Mobility equipment loaned by the NHS or Kent County Council can now be recycled

People in east Kent can return mobility equipment they no longer need at dedicated drop-off points in Ashford, Canterbury, and Margate, so it can be reused or recycled.

This includes assistive equipment loaned by the NHS or Kent County Council through NRS Healthcare, such as commodes, walking frames, raised toilet seats, shower chairs, free-standing toilet frames, perching stools, chair raisers, kitchen trolleys, wheeled walkers, and crutches.

The permanent drop-off sites are based at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent, and Canterbury Hospital and QEQM in Margate. Since the scheme started in January 2022, more than 1,500 items, worth more than £36,250, have been returned for reusing.

Allison Cannon, Chief Nurse at NHS Kent and Medway, said: “The NHS in Kent and Medway is committed to cutting waste and reducing our carbon footprint. Reusing and recycling equipment that has been loaned to patients is one way we can save money and be more environmentally friendly.”

People were also able to take the community equipment they no longer need to four of Kent County Council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) as part of National Recycle Week, which took place from 16-22 October.

Tom Lindsey, Customer Service Manager for NRS Healthcare in Kent, commented: “This recycling project is very exciting for us and will allow for the community to community to continue to recycle and reuse equipment. These recycling points improve efficiency and sustainability, allowing us to continue to help serve the community and the environment at the same time.

“If you have equipment you no longer need cluttering up your home or tucked away somewhere, now is the perfect time to return to a marked container at one of the main hospitals in east Kent. Or you can return it in the usual way by phoning the number on the sticker to arrange free collection.”

People can drive up to the drop-off points, which are located at William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, QEQM Hospital, Margate, and Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

To arrange free collection of equipment with a barcoded sticker, contact NRS Healthcare on 01622 235300. People are asked not to leave wheelchairs at the drop-off points but instead to phone Millbrook Healthcare on 0330 124 4485 to arrange free collection.

University Hospital Southampton (UHS) is calling on the public to return any unused walking frames and other mobility aids due to a continued national shortage of frames, which are critical to enabling some patients to leave hospital and return home safely.