Request
A
How many crutches, walking frames and walking sticks were purchased by the health department for the hospital in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013?
B
What was the total spend in the above years on each item?
C
Do you know how many have been given to patients and have not been returned? If so, please can you provide the figure for each of the above years?
D
Are there ever health and safety reasons which prevent crutches, walking frames and walking sticks being re-used if they are in good working condition?
E
If the answer to the above is ‘yes’ what happens to this equipment?
F
Do you know the estimated cost to the hospital of lost / stolen crutches, walking frames and walking sticks in the above years?
Response
A
The information below is from Central Stores, therefore includes all department orders across the Health and Community Services Department.
| 2013 | 536 | 119 | 301 |
| 2014 | 598 | 85 | 371 |
| 2015 | 557 | 117 | 352 |
| 2016 | 455 | 136 | 300 |
| 2017 | 281 | 119 | 217 |
| Total | 2427 | 576 | 1541 |
B
The total spend was as follows:
| Crutches | £20,629 |
|---|
| Walking frames | £11,520 |
|---|
| Walking sticks | £5,886 |
|---|
| Total | £38,035 |
|---|
The information below has been supplied by the Physiotherapy department for special orders, which is in addition to the figure stated above:
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 10 | £150 | 6 | £42 |
| 2014 | 5 | £127.50 | 14 | £210 | 34 | £238 |
| 2015 | 16 | £408 | 38 | £570 | 10 | £70 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 19 | £285 | 30 | £210 |
| 2017 | 6 | £153 | 30 | £450 | 36 | £252 |
| Total | 27 | £688.50 | 111 | £1665 | 116 | £812 |
C
No, however as there is quite a reasonable return process in place from various nursing and residential homes it is believed it is not a large problem.
D
No
E
n/a
F
This information is not currently held. There is currently an ongoing project looking into the possibility of bar scanning equipment which would support meaningful reporting and identifying equipment that had not been returned.
