Health and Social Care services on the Island are making a plea to anyone who has borrowed crutches from the local NHS and no longer needs them to return them during January.

Most crutches are returned for refurbishment and reissued to others who need them, but there are currently around 1,000 pairs which have been issued and not returned.   Crutches are provided on a short-term loan basis to NHS patients by the Integrated Community Equipment Store based at Newport Business Park.   More than £7,000 has been spent in the last year replacing crutches which have not been returned. In a bid to get them back the Integrated Community Equipment Store is launching a crutch amnesty in January.

Klaus Bond, manager of the joint NHS and Island Council service, said: “Most of the crutches we issue are for patients who have attended the Emergency or Physiotherapy Departments at St Mary’s.   If every pair we issue were returned as requested we would need to buy very few new pairs every year – just those needed to replace those that have been damaged, worn out or to cope with increased demand.   As is it, more than £7,000 had to be spent over the past year buying new crutches to replace those that haven’t been returned, which is money that could be spent on front-line services.”

The message from the Island’s NHS is to clear out your cupboards and garage this weekend and return any walking aids that are no longer needed. The team at the store will be happy to receive any crutches between 8:30am and 4pm Monday – Friday, no questions asked.   The store is at 19 Barry Way at the end of Daish Way off Dodnor Lane on the Business Park. The team can also be contacted by telephone on 01983 528334.