Community Equipment Service questionnaire summary, Devon

Healthwatch Devon undertook a postal survey of current and previous users of the Community Equipment Service, at the request of Devon County Council, to gather views to help shape the service when it was recommissioned. This report is a summary of the responses received.

The Community Equipment Service (CES) in Devon is jointly funded by Devon County Council and the NHS and is, at the time of this report, provided by PLUSS, a social enterprise owned by Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council, Somerset County Council and Torbay Council. The Devon CES covers the Devon County Council footprint including North, East, West and South Devon, excluding the Plymouth and Torquay local authority areas.

Although the questionnaire was targeted at members of the public responses were also received from Health Sector Workers and Support Organisations. The Health and Social Care workers expressed the same frustrations with the service as the people in receipt of the service; poor communication, heard to get in contact with, incorrect equipment or delayed delivery with no explanation or apology.

One concern raised by both staff and service users was the waste when a particular piece of equipment was no longer required:

"The problem with the small equipment (eg commodes, Mowbray frames, walking frames, shower stools, raisers, etc.) is that they are ordered on prescription from a local supplier and then when no longer required by the client are told to throw them on the rubbish tip. To disband the idea of writing prescriptions and throwing the equipment away. The reason given was that it was more expensive to clean and sterilise the equipment. This is not credible to the public."