1. What are the commissioning arrangements for the provision of medical aids (e.g. nebulisers) and mobility equipment, (e.g. walking frames, crutches, wheelchairs, commodes and standing stools etc.) for health and social care service users in Devon?
Mobility equipment (not covering wheelchairs) is commissioned from Devon Independent Living Integrated Service (DILIS), Millbrook which provides community equipment, minor adaptations, TECS and Augmentative, Alternative Communication (AAC) devices as a single service offer. Further information is available from their website at: DILIS
2. What is the budget for the provision of the equipment, broadly described above?
The overall budget for Community Equipment Stores in 2019 / 2020 is £6,366,000, this covers new equipment, deliveries / collections, independent living centre costs and staffing.
3. What proportion of the equipment is provided by healthcare professionals and organisations; what proportion is provided by social care?
Devon County Council do not hold this information. This is not measured in Devon as health and social care and DILIS is an integrated service.
4. From whom does Devon County Council procure these services and what are the start and end dates of the current contract?
The Devon Independent Living Integrated Service (DILIS) is a joint DCC and NHS contract. The provider is Millbrook. The contract runs until 2022 with options for extensions
5. What are the requirements within the contract, to ensure collection, cleaning and reuse or recycling of the equipment?
Collections are arranged by appointment within 5 working days as standard, or 1 working day if urgent. Where possible all equipment is cleaned, serviced returned to stock and then reissued. The target is 90% of equipment valued over £30 is recycled.
6. What is the cost of the equipment that is not recycled or reused?
Devon County Council do not hold this information.
7. What proportion of the loss is carried by each healthcare organisation?
Following our response to question 6, we therefore do not hold this information. However, we can confirm that it is a joint budget so any loss is carried across the commissioning organisations
8. What proportion is carried by social care providers? Please specify by organisation or geographical council area.
Please refer to our response to question 7.
9. What commissioner contract clause ensures the reuse and recycling of equipment, to reduce financial cost and environmental damage?
Please refer to our response to question 5
10. What supervision or reporting structure is there between the commissioner DCC and main provider (Millbrook Healthcare), to monitor the successful collection, reuse or recycling of this equipment.
The DILIS commissioners hold regular contract monitoring meetings where performance, against targets including operational practice, are monitored and reviewed.
11. What measures for success are Millbrook and other providers expected to achieve?
The DILIS contract includes Key Performance Indicators (KIPs) which are monitored by the commissioners as part of the ongoing contract monitoring.
12. What monitoring of collection points of equipment are required, to prevent private companies and charities from selling NHS/Social Care equipment for their own financial gain?
Collection Points are either NHS Hospitals or DCC contracted Recycling Centres. Both of these are secure sites and are monitored. Millbrook regularly make collections from these collection points.