Home equipment delivered in half the time

By working together, the council and the primary care trust will cut by half the average delivery time for special equipment to help people with disabilities, or who may be recovering from illness, to live independently at home.

The two organisations had set up in Hereford an integrated store for equipment four years ago, but they have now improved the service by recruiting a team of people who are trained to not only to deliver, but also to fit equipment for people in their home. Previously the delivery of items, like bath aids or raised toilet seats, would be done by one person, but fitted by an occupational therapist on a later visit.

Now a team of three delivery fitters with vans are able to quickly cover the whole county. It is one of several benefits of the new closer partnership working between Herefordshire Council and Herefordshire Primary Care Trust.

"The new service means that people can have equipment ready for use within two or three days of the request reaching the store, whereas before it could take a week or more and require two different people to visit", said Jo Hart, manager of the service. "It means people with a long term illness or disability, or who have recently returned home from hospital get a much better service and are supported in their wish to stay at home rather than be admitted to residential care".

A wide range of equipment is available on loan free of charge and people who are eligible for a service can get help by asking their district nurse or contacting the primary care trust's occupational therapy service.