Canterbury Hospitals Equipment Amnesty

Local Health NZ hospitals are asking Cantabrians to please return any unneeded HNZ-issued equipment so it can be cleaned, reissued and used by the next patient.

Essential equipment – including patient wheelchairs, walking frames, shower stools, toilet chairs, elbow crutches, and bed levers - are needed to help patients safely recover at home. With thousands of items on loan at one time, there are estimated to be several hundred ready to be returned.

“We make sure we have adequate amounts of equipment and buy more each year in anticipation of demand during our busiest times,” says Sandy Clemett, Health NZ Chief of Allied Health, Scientific and Technical, Canterbury and West Coast. “Yet we’re finding we are still loaning out more equipment than we have returned back to us.

“We understand people often forget to return items once they’ve finished using them, and some equipment is cumbersome and can’t be transported easily," she says. “Many of these items may be sitting unused in garages and spare rooms across the region after people recover, so we’re keen to see them returned and reused when they’re no longer needed."

While staff are doing a great job phoning people who’ve been loaned items, this takes valuable time away from other important work.

"This is a friendly reminder to either drop an item back at one of four locations, or if you can’t return the equipment yourself, give us a call and we’ll help find a solution," says Sandy.

"By returning items, we can all help support our community, so another Cantabrian can have access to what they need when they leave hospital.”

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RETURNS

Please return your equipment as soon as you no longer need it.

You can drop it off at any of the following locations:

• Rangiora Health Hub – 161 Ashley Street, Rangiora - anytime
• Christchurch Hospital – 2 Riccarton Avenue, Christchurch Central, Lower Ground Carpark, Waipapa Building - anytime
• Burwood Hospital – 300 Burwood Road, Burwood - Mon–Fri 8:00am–4:30pm (Physical Medicine Building, Gate 3), After Hours: Main Reception, Gate 1
• Hospital Supply Department – 4 Rapide Way, Yaldhurst - Mon–Fri 7:30am–5:00pm
• Enable NZ - 78 Hammersmith Drive, Wigram - Mon-Fri 7.30am – 4.30pm

If people aren’t unable to return the equipment themselves, they can call 03 364 0700 and we’ll work with them to find a solution.

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