New community equipment service launches in Cheshire to reduce hospital admissions

Ross Care has launched its latest community equipment service (CES) in Cheshire, which utilises the provision of equipment to achieve outcomes including enabling people to be supported in their own home, reducing hospital and care home admissions, and more.

The service is commissioned by Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West Council and Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) for a period of four years, with potential to extend for a further two.

Ross Care is a major provider of wheelchair services and mobility equipment on behalf of the NHS and local authorities. It was awarded the Cheshire Integrated Community Equipment Service contract in December 2021.

For the first time, the CES, which launched on the 1st of April, brings together equipment provision for both Cheshire West and East into one operation.

The service’s goal is to support the local ambition to ‘enable more adults to live longer, happier and healthier lives’. It is being facilitated through the setup of Ross Care’s new Winsford service centre, which houses local administration and an equipment recycling operation.

Additionally, the centre offers a click and collect point for local residents and a meeting space for professionals across the region.

Paul Woodall, Operations Manager at Ross Care, said: “There has been a lot of work preparing for the launch, however it’s been a great opportunity to connect with representatives of the local teams and to get to know them.

“The first few days have been a real success with prescribers already being complementary of the bespoke ordering system and service delivery. We are confident that through our partnership we will see the service go from strength to strength.”

Ross Care currently provides delivery, collection, repair and maintenance to over 100,000 service users across the North of England, Midlands, Suffolk and North Wales. The provider became a part of the Millbrook Group on 1st February 2021.