Medequip image

Community equipment specialist Medequip has been appointed to manage Community Equipment and Continence Services for Wiltshire for a further five years, following a competitive tender process.

Medequip says the award reflects its commitment to performance and value in this arena and will work towards delivering a more response and cost-effective service for users.

Having partnered with Wiltshire for over 15 years, Medequip’s new five-year contract will begin on 1 April 2021, with an option to extend for up to two more years.

In preparation, Medequip says it is planning significant innovations and service enhancements to further improve community equipment services provision for Wiltshire residents. The operational site will remain at Calne and will be redesigned and extended, implementing a new layout to facilitate increased capacity, throughput and efficiency.

In addition, working to give Wiltshire Commissioners greater levels of visibility and control over day-to-day operations, Medequip is investing in a new end-to-end software solution including Microsoft Business Intelligence management reporting to streamline the supply chain. This includes an improved mobile working platform designed to provide a more interactive, human face for service users in Wiltshire.

The new system will also optimise the use of recycled special items, reducing cost and improving speed of delivery.

“We are absolutely delighted to continue our long-term relationship with Wiltshire,” stated Michaela Harris, General Manager for Medequip’s South Western division. “The cooperation between our two organisations has been particularly well demonstrated when faced with the challenges of COVID-19, where we have engaged on a weekly basis to maintain service and product availability, including appropriate product substitutions to facilitate important hospital discharges.”

Medequip is also investing in its continence offering, implementing automatic replenishment services to make the process easier and more straightforward for users, with an aim of providing a more responsive and cost-effective service.

In a statement about the new five-year community equipment contract, the Wiltshire Commissioners said: “We wish to take this opportunity to thank Medequip for the key role they have played over the years, to provide the people of Wiltshire with equipment and support to improve their quality of life, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the new contract.

“Medequip’s commitment to deliver an efficient and effective service in the ever-challenging environment of health and social care has strengthened our partnerships to integrate care and better meet our populations’ health and care needs now and in the future.”

In June, Medequip was appointed by Medway Council to manage community equipment service provision across the area covered by the council, including Rochester, Gillingham, Chatham and the Isle of Sheppey.

AT TODAY UPDATES
Over 7,000 healthcare professionals stay informed about the latest assistive technology with AT Today. Do you?
We respect your privacy