University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) completed a merger by acquisition of Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) on 1st April 2018.  Due to historical differences in data collection/reporting across UHB and the former Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust this response has been provided by hospital site.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Using the Freedom of Information Act, may I please request the following information.

1. From January 1 2014 until the date of this request, how many temporary walking /mobility aids available for patients have been deemed irrecoverable / missing?

Please list the number of temporary walking / mobility aids by type (ie 45 x crutches, 3 x wheel chairs) and by year.

We have lost 84 wheelchairs since 2014. We do not hold this information by year. All other walking aids are loaned via Mediquip.

2. Please also state, where known, the amount spent on walking / mobility aids such as these each year.

Wheelchairs

2014: £19,875

2015: £8,415

2016: £11,747

2017: £14,629

2018 (to end September): £7,399

All other walking aids are loaned via Mediquip.

Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull Hospital

Using the Freedom of Information Act, may I please request the following information.

1. From January 1 2014 until the date of this request, how many temporary walking /mobility aids available for patients have been deemed irrecoverable / missing?

Please list the number of temporary walking / mobility aids by type (ie 45 x crutches, 3 x wheel chairs) and by year.

We do not hold this information prior to April 2016. The information we do hold is below.

2016/2017   –   3 wheelchairs unable to retrieve.

2017/2018   –   2 wheelchairs unable to retrieve.

2018/2019   –   3 wheelchairs unable to retrieve.

2. Please also state, where known, the amount spent on walking / mobility aids such as these each year.

The main areas which issue walking/mobility aids are Trauma and Orthopaedics and A&E. Most patients would received walking aids via non-hospital routes.