Could Your Old Crutches Help Someone This Winter? Cornwall Council Says Yes

Cornwall Council and the local NHS are calling on residents to return any unused care equipment to help support people who need it this winter.

Why Returning Equipment Matters

The council, working with NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, loans out essential items such as walking frames, crutches, commodes, beds and short term loaned wheelchairs to help people stay independent at home. Many of these items end up sitting unused once they are no longer needed.

Councillor Jim McKenna, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships, said:
“Every item returned can make a real difference. It helps another person stay independent in their own home and also reduces pressure on our health and care services.
“We know that people often keep equipment because they are not sure what to do with it or don’t realise it was only on loan. We’re asking everyone to take a moment to check and return anything they no longer need. It’s quick, easy, and it helps ensure support is available for others.”

Giving items back helps local services make the most of their resources, allowing equipment to be reused rather than thrown away. Larger pieces such as beds and hoists are particularly costly to replace, and reusing them saves money for the taxpayer.

Cornwall Council’s in-house retrieval team works with Medequip to collect, clean and refurbish items so they can be safely issued to someone else.

How to Return Equipment

Each loaned item should have a barcode label with details of where it needs to be returned. Medequip can advise on drop off points for smaller pieces such as crutches, walking frames or perching stools. They can also arrange a free collection for larger equipment.

Residents who are unsure what to do can contact Medequip on 01726 210477, email cornwall@medequip-uk.com, or visit their Cornwall contact page.

NHS Cornwall Highlights Scale of the Problem

Leighton Day, Director of Delivery at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, said:
“It’s great that free NHS health and care equipment is helping so many people in their recovery, but we have a real challenge of getting items that are no longer required back to us. That’s why we’re asking anyone who has any unneeded NHS loan equipment to hand it back for others to use, no questions asked. With more than 90,000 crutches not returned, we’re hoping this campaign will really help restock our equipment stores for patients to benefit from.
“Every unneeded item that is handed back for reuse will help someone else to live more independently, make the best use of valuable NHS funds, and reduce our footprint on the environment. It’s a small action that has a big impact.”

Residents are encouraged to check cupboards, garages and lofts for items they no longer need and return them so they can support someone else this winter.