East Antrim Ulster Unionist Party Assemblyman Roy Beggs has welcomed news from the Northern Health & Social Care Trust where that outlines that they are making ‘every effort to maximise the use of available resources and recycle equipment.’
Roy Beggs MLA said “I had previously been in contact with one of the local Health Trusts in Northern Ireland relating to the apparent reluctance of NHS staff to take equipment which had been provided during temporary illness. I pressed the Trust on what plans they had to provide an organised method of providing convenient collection points, so that the public can be encouraged to return items such as zimmer frames, walking sticks or crutches for reuse.
The UUP Health Spokesperson added “Following the welcome news from the Northern Trust in which they advise that they will make every effort to maximise and recycle equipment, I have again contacted the Belfast Trust to see if they have plans to put similar procedures in place.”
A spokesperson for the Northern Trust said “The Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Community Equipment Service makes every effort to maximise the use of available resources and recycle equipment, issued by the Trust, where possible. It should be noted that on occasions it is not financially viable to incur the costs of recycling smaller low cost items however, the Service continue to consider innovative ways of maximising the use of equipment which can play a key part in supporting hospital discharges and enabling service users to be as independent as possible in their own homes.
To support the Trust in this endeavour, should your office be approached regarding equipment collection could you please advise your constituent to contact the Community Equipment Service in Pennybridge, Ballymena on 02825633985. A collection will then be arranged at a mutually convenient time.
Alternatively equipment can be returned directly to Trust stores at:
Community Equipment Service
Northern Health & Social Care Trust
Unit A2 Site 9
Pennybridge Industrial Estate
BALLYMENA
BT42 3HB
TEL: 028 2563 3985
For the year 2016 we recycled 13, 699 items – this reflects a total of 78% of items that were returned and were recycled for reuse to other service users. We also aim to recycle component parts of equipment that cannot be reissued to service users.”
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