Croydon Equipment Solutions (CES), part of the London DASS and DH sponsored Integrated Procurement Hub, is aiming to be the first service in the UK to become CECOPS accredited.

CES has already registered all of its service areas with CECOPS and has recently had a pre-assessment visit from CECOPS’ assessing body, DNV healthcare.

Following the recent pre-assessment visit Senior assessor, Karol Edge, said, “…we were very impressed with the overall commitment of staff to ensure quality, safety and performance issues are addressed.”

To maintain compliance with CECOPS’ Code of Practice and to continuously improve quality and performance CES has also agreed to pilot the CECOPS recognised self-regulation software, iCOPS™.

Glenn Bartlett, Head of Operations and also London Chair of NAEP, said: “We believe that attaining full accreditation will demonstrate that all aspects of our service, from decontamination through to procurement, meet the national standards and our aim is to reach and excel these standards if we have not done so currently. As the delivery arm of the DH led Integrated Procurement Hub, we aim to be at the leading edge of the service and we see the full CECOPS accreditation as part of this measure…”

CECOPS CEO, Brian Donnelly, said, “If every community equipment provider in the UK embraced CECOPS the way in which Croydon Equipment Solutions has I believe there would be immediate and visible improvements in service provision across the country. I think one of the most striking things about Croydon’s approach to working with CECOPS was the fact that they have dedicated a manager specifically to deal with the Code of Practice.”

RCN Book Review: Code of Practice for Community Equipment

“Brian Donnelly’s book successfully pulls together all the complicated nuances relating to the provision of community equipment, and appears to be the only publication to do this.

It is relevant to many healthcare professionals, and their managers, who are involved in the provision of equipment, and to a wide range of users of all ages.

The book sets out a code of practice, with 47 standards, the development of which has been supported by stakeholders in the field of community equipment.

The standards are aligned with existing and developing structures and regulatory requirements in the NHS, and cover every aspect of equipment provision from commissioning to professional responsibilities and specialist areas.

For a subject that has the potential to be turgid, each standard is clearly written, broken down into manageable subsections, and grasps its reader through its relevance. All of us who have been involved with equipment provision have faced challenges relating to, for example, equipment decontamination, out-of-hours cover and risk assessments.

In addition, the book includes useful appendices, such as legal and welfare frameworks that need to be considered, a guide for contract management indicators, and guidance relating to medical device management.

It also sets out the Community Equipment Code of Practice Scheme, which manages registration, accreditation and training, in relation to organisations’ compliance with the code.”

RCN Reviewer: Joanna Copeman (Matron at Warwick Hospital)

Source: Nursing Management: July 2012 / Volume 19 / Number 4 / Royal College of Nursing Publication Company / London

To find out more about the Code of Practice or to purchase a copy go HERE

A leading and respected expert and consultant in disability related matters, Judith Payling MSc, SROT, has undertaken an independent review of the ‘Code of Practice for Community Equipment: A Quality Framework for Procurement and Provision of Services’ by Brian Donnelly.

The review was published within Assist UK’s 2011 Annual Newsletter. A selection of quotes from the review includes:

“A great deal of research and thought has gone into writing the 47 standards.”

“An excellent summary of the law is included…”

“It is very easy for those commissioning and providing services to be clear about what should be done, and for service users to measure whether they are getting the services they are entitled to.”

“The outcomes are commendable…”

“…it certainly has the potential to provide a baseline for discussions at commissioning level within the new structures being proposed under current health and social care reforms‘. (more…)

A power cut during the night killed a man with muscular dystrophy as nursing home staff were unable to connect a back-up power supply, an inquest heard.

Gavin Proctor, 35, a resident at the Ashdale home in Pembroke, was on a ventilator to help with his breathing.

A jury, which returned a narrative verdict, heard he probably would have lived if an emergency generator or a battery pack was connected.

Mr Proctor’s parents Gary and Val want tougher rules for nursing homes.

“The Health and Safety Executive and Care Standards in Wales should have stricter rules for nursing homes to safeguard vulnerable patients like our son Gavin, to stop this tragedy happening to other families,” the couple said in a statement.

This disturbing case highlights the needs for standards to be introduced in every place where equipment is provided. (more…)

A new report claims there has been no improvement in the care of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the past five years.

A national audit of services for people with MS in England and Wales claims clinicians are failing to adequately treat pain symptoms and control fatigue and cognition problems associated with the condition.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found mobility problems “appear not at all well managed” as 79% of MS sufferers surveyed reported a fall in the last year with just under half (approximately 50,000) not receiving the mobility equipment they needed. (more…)

People may be paying too much for mobility aids such as mobility scooters and stair-lifts, and the elderly and disabled can experience high pressure and misleading sales practices when buying this equipment at home, the OFT has warned.

