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NHS England has confirmed that the National Framework for Prosthetics equipment will be operational from April 2021 in a move that will ensure people will receive equal access to equipment, regardless which part of the country they are in.

It comes as the NHS reviews a broad range of specialised services it commissions, including prosthetics.

NHS England is responsible for planning and buying specialised services for those who need complex disability equipment, including all major upper and lower limb amputees, as well as people with congenital limb deficiencies who have a potential to use prosthesis to help them mobilise or improve upper limb function.

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The new framework is set to address the issue of equal access to equipment that patients raised to NHS England following its engagement with stakeholders last year.

Currently across the UK, it is estimated that around 55,000 – 60,000 patients with an amputation or congenital limb deficiency attend specialist rehabilitation service centres.

In England, there are 35 centres across the country, with the NHS spending approximately £60 million per year on providing prosthetic services.

Following the engagement with patients and healthcare professionals working in centres, NHS England will now launch the new national equipment framework next year.

In a communication issued on the 11th May, NHS England and NHS Improvement said: “This should ensure that all patients will have access to the appropriate equipment to meet their clinical need regardless of which prosthetics centre they attend, offering more patient choice and standardisation on price.”

It also verified that the review of prosthetic services has been paused due to the review team being re-deployed to support with the national coronavirus response.

According to NHS England, when the review restarts, it intends to organise engagement events with stakeholders, particularly with patient groups to discover what affect potential changes to the clinical model could have on those with complex needs and people with upper limb prostheses.

“We will be in touch with people with more information about these events, but if you would be interested in being involved with these please contact us at england.prosthetics.transformation@nhs.net,” added the communication.

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https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/prosethics-engineers.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/prosethics-engineers-150x150.jpgCalvin BarnettNewsroomNHSSector NewsNHS England has confirmed that the National Framework for Prosthetics equipment will be operational from April 2021 in a move that will ensure people will receive equal access to equipment, regardless which part of the country they are in. It comes as the NHS reviews a broad range of specialised...News, views & products for mobility, access and independent living professionals