospital department to call when it's not needed. Which is not A&E!

I find this shocking. My Mum was a physio and once a year at we drove round knocking on doors collecting equipment that had not been returned. Mind you part of her job was to order the equipment and I think she felt responsible to end the year with the same number.

Mostly in my experience they don't want them back. I understood it costs more to sanitise them and check they're safe to be reused than it does to buy a new pair.

WIBU to ask you to look about for any equipment you, friends or family have and encourage you to return bits to the NHS if you can?

My trust does not have the faclity to clean them

You all hate the DM but you're free to use google another source - it costs more to clean and reuse than it does to dump

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3772736/A-sick-waste-Piled-high-skip-mountain-NHS-crutches-wheelchairs-vital-medical-equipment-dumped-scrap-scandal-costs-millions-taxes-year.html