NHS

Presumably "used" crutches would have to be formally stress-tested and documented as such. Records would have to be kept as to how long the crutches had been in circulation, etc, etc. I think the cost would outweigh any benefit.

There is a trend now for a substantial proportion of problems experienced within the NHS being put down to bad practice - too many managers, inefficient use of resources, etc, etc. Having watched the two series of Hospital, it is fairly evident to me that managers are an essential part of allocating resources and solving issues relating to bed space, staffing, special surgical requirements, etc. So far as other personnel are concerned, it seems to me that many of the medical, nursing and other staff go well beyond the call of duty to provide good care to their patients, despite the most challenging circumstances.

Like any other social or commercial operation, there is always room for improvement in terms of efficiency but my view is that the NHS has been messed about with so much - and the amount of money allocated to it has not met increasing demand, so in real terms its money has been cut. knickas, as someone seeing what happens from within, has already mentioned the corrosive effect of contracting out services to private companies.

I understand the frustration about returning aids to the NHS or l.a. In truth, the cost of cleaning, refurbishing and recycling could be prohibitive these days.

Crutches, if used regularly, have a shelf life of around 2 years.

I'm told there is a notice in the local hospital encouraging people to return crutches.

Slightly off topic, but has anyone else noticed that there are ads on TV for training for nursing? Presumably the government have at last woken up to the fact that there are too few nurses in post and found some funding.

Our local hospital is managed well, and manages to invest in new treatments and equipment, but many are poorly run. I work in NHS finance, and the funding is stifled, subject to difficult to meet conditions, and generally not going where it should. Privatisation is creeping in through the back door, and a large portion of current mps have shares in Private Healthcare firms. This strikes me as a conflict of interest!

Crutches are cheap. It costs more to disinfect them than to buy new. Also, the NHS can't guarantee they haven't been mistreated and would fail when the next person used them.