During the course of its market study into mobility aids, published today, the OFT has launched consumer protection investigations into two national mobility aids traders, one in relation to suspected unfair doorstep sales practices and the other over its terms and conditions and service delivery. It is investigating other similar behaviour which may result in further consumer protection actions and has started action which could lead to the removal of the credit licences from a number of sellers of mobility aids. Local Trading Standards Services (TSS) are also actively engaged in enforcement action into similar unfair sales practices in this sector.

The OFT is also today launching a national consumer awareness campaign providing consumers with practical tips and informing them of their rights when buying mobility aids on the doorstep.

The OFT’s report identified other areas of concern including:

• Evidence that around half of consumers are not shopping around so could be paying too much for mobility aids. The OFT found there can be a wide disparity in the price of identical products, for example the price of one brand and model of scooter varied by £3,000. Around half of trader websites and advertising material that were checked did not quote any prices.
• The public sector’s fragmented purchasing structure and some buying patterns can make it difficult to procure the best value wheelchairs. (more…)

A COUNCIL has been ordered to pay more than £160,000 in fines and costs after a paraplegic man was fatally suffocated using a hoist designed to help him in his home.

Newport City Council pleaded guilty in court to breaching health and safety legislation after Michael Powell died while attempting to hoist himself out of bed on January 20, 2008 – and was unable to call for help.

Newport Crown Court heard that an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed there was no emergency call button and that the hoist should not have been operated by Mr Powell alone.

Newport council had installed ceiling track hoists in his bathroom and bedroom in a bid to help him to live independently, and Newport Crown Court heard that they were subject to regular maintenance checks by the council’s in-house disability equipment providers, Monwel Hankinson.

But an HSE investigation revealed that the handset control for the ceiling track hoist was on the floor next to his bed and that tests indicated that it could easily detach and fall off.

It also found that one of the directional buttons on the handset was pointing in the wrong direction and that the emergency pull cord that would normally lower the user to safety if trapped was not working due to corrosion of the battery terminals. The HSE said the hoists had been provided to Mr Powell to use on his own, without the aid of a carer – but that the manufacturer’s guidance indicated they should only be used with a carer present. He had no alarm or call system to help him if he became trapped, and he had no means of summoning help, the court heard.

The council pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £60,108.02.

The OFT has today published its emerging key findings on the market study. Please access this link in order to view the Emerging Key Findings and Invitation to Contribute http://www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/markets-work/current/mobility-aids/

The emerging key findings are based on the information the OFT have received so far from a wide range of interested parties and from the consumer research commissioned to understand the purchasing experiences of users/purchasers of mobility aids. (more…)

Community Equipment Solutions welcomes the new report produced by The King’s Fund which calls on health and adult social care funding in England to be integrated nationally and locally.

Community Equipment Solutions has been advocating pooled funding and integrated care for some time. We have before demonstrated, in our earlier paper calling on the need for standards, the financial folly of not appropriately commissioning the provision of community equipment across health and social care. We have also been actively involved in the Dilnot review where we highlighted these issues. Furthermore we have identified in a report some potential dangers to the existing pooled funding arrangements by the introduction of the DH led Transforming Community Equipment Services Retail Model, especially as this is weighted toward social care equipment provision.

We believe the recommendations of The King’s Fund paper have the potential to resolve longstanding difficulties faced with the provision of community equipment, and the resultant impact upon health and social care. We further believe that the recommendations of the report should be taken further to include education and housing for example, as issues with these, in a community equipment and adaptation context, can also have profound effects upon health and social care.

Our forthcoming Quality Standards (to be launched June 2011), specifically deal with pooled funding and working across boundaries. This will enable organisations to take on board the recommendations of The King’s Fund report in so far as the provision of community equipment is concerned. There is real window of opportunity here for bringing together and harnessing all of these issues with the formation of the Health and Wellbeing Boards. (more…)

Read this compelling new paper, which clearly demonstrates why Standards are both essential and urgent for the Transforming Community Equipment Services Retail Model

It is now widely known that Standards for community equipment provision are due to be issued in England early 2011 (in the form of Best Practice Guidelines). This is supported by The UK Community Equipment Standards Adoption Group. The Guidelines will cover the provision of community equipment in its entirety, including the Transforming Community Equipment Services (TCES) Retail Model.

We have written a summary paper to make it clear why Standards for England are required to cover the Retail Model, as well as other methods of provision. The paper examines the main issues and concerns relating to the Retail Model, and is to be read in conjunction with our original paper calling on The Need for National Minimum Standards, as this provides the overall context. (more…)