The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is calling on the local community to return unused mobility aids, including crutches and Zimmer frames, to help ensure patients have access to essential support for their recovery.
Thousands of mobility equipment items are handed out by the trust to help patients to recover each year, but only a small handful are returned. Last year, only 38 percent of all crutches and 15 percent of Zimmer frames were returned. The Trust is spending significant amounts of money on purchasing new equipment to replace the equipment that was not returned.
By returning any borrowed or unused frames and crutches, the trust says people can make a significant difference on the well-being of patients requiring mobility assistance and help the trust save £70,000 each year.
Last year, the UK Government launched the Design for Life roadmap to introduce a major crackdown on waste in the NHS to save millions of pounds a year, helping to divert more resources to frontline care.
Dom Hardy, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are spending large amounts of money on purchasing new equipment to replace the lost mobility aids which are not returned to us. This money instead could be used on improving healthcare services at the Trust to help support our patients.”
Individuals can drop off unwanted mobility aids including Zimmer frames and crutches to drop-off points at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The drop-off points can be found at South Block entrance, North Block entrance, and the Main Entrance Reception.
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has also launched a walking aids return scheme.
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