Vital to users
ShopMo Shuttle ISSUE 2 - MAY 2015
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DONNA’S DIARY
You make it what it is Welcome to your latest ShopMo Shuttle. I had a lot of positive feedback from you on the new look, which was lovely to receive. Please feel free to get in touch with any ideas for the Shuttle - this is your magazine and we need your input to keep it relevant. We are very pleased with the number of renewals from schemes and want to build on this, continuing to support members and provide additional benefits. If you’re holding an event you’d like NFSUK to attend or support, please do get in touch and let us know.
congratulate Redhill on being the first Shopmobility to receive a review on the new website! Speaking to Karl who looks after Redhill, he was thrilled to hear that an email praising the work he and his colleagues have been doing was sent in. You can promote this function to those who use your service and if you receive any cards or notes, feel free to scan me a copy or put a photocopy in the post and I can add the praise to the online reviews for your Shopmobility. Secondly, I’d like to give a huge welcome to the new managers of Taunton Shopmobility . We wish Rachel and her team every success in their new venture and you can read all about it on pg 4.
Using our Facebook group is a great way of finding out about other schemes’ events and what they’re up to. Access to our new website and growing Facebook group is part of your benefits package, so please feel free to join in. The group is for discussions between you and us, as well as a way “ I also wanted to of getting direct access to each other. You can share your stories or local news congratulate Redhill relevant to Shopmobility with the group on being the first and gauge each others’ opinions. This quarter, the Facebook group generated Shopmobility to receive an interesting story on the use of mobility a review on the new scooters from a local news report in the website! ” Teeside area (see page 6). I’d like to thank those Shopmobility Donna Eade schemes featured in this quarter. I appreciate taking time out to write 300 words and find a picture when you are running your scheme can be difficult, but the magazine just wouldn’t work without your stories. This is the perfect forum to share your news, so please keep the stories coming. They don’t have to be new and you don’t have to wait for me to ask, just send them in any time to shopmobility@bhta.com marked ShopMo Shuttle.
We would really like to run a birthday feature in the next Shuttle - I know many of you are celebrating your scheme’s 20th or 21st birthday this year. It would be great to hear from you, whether that’s with a story on how you’ve succeeded over those 20 years, a memorable moment or how you’ve celebrated your birthday. Please do email me at shopmobility@bhta.com, marked ShopMo Shuttle. Have a great quarter!
I’d like to draw your attention to two stories in particular this month - firstly a story from Redhill (see page 5). I also wanted to
Contents Members News............................................ 3
Scottish care................................................10
Save Our Seats............................................. 7
Mobility vehicles........................................12
Westminster Watch................................... 8
Society grows..............................................16
British Healthcare Trades Association, Suite 4.06, New Loom House, Back Church Lane, London E1 1LU. Tel: 020 7702 2141 Fax: 020 7680 4048 Email: bhta@bhta.com Website: www.bhta.com Photo credits: Cover photograph: Courtesy of the North Devon Journal
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TGA offers all Shopmobility fleets free puncture sealant TGA, the UK’s leading mobility scooter specialist, is offering all Shopmobility Managers across the UK two offers on its award-winning puncture sealant. Until the end of August 2015, TGA is exclusively offering Shopmobility – 1. A third off every 300ml bottle of its highly effective TGA Puncture Sealant. Now only £5.00 reduced from £7.50 per bottle. RRP £10. 2. Free injection of TGA Puncture Sealant in every new TGA mobility scooter with pneumatic tyres purchased before September 2015. Stocking TGA Puncture Sealant at your Shopmobility store has lots of benefits. You can choose to either sell bottles to customers for their own scooters, or use it to protect your loan fleet. It is easy to inject into all scooter pneumatic tyres, whatever the make and model, and will help avoid flat tyres in the majority of cases. If you are looking to maximise convenience, then any new scooter purchased from TGA, such as the ideal around-town Sonet, can come with sealant already pre-injected. This reduces the potential cost of having to immediately replace tyres and minimises the time a scooter might be out of action. Local shoppers, holidaymakers or people looking for longer loans, can all have extra peace of mind if they choose a scooter with TGA Puncture Sealant onboard. Demobilising flat tyres are a real pain – reduce the worry with TGA. Winner of last year’s BHTA Independent Living Design Award, TGA’s Puncture Sealant is helping so many scooter users across the UK. It automatically seals punctures measuring up to 6mm in the tyre tread area so normal scooter performance usually continues with minimal pressure loss.
This viscous liquid coats the inside of a tyre and if a hole occurs, its innovative fibres bind together to form a seal within seconds as the wheel turns. TGA Puncture Sealant benefits both Shopmobility fleets and their customers as it offers the peace of mind associated with hard solid wheels, yet the comfort and extra range delivered by air-filled tyres. There are similar products available today, however TGA Puncture Sealant pioneers in the marketplace as it: • is 100% environmentally friendly • can remove the traditional need to carry a puncture repair kit • can eliminate the immediate requirement to re-inflate or replace a tyre Peter Jones, volunteer at the independently run Shopmobility store based in Burnley, Lancashire, recommends TGA Puncture Sealant. His own
recently purchased TGA Vita Lite was supplied with the solution pre-injected so a recent holiday driving around the Isle of Arran was stress-free. Peter said: “TGA scooters are so comfortable, stable and easy to drive, it is a delight to be a Vita Lite owner. The puncture sealant gives me extra reassurance when out and about which can be true of all Shopmobility customers if it’s added to their chosen scooter.” Whether you or your customers decide to inject tyres with TGA’s Puncture Sealant, the process is so quick and simple. A useful video is available on the TGA website explaining this and how the solution works. It can be found at: http:// www.tgamobility.co.uk/product/tyrepuncture-prevention-system-300ml. This sealant is ideal for the TGA Sonet, which is an easy-to-control mobility scooter perfect for Shopmobility fleets. Details of this TGA scooter can be found here: http://www.tgamobility.co.uk/ product/sonet To place your order or find out more about TGA Puncture Sealant, contact us: Tel: 01787 882244 Email: sales@ tgamobility.co.uk Web: www.tgamobility. co.uk
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Stockton Mobility Centre flourishes Stockton Shopmobility Ltd was established in 1995 as a Company and a Registered Charity and we started by just providing the basic Shopmobility service, core funded by our local authority. We later tendered for and won the contract to run the Dial-ARide service, which we did very successfully for several years until it was taken back ‘in house’ by the council as a cost cutting measure. At the moment we have one full-time member of staff, our Manager Daniel, who has been with us for just over eleven years - since he left school in fact. We also have three part-time members of staff, one volunteer and the charity is governed by a board of six trustees. Over the years, we have had partnerships with several retailers of mobility products in an effort to raise money for the charity through commission. Alas, these partnerships seemed doomed to fail for one reason and another. We realised that we needed to get across to the general public that there was more to us than just the ‘shopping service’. So after advice from another company, in 2011 we re-branded our company as Stockton Mobility Centre, to bring together the Shopmobility service and our retail business. This has proved to be very successful.
Stockton High Street has been undergoing a multi million pound refurbishment over the last couple of years and the crowds came out to see the street theatre and live music at the official opening, on 21 March 2015. We have completely replaced our hire fleet as we didn’t want to let our wonderful new High Street down. We are hoping that the Shopmobility branches that used to come to us for a day trip will come back and see the stunning transformation, including the beautiful water feature in the middle of the town.
Keeping Taunton Shopmobility on the road
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Compass Disability Services is a user-led organisation of disabled people and carers based in Taunton, the rather lovely County town of Somerset. Since 2000 we have been providing a range of services that support people in being independent, including Independent Living, Consultation and Representation and Carers Support services.
This is the first time that we have managed a scheme like Shopmobility and we were therefore really pleased that Colin, who has worked there for a number of years, has agreed to continue to work for us. As well as bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge about the scheme, he’s also a favourite with the customers.
In 2014, we became aware through local media that the future of Taunton Shopmobility was in doubt as the Council was faced with making substantial savings to balance the books. The scheme has been running for a number of years and has provided an invaluable service to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access the town’s shops, facilities and services without the use of mobility equipment. Now, after lengthy discussions between ourselves and the council we are delighted to take on the management of the scheme, keeping Shopmobility on the road.
Never ones to rest on our laurels, we will be sprucing up the place and looking at ways in which we can improve the service we are able to offer Shopmobility customers - such as hiring out scooters for the week for holiday makers and a volunteer-led shopping befriending scheme for people who would like a bit of extra support when doing their shopping. We are looking forward to ensuring Shopmobility is here for customers to enjoy for years to come. So watch this space for future developments and of course if you are in the area please do pop in and see us!
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Redhill Shopmobility’s intrepid volunteer John Saberi
Redhill’s hands-on approach Founded in 1997 by Irene Bunce, and located on Car Park Level One in The Belfry Centre at the heart of the town, Redhill Shopmobility has been a part of the fabric of Redhill Town ever since. Although we are a relatively small charity we pack a fair punch in that scooters and wheelchairs for shoppers is not all we do. We also provide a fairly large range of mobility/disability products at competitive prices. These include scooters – new and used – wheelchairs, rollators, walking sticks grab rails, cushions and a wide range of daily living aids. We are blessed in that we are located in the Belfry (our principle sponsor) where the benefits are many, not least we have: dedicated parking (free to Charity patrons), a competent team of first aiders - who also moonlight as Belfry Security- and easy access to the town. The “hands on” approach at ShopMob, from the Chairman down, is one of endeavouring to build relationships with members and customers alike. Apart from the regular Shopmobility service and sale of disability products, we provide a limited running repair service that includes rollator/wheelchair brake repair and adjustment and ferrule replacement. Our functions extend to scooter servicing and battery replacement. We are conscious that the provision of mobility aids and disability equipment in general represent just one aspect of the service we wish to provide. We know that behind each
purchase or enquiry there is likely to be a person with worries and anxiety regarding deteriorating health and the prospect of losing independence. We are also acutely aware that similar concerns will exist amongst family and friends of potential service users. Although we do not offer a counselling service as such, we do offer a listening ear, empathy and friendship. We will always do our best to resolve issues we are made aware of and if it is beyond our scope to provide the required guidance we will ensure that individuals or families are pointed in the right direction. As we are a charity and not a commercial enterprise we have the flexibility which enables us to spend much of our time talking with and supporting both the worried and the lonely. It can be argued, with some justification, this aspect of our service is of equal importance to our initial remit. All who work for Redhill Shopmobility either in a paid or voluntary capacity are inspired by the fortitude of people facing difficulty and humbled by the level of appreciation of the service that we offer. It is this, rather than any financial consideration which provides the lifeblood and inspiration to keep our charity fresh and vibrant.
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membersnews Do you know what’s legal and what’s not when it comes to mobility scooters? It seems I still have a lot to learn as our Facebook group member Sue bought some local news to our attention. Over in Teeside, plasterer Nigel Swinburne from Hartlepool saw a sight so bewildering to him that he took out his phone and captured it on camera. A mobility scooter user was towing a boat through the seaside town! Nigel was not the only person to capture the bizarre sight, as several images were posted on Facebook and even a video of the spectacle appeared online. It was picked up by the media and made national news. As humorous as the sight appears, it does bring up some very important issues over health and safety of scooter users and that of other road users. In addition to this, any added weight affects the top speed of a vehicle and reports state that the scooter was going no faster than 2mph, which causes added inconvenience to other vehicles. I couldn’t quite believe this was legal, so I did a little digging. It appears that although there are companies that sell small pullalong pod type trailers for scooters (they type you see on the back of push bikes), these are only for use on the pavement. As far as trailers of any kind being driven on the road, as in this case, the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 – Regulation 83 states that, invalid carriages are not to pull trailers at all, with no exceptions. If you have any local mobility related news that may be interesting to everyone please send it in.
Tom Hillier Award We have received our first nominations for the Tom Hillier Award this month, which is fantastic. The Tom Hillier Award was created to celebrate and recognise excellence within the Federation, named after Tom Hillier, who founded the NFSUK and he died in January 1991. It’s great to see that your clients are happy with the services you are providing them. The nomination form is on the new website www.nfsuk.org - you’ll find it in the NFSUK Member Area if you’ve signed up, or under the Public Information tab. The Secretariat will shortlist the entries for the award, which will then go to an independent judging panel for the final selection. So if you haven’t already printed some nomination forms off or handed them out to customers, do it now! Nominations for this year are open until the 1 September 2015.
Tom Hillier Award winners 2012, Salisbury Shopmobility
New NFSUK website The website is growing and many of you have already taken steps to claim your listings and customise your shop profile which is great to see. I would encourage those who haven’t to do so as soon as possible, as currently your listing will only have the phone number and address that was listed when we took over in November and in some instances I know these details are out of date. If you have lost your email that contained the instructions for signing up then please drop me an email. If you are having any difficulty in signing up, then please let me know - I can guide you through the process on the phone.
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Federation supports Save Our Seats campaign Ray Hodgkinson MBE spoke at the launch of Go North Devon’s Save Our Seats campaign this Spring, as a Director of the National Federation of Shopmobility UK (NFSUK). The campaign was launched to encourage businesses to get involved and support the community transport association, which provides Shopmobility, Ring and Ride and Out and About services. All these are aimed at getting people who might be frail or have mobility issues out in the community. Go North Devon is facing a £64,000 deficit in 2015/16 and Chairman Chris Willis said the funding deficit was a challenge that the organisation “could not meet alone”.
“It is absolutely essential that the wider benefit of this service is recognised and that some means is found of keeping the necessary finances going,” he said. “It is vital to the social fabric of North Devon.” Jan Lewis, community and events co-ordinator, said a recent survey showed the Shopmobility service brought around £220,000 into Barnstaple High Street. “It is a service used by all ages, not just the elderly,” she said. “It is there for everybody who needs it. We need to save our seats and we need help to do it.”
“ by 2020 there will be
over 1.5 million people over the age of 85 ”
Ellen Vernon, economic development manager at North Devon Council, told the audience that 48% of people’s spend on non-food goods in North Devon was made in Barnstaple, which was why Shopmobility was important in bringing people to the town.
“We need help to save our seats,” he said. “We need support of local and Ray Hodgkinson MBE, NFSUK national businesses. Without the backing we will be unable to help those members of our community who are frail, have poor Journal editor Lisa Templeton spoke mobility, who experience ill health and who have disabilities.” about the formation of the new North Devon Marketing Bureau and its role in promoting tourism in the region. “We need even Ray Hodgkinson MBE, NFSUK, said: more businesses to support the bureau and organisations like “At a time when the market is growing and there will be more Go North Devon,” she said. people requiring mobility assistance and access to equipment it Representing the National Federation of Shopmobility, Ray seems to us essential that these services survive. Hodgkinson MBE agreed that “We believe that Shopmobility To give you an example, by 2020 there will be over 1.5 million schemes are vital to users and to local transport schemes and people over the age of 85 - double the current number. Many support Barnstaple Go North Devon in your Save our Seats will experience mobility problems but will wish to be able to campaign. access their town centres and retain their leisure time with their We are keen to find ways to improve the NFSUK services and families.” create more opportunities between BHTA members and local North Devon MP Nick Harvey spoke at the launch to explain schemes as well as improve income opportunities and raise how important the service was. awareness all round.”
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WESTMINSTER WATCH by Lord Rennard
Voting for healthcare Truth, they say, is the first casualty of war, and many people think that truth is also an early casualty in elections. Healthcare issues matter as much as any issue to voters, and it is hardly surprising that there have been so many claims and counter-claims made about them. All the parties want to help make the NHS more efficient and recognise that the NHS needs to buy in goods and services from the private sector. But suggestions that a party may want to “privatise” the NHS are obviously toxic. David Cameron’s first Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, lost that position as a direct result of his communication failures on this issue. It was claimed that the Health and Social Care Act of 2012 would lead to substantial privatisation of the NHS in England. But as Channel 4’s “Fact Check” http://blogs.channel4.com/ factcheck/factcheck-qa-save-nhs/20527 points out, “the widely respected King’s Fund, say that only about 10 per cent of NHS spending goes to non-NHS organisations.” That 10 per cent includes private companies as well as councils, charities and voluntary sector groups. The think-tanks says: “There has been growth in non-NHS provision of care, but there has been no wholesale privatisation of the NHS.” The real question is how to continue funding a Health Service, with ever increasing demands being made upon it. NHS England’s latest five-year plan says there will be “a mismatch between resources and patient needs of nearly £30bn a year by 2020/21. Their CEO Simon Stevens says that £8bn of this must come from taxation. The main UK parties have accordingly pledged between £2bn and £8bn a year by then. The NHS England plan also suggests that £22bn can be found by efficiency savings. Finding them may be the main battleground over the NHS over the next five years. It will be a difficult task to achieve according to the health service watchdog Monitor. It suggests that savings of £10.6bn to £18bn are more realistic. Meanwhile, the Nuffield Trust has said the funding gap could be as high as £54bn. It is clear to me, that future Governments must also set out to tackle real public health problems in order to reduce demands on health
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and care services, as opposed to simply struggling to treat the consequences of them. All new MPs should be well briefed on health economics. The market for goods and services from the healthcare and assistive technology sector will grow substantially as a result of demographic change. Spending in the private and public sectors is bound to increase. But the need for efficiency savings mean that it will be far from simple for businesses to profit from the NHS. Concern about the role of the private sector has been at the heart of public debate over the NHS for many years. It has even led Labour to suggest a ‘profit cap’ of 5% for all businesses supplying goods and services to the NHS. Personally, I would not expect this policy to survive for very long. Serious scrutiny of it would expose the impracticality of trying to determine what it would cost a business to supply particular goods and services to the NHS in order to ensure this particular profit margin is not exceeded. Such a policy would also undermine investment in innovation of the kind that the NHS will really need if it is to manage its costs. But it is clear that businesses seeking to supply such goods and services to the NHS will have to work hard to demonstrate both tangible benefits to patient care and real long term value for money to the taxpayer. The integration of health and social care into combined budgets is to be welcomed as being in everyone’s interests, including those of the taxpayer. But the prospects of different negotiations with different bodies to whom control of the health and social care budgets is devolved, may make them more costly and more complicated. It will be important for the next Secretary of State for Health, and for the Treasury, to ensure that that there are proper national standards to avoid damage to patient care and increasing costs resulting from greater complexity. Patients will also benefit if they have greater flexibility in future to choose health and care services that are most appropriate for them from personal budgets, whilst sometimes being able to choose additional services without fear of losing everything that the NHS can do for them.
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Looking back, looking forward Ray Hodgkinson MBE, Director of Public Affairs, looks back at his time as Director General of BHTA: Running a trade association like the BHTA is challenging and not an eight hour day. Its diversity is a difficult task and in 1999 we had little direction and not much to encourage new members or get the old ones to stay. As is the case with many trade associations, apathy ruled, and only when we have a “dragon to slay” do we react. As the BHTA had so many sectors that could have meant we had dragons in all Sections at the same time – it has been near that on occasion!
professionals and therefore we need to be ethical and mindful of that person who will use your products and services. We touch people in a number of ways. Physically, most certainly, but also with advice - directly to a user or via healthcare professionals, which may be directly, over the telephone or via the internet. To a vulnerable person and their family, it is important that we all recognise that responsibility and not pay lip service to it but ensure we uphold it.
I have always looked at the job as a form of guardianship and in that way tried to ensure that the outside world has confidence in our decisions, respecting the membership’s ethical standing and commitment to act in the public “ I have always looked interest first. That can be a balancing act with all the stresses and strains at the job as a form of of competitiveness among members. guardianship ” Getting a consensus can be difficult and sometimes illusive, but in the Ray Hodgkinson MBE main there has been a large degree of success in doing that.
I do recollect very