Calderdale residents requiring specialist equipment for health needs will now experience a more efficient ordering service.
A new community equipment ordering system is now in place, to provide a more efficient and timely service to Calderdale residents and to staff placing the orders.
The system is used for ordering any pieces of equipment – from walking frames to beds and mattresses – which help people to live independently.
The new ordering system works very much like online shopping and comes with an online catalogue for health and social care professionals to select products. It will replace the time consuming previous order-by-email system and will now allow an order to be tracked.
The Loan Store, which is funded by Calderdale Council, Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust (CHFT) and Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), currently handles around 22,000 requests a year for equipment. The new system includes email alerts so equipment delivery dates and times can be highlighted in advance and tracked until they are received.
Once equipment is ready to be returned, it will be possible to easily arrange a collection, with a specific date and time allocated for convenience.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services and Wellbeing, Cllr Bob Metcalfe, said:
“It’s great that we’re utilising modern technology to make the process of ordering specialist equipment more efficient.
“This equipment is vital to help residents live independently and it’s so important that people are able to receive this equipment quickly and easily.”
Dr Helen Davies, Community Healthcare lead at NHS Calderdale CCG, said:
“Working as a partnership we have been able to make real progress in improving the overall experience of people who use the equipment store.
“This is a great example of using technology to make our services easier and more convenient to use.”
ENDS