Cornwall Council and the local NHS are urging residents to hand back unused or unwanted care equipment this winter.
The council, working in partnership with NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, loans out essential items such as walking frames, crutches, commodes, beds, and short-term loaned wheelchairs to help people live independently at home. But many of these items are left unused or forgotten in people’s homes once they are no longer needed.
Councillor Jim McKenna, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health Partnerships, said: “Every item returned can make a real difference. It helps another person stay independent in their own home and also reduces pressure on our health and care services.
“We know that people often keep equipment because they are not sure what to do with it or don’t realise it was only on loan. We’re asking everyone to take a moment to check and return anything they no longer need. It’s quick, easy, and it helps ensure support is available for others.”
Giving back equipment helps local health and care services make the most of their resources and ensures valuable items can be reused rather than thrown away. Larger items such as beds and hoists are particularly costly to repurchase, while reusing existing equipment saves money for the taxpayer. Cornwall Council’s in-house retrieval team works with Medequip to collect, clean and refurbish items so they can safely be issued to someone else who needs them.
Each piece of equipment should have a barcode label with details of where to return it. Medequip can provide guidance on where smaller items such as crutches, walking frames, or perching stools can be taken. They can also help arrange a free collection for larger pieces of equipment.
Anyone unsure what to do can contact Medequip for advice on 01726 210477 or email cornwall@medequip-uk.com or visit Medequip's website.Medequip
Leighton Day, Director of Delivery at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly said: “It's great that free NHS health and care equipment is helping so many people in their recovery, but we have a real challenge of getting items that are no longer required back to us. That's why we're asking anyone who has any unneeded NHS loan equipment to hand it back for others to use - no questions asked! With more than 90,000 crutches not returned - we’re hoping this campaign will really help restock our equipment stores for patients to benefit from.
“Every unneeded item that is handed back for reuse will help someone else to live more independently, make the best use of valuable NHS funds, and reduce our footprint on the environment. It’s a small action that has a big impact.”
Published on November 24, 2025