Millions spent on propping up bill for lost crutches

CASH-strapped hospitals are being forced to spend millions every year replacing missing crutches, an investigation has revealed.

Nearly four in every five walking aids given to patients, including walking sticks, wheelchairs and crutches, were never brought back, the study found.

Figures from 66 NHS trusts in England showed more than £14million was spent on nearly 560,000 walking aids since January 2014.

Within those trusts, 67,491 aids were returned by patients, while nearly four times that number – 241,779 – went missing.

More than 3,000 were returned in such a poor condition that they had to be scrapped. The data was disclosed to the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act.

However, the true extent of the cost is expected to be much higher, as nearly half of all NHS trusts failed to provide data, while those who did often had incomplete figures.

The investigation found some hospitals asked patients to bring walking aids back, while others said the cost of cleaning and maintaining crutches meant there was no value in reusing them.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association charity, said: “We’d like to see an NHS where patients are able to return equipment that is no longer needed, and where equipment will be sensibly recycled and reused when it can be.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “Far too often, medical equipment like wheelchairs and walking sticks are being used once before then ending up on a landfill.

“As we announced earlier this year, we want to put a stop to this unacceptably wasteful practice.

“It’s great to see Trusts across the country recycle equipment where it is safe and appropriate to do so.”