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Camden New Journal - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 6 September 2007

The wheelchairs that went walkabout

AN AMNESTY has been declared in Hampstead but it’s not a call to surrender guns, knives or drugs.
Instead, the Royal Free Hospital just wants its wheelchairs, walking sticks and crutches back – no questions asked.
Injured patients who wander off, or are wheeled off, with hospital-owned zimmer frames and walking aids have become the latest financial drain on the Pond Street hospital’s resources
Hospital chiefs are now canvassing opinions on how to keep hold of their valuable equipment – and is considering a series of options including branding wheelchairs, using a supermarket trolley-style coin system or demanding a deposit from their hobbling patients.
The last 40 wheelchairs were actually bought by the hospital’s charity, the Friends of the Royal Free.
Arthur Brill, chairman of the Royal Free Patient and Public Involvement forum said: “We’ve been asked for our suggestions as to how they might retain the wheelchairs. Some of the team have suggested putting the hospital’s whole name on the back of the chair or leaving a deposit. Disabled people need them.”
It is not clear just how much of the hospital’s equipment has gone walkabouts but hospital sources say the financial implications are huge.
Now the hospital has had enough of broken promises from patients who have been given the equipment on loan and has declared a walking aid amnesty.
Mr Brill said: “I’ve been raising the issue of what implements are costing the hospital because there seems to be a difference of opinion as to whether they are asking people to bring back crutches and things. There seems to be a very lax way of dealing with it. People weren’t being asked to bring them back. This is beginning to cause us concern. I’m concerned about the cost to the establishment. I’m in favour of doing anything to get the equipment back.”

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