The NHS has declared a ‘crutch amnesty’ to stop hospital equipment ‘littering living rooms’ when it could be put to use saving the health service thousands of pounds.
Staff within the NHS are being urged to accept unwanted medical equipment, reusing them where possible or sending the to be recycled if not.
Health Minister Steve Barclay said walking aids should be returned to hospitals and reused instead of ending up in landfill.
‘There are some great examples of hospitals already reusing vital medical equipment – such as wheelchairs and walking aids – and we want to see more of this across the country,’
Mr Barclay said. ‘In too many instances however medical equipment is being used once and then thrown away at a time when the public is increasingly aware of the impact of waste on the environment.
‘Patients should be able to return the countless pairs of perfectly good crutches sitting unused in the corner of living rooms across the country and know they will be put to good use helping others, either in the NHS or elsewhere through charity donations.
21% pairs of crutches & 61% of WALKING frames were returned last year TO the NHS
‘It is not only the kind of creativity and common sense the public wants to see from the NHS, but will also help ensure equipment is used in an environmentally friendly way and that taxpayers’ money is spent wisely, a crucial part of our long-term plan for the NHS.’
It’s hoped an increase in patients reusing hospital equipment will save the NHS tens of thousands of pounds.
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: ‘Patients are often bewildered that the NHS does not ask for equipment back when they have finished using it, and sometimes even find that the NHS can make it bafflingly hard when they try to return it.
‘This can raise questions in people’s minds about the efficiency of the NHS, and even undermine confidence in it – all completely needlessly.
‘We’d like to see an NHS where patients are able to return equipment that is no longer needed, and where equipment will be sensibly recycled and reused when it can be.’
