HSE denies claims by Cork elderly advocate of abandoned medical equipment

A prominent advocate for the elderly has claimed that thousands of euro are being wasted every year by the Health Service Executive not taking back expensive items of medical equipment loaned out to patients — a claim the HSE has denied.

Paddy O’Brien, who has been a voice for the elderly for several decades, told The Echo he was aware over many years of hundreds of items of medical equipment which, he said, had not been taken back by the HSE.

“I’m speaking about walking aids, crutches, rollators, wheelchairs, commodes, and hospital beds,” he said. 

“I’ve been told that when those items are no longer required, due to the person making a recovery or in the event of the person dying, the HSE refuses to take the items back.” 

Mr O’Brien said he had been told of situations where a number of people had been left with beds costing in excess of €3,000 because, he said, the HSE refused to take them back.

Dozens of items

He said he had stored dozens of items himself over the years, and he felt that could be replicated elsewhere.

“Throughout the city and county, and over into Kerry, there could be hundreds of these items just dumped aside in a house or in a shed," said Mr O'Brien. 

“The question I would ask is what happens when a patient vacates a bed in hospital, do they throw out the bed? They don’t, they strip down the bed, disinfect it, and the bed is used again. Why isn’t the same thing done with beds left in people’s homes?”

He said he had spoken with one former patient who had buried a wheelchair he no longer needed, as the HSE would not take it back.

Unfair

He added that it was “most unfair” that relatives might be left with the “constant reminder” of a bed or a wheelchair previously used by a relative now deceased.

“One woman said: ‘I suffer every day, I come down the stairs and I bless myself when I see my late mother’s wheelchair, but I’d prefer if it wasn’t there’.

“Another woman said she had been given a wheelchair for her mother, and her mother died the following day, the wheelchair wasn’t even taken out of its container, but she said the HSE refused to take it back.

“Why would total strangers tell me the HSE would not take back equipment? I am calling on the HSE to contact me about taking back their equipment.”

Policy

A HSE spokesperson said all equipment prescribed by the Public Health Nursing service was on loan to patients, and its policy was to retrieve all equipment.

“The only scenario where we would refuse is if the piece of equipment did not originate from the HSE,” they said.

They said the exception applied to crutches, saying they cannot be recycled as “their integrity cannot be guaranteed after even one use on health and safety grounds”.

They added that anyone wishing to return HSE equipment could do so by returning it to HSE stores departments in Mallow, contacting 022 54192, or in Cork City by calling 021 4928269.

“Heavier equipment, such as beds and hoists, can be collected from homes by prior agreement and by contacting HSE staff at 021 4928267 or 021 4928268 to arrange same,” they said.