Health board launches medical equipment amnesty

A Welsh health board has launched an amnesty to encourage people to return unused equipment which can be put back into use.

Paediatric Physiotherapy teams across Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) are hoping that gaining stock from the amnesty will give more children access to equipment such as standing frames, walking frames, therapy benches, positioning aids including sleep systems and cushions.

Angela Wing, Clinical Lead Operations Physiotherapy and Advanced Practitioner Paediatric Physiotherapist said: “We think there’s a lot of kit out there, possibly because a child’s needs have changed or it’s just not in use anymore.

“It’s probably cluttering up homes, and the idea is it will give us a bigger bank of equipment to loan out to families who need it and help us make sure that we use our resources in the most responsible and green way.

“Historically, companies would supply this equipment to patients and keep a register of who has what, but over time suppliers have done this less and less.

“We think there are probably families who have equipment which just isn’t being used anymore, and we want to help them decide what’s no longer needed.

“In Scotland, they did a sleep system amnesty and were able to put together complete assessment kits. They then developed a sleep system library to allow children to try the system for a month and decide if it was the right thing for them.

“They saw an improvement in the use of sleep systems and our ambition is to put this into practice in North Wales.”

If you have equipment that has been supplied by your child’s physiotherapy team, and it is no longer needed, get in touch on the following emails:

Wrexham and Flintshire – [email protected]

Conwy and Denbighshire – [email protected]

Gwynedd and Anglesey – [email protected]