Medequip and AJM Healthcare awarded Somerset Community Equipment Service contract
Community equipment provider Medequip has been commissioned by Somerset County Council and NHS Somerset to provide the newly integrated Community Equipment and Wheelchair Service across the county for five years.
The contract will be supported by AJM Healthcare, who are a provider of NHS wheelchair services throughout the UK, and all parties will work closely to ensure they are providing the best service and value for Somerset’s residents; working together with the council and NHS to improve service delivery and address problems if they occur.
Over the period of the contract Medequip expect to introduce new initiatives to evolve the service provision as demands on the service change and emerge across the Health and Social Care sector, particularly in developing technological solutions to mitigate that challenges of service delivery in the rural locations of West Somerset.
Michaela Harris, Medequip’s Regional General Manager for the South West said: “Medequip is proud to have partnered with AJM Healthcare to provide the new Community Equipment and Wheelchair Service contract in conjunction with Somerset County Council and NHS Somerset.
“The service includes the delivery and fitting of equipment, wheelchairs and ceiling track hoists, servicing, collection and recycling. The service will have a personalised focus, actively engaging with people who use the service, listening to their views in order to shape and enhance the service provision.
“Medequip and AJM Healthcare bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Somerset region and are pleased to be able to provide a new and improved service to this area.
“We are excited to welcome all the staff that will continue to support the service on the 1st August as well as some newcomers, and we look forward to making a real difference in how the service operates to really help the people of Somerset.”
The Community Equipment and Wheelchair Service will run from August 2022 to July 2027 and will provide a range of equipment, from simple to complex items on loan for as long as is required by the person using the service, which includes the delivery and fitting of equipment, wheelchairs and ceiling track hoists, servicing, collection and recycling.
Recently, Medequip was commissioned by BNSSG Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council to manage the Integrated Community Equipment Service (ICES) across the region for five years.
Medequip will also support Somerset’s aim to be a carbon neutral county by 2030 as Medequip is committed to using power from sustainable sources across its operations and will procure additional fully electric vehicles to service this contract as part of the company’s commitment to clean air initiatives.
The community equipment provider has been adopting new technologies to reduce CO2 and NOx emissions since autumn of last year, and more than 10 per cent of the national fleet is now 100 per cent electric powered.
