NHS Walking Aid Returns

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT), partnering with Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI-NENC), seek an innovative asset management solution to increase the return rate of walking aids issued to patients. At present, only around 32% of walking aids are returned, resulting in increased environmental costs and resource inefficiencies. The solution could include a way to track walking aids, prompting patients when they are ready to return the devices. Additionally, a patient awareness component is needed to educate on the environmental and cost impacts of returning these aids.

This asset management system should be simple, efficient, and compatible with existing NHS infrastructure, including collection points at hospitals and recycling centres. It should enable traceable data to increase return rates and make walking aid recycling sustainable for NHS providers. The solution offers small and medium enterprises an opportunity to make a positive environmental impact while improving NHS resource efficiency and patient access to walking aids.

The Tees Valley Innovation Challenge brings together innovative small and medium enterprises with large organisations to co-create solutions that address critical issues in sectors across the UK. This unique platform fosters collaboration, enabling solution developers to work directly with established entities to bring impactful innovations to market through partnerships, joint ventures, or investment opportunities.

One of the current focal points of the Tees Valley Innovation Challenge is healthcare sustainability, led by CDDFT and HI-NENC  in collaboration with NHS England. A key area for improvement is the reuse and recycling of walking aids, such as crutches and walking sticks, which are typically provided to patients temporarily after surgeries, accidents, or for mobility support. Currently, a significant percentage of these walking aids are not returned to the NHS, resulting in costly resource loss and increased environmental impact. Each aid that goes unreturned or unrecycled contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of new devices, largely due to the aluminium used in their manufacture.

NHS England has highlighted the importance of refurbishing and reusing these aids to reduce carbon emissions and save costs, estimating that even a modest increase in returns could save an average hospital £46,000 per year. Furthermore, the carbon footprint of refurbishing a walking aid is approximately 98% lower than that of producing a new one. By encouraging patients to return these items after use, the NHS can not only reduce waste and emissions but also improve patient access to these essential aids, benefiting the healthcare system and the environment alike.

Through the Tees Valley Innovation Challenge, HI-NENC and CDDFT seek innovative local businesses to develop a streamlined asset management system that tracks and promotes the return of walking aids, making it easier for patients to contribute to a greener NHS. This project represents a unique opportunity to create a scalable solution that enhances healthcare sustainability while offering local businesses a chance to collaborate with a leading health authority and make a measurable impact.