Skip to content
Care Services Efficiency Delivery

Information about your health

NHS Choices

NHS Direct: 0845 4647

Save this

Background

Added: 05/05/2009
Updated: 27/10/2010


Community equipment, either simple aids to daily living such as eating and drinking utensils, grab rails and raised toilet seats or more complex equipment such as beds, hoists and lifts, help millions of people to be independent. Yet there are real and growing problems with the existing way this service is provided to users.

The Issues

The current service:

  • Struggles to meet the needs of the population who would benefit from equipment
  • Does not meet the needs of the whole population
  • Will not meet the needs of increased demographics
  • Is at risk where local budgets are under pressure
  • May not promote independence, choice and control for all

The Solution - a new service delivery model

  • Move simple aids to daily living (SADLs) into the retail marketplace (90% of current volume activity)
  • Address affordability by creating efficient and sustainable alternatives to public provision through:
    • stimulation of the retail marketplace
    • leveraging the strengths of the third and private sectors
  • Empower individuals to self help

Benefits

  • Helps deliver independence, choice and control for the whole population - and puts users at the heart of the service
  • Improves access to products that aid daily living, via the normal retail environment
  • Improves delivery mechanisms - products available immediately
  • Increases flexibility - state supported users can 'top up' to a product more suited to their lifestyle
  • Allows easier access to information and advice
  • Enables state practitioners to refocus on re-ablement and rehabilitation activities
  • Creates capacity to meet demands of demographic growth via a dynamic retail market
  • Provides better access to assessment outside the state, i.e. independent needs assessors, self assessment tools