To wonder why I didn't have to give my name when returning NHS crutches

[Marmite17]

I've fully recovered from a fairly minor foot injury; broken toe and joint so OK 6 weeks later as you would expect. I returned the crutches and asked if I should give my name. The lady said no. This then got me wondering how many crutches etc are returned. Googled.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/cash-strapped-nhs-losing-millions---4422519
Several other sites came up.
Would it make sense to "sign out" equipment such as crutches or wheelchairs to make it clear that it is a loan?

No comment about crutches, but your username amuses me

Maybe they had a serial number?

Usually they just chuck them.

The safety of used crutches cannot be guaranteed so they have to be chucked or sent abroad by charities.

Seems a massive waste of money; and don't get the re used safety angle either I suppose if they are sent abroad something good comes of it

I didn't need crutches at the time; think a and e nurse was super vigilant as the joint, 4 th toe , was cracked.

I came out of hospital three years ago and was provided with a perching chair, commode and loo riser thing. When I no longer needed them I rang to ask for them to be collected. After my sixth call I gave up and they are still in my spare room - and will be used when I have an op later this year. Then the ringing for collection will begin again. It makes no sense to me at all if the NHS are in financial difficulty.

We have crutches in our house somewhere because the NHS simply refused to take them back.

I also had an unopened elastic belt thing that was given to me in pregnancy that they wouldn't take back. It's crazy.

The safety of used crutches cannot be guaranteed so they have to be chucked or sent abroad by charities.

What a ridiculous waste.

Whoa hold on....

Here's what happens in our trust.
Stuff is handed out - barcode taken and logged against your name. Equipment supplier collects from patient/home, logs barcode.

Cleans, refurbishes and reconditions equipment if safe and appropriate.

So no they don't all get binned or taken abroad.

Some does. Anything which can't be cleaned effectively or is damaged. But yes, there's a barcode which is why you wouldn't need to give your name.

They will be disposed of. The NHS, unless it has a contract to have them cleaned and sterilised cannot reuse them.

I missed out an important sentence.

when equipment is finished with

Then equipment supplier will collect.

As a nurse we actually used to take stuff back in our own cars to the 'dirty store' and then the equipment supplier would collect each week. Glad I don't have to do that anymore!

Had a special shoe to wear as well. Wore it religiously to keep pressure off toe but no need for crutches

I tried donating some crutches (that I myself had picked up off local free sites) to my local Red Cross as they publicised a lending scheme for stuff like this.

When I went to hand them in, you'd have thought I was handing over nuclear waste. I got interrogated as why I had them, and then they rudely explained all the hard work they would have to go to to deal with the crutches. As if I was fly tipping them, not responding to an official scheme they ran!

Local charity shop wont take them either, as people 'get new' from A&E.

I stuck them all on a skip I happened to drive past

I was given a zimmer frame at A&E. They wouldn't take it back when I finished with it even though I was willing to return it myself. I ended up dumping it at our local refuse centre.

If you have treatment privately you get billed for any mobility aids you need afterwards, and most insurers don't cover this. So my NHS crutches are currently helping a friend who's just had surgery on her foot on her husband's perk of the job medical cover. I had my surgery at the same private hospital, although funded by NHS, and I know they would have cost me £44 if I'd had to pay for them.

What I would like to return is a leg brace, which I know would have been billed at £96. I'm going in for a follow-up next week, will take it with me and see if they want it back. If not will donate to Red Cross, assuming local branch is a little better mannered than @ShotsFired found!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4834678/180-000-care-kit-dumped-outside-council-depot.html

Yes, yes, I'm well are some of you don't like the source, but I'm not here to perform google for you.

Why would you need to sterile crutches?

We had the opposite with a zimmer frame - orthopaedics begged us to not forget to return it!

sterilise sorry

Yes my DM was given 3 walking frames over a period of 6 month illness and she and i were shocked when we offered to bring them back recently to be told no, they don't want them back.

They said give them to charity and perhaps they'll be sent abroad ... This was an North Oxfordshire Hospital at the end of last year.

when dd had crutches they begged us to return them.I am not sure why they don't just clean and disinfect them and change the rubber feet.

You need to clean them because of the infection risk. We have an equipment store which cleans and recycles equipment.