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Recycling aids?

Posted , 20 users are following.

melody39324
melody39324

I want to get rid of my crutches and toilet seat raiser now I no longer need them. Does anyone in the UK know what you can do with them? In this age of recycking I imagine there may be overseas charities that would use them. As you get them on the NHS I don’t think local charity shops would be interested.

2 likes, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • maggie93798
    maggie93798 melody39324

    Posted

    Mine were on loan from the NHS.  When I no longer needed them the people who delivered them came and removed them so they could go to the next person
  • Pippyj
    Pippyj melody39324

    Posted

    Take them back to your hospital.  They can be cleaned and reused.
  • vanessa24815
    vanessa24815 melody39324

    Posted

    The OT at the hospital ordered them to be delivered whilst I was in hospital, they arrived with a delivery note, plus details of the number to call to arrange recollection after I’d finished, no costs. They clean all equipment after use. If it was sent by the hospital then it belongs to them so you should send it back or you may be charged, ringvrhe hospital where you were treated, they will have a number to call.
    • melody39324
      melody39324 vanessa24815

      Posted

      What is an OT please? I was just given my crutches on the second day by the physio and the toilet seat raiser by a nurse when I was discharged. I will call the hospital & ask them if they recycle though.

    • vanessa24815
      vanessa24815 melody39324

      Posted

      Sorry melody, OT is occupational therapist, they usually get you ready to go home, they are physios as well as able to assess your wellbeing at home so how you’ll cope, what support you will need, if you need any home help. Must be different depending on where you live. In Liverpool they have a full service where they lend all sorts of stuff to help, deliver it to your house and pick it up after you’ve finished 😊

    • melody39324
      melody39324 vanessa24815

      Posted

      Thanks. I didn’t see an occupational therapist; just a physio. I think different hospitals have different procedures. I had quite an extensive pre-op assessment to find out whether I was likely to need any help. I’m pretty fit and my chair and bed are high, so so possibly they decided I didn’t need anything apart from the crutches and toilet seat, which I was given in hospital. 
  • ptolemy
    ptolemy melody39324

    Posted

    My raised loo seats were supplied by a private company on behalf of the NHS and they will collect them when required. My hospital will not take back crutches in my area as they say it costs more to check them out than to offer new ones. Limbcare Recycling, a UK charity, will take back aids but they are not allowed to use them in UK, but dispose of them overseas or they break them up for scrap. 0800 052 1174

  • Jodi-France
    Jodi-France melody39324

    Posted

    I'm hanging on to mine. Had the right hip done and am having a lot of discomfort with the left hip. I'm sure it won't be that many years that I don't need that hip replaced as well. I feel like, well at east I am already set up, LOL!

  • michael11283
    michael11283 melody39324

    Posted

    Melody

    Your local Red Cross will take them or you can take them back to the hospital

    Mike

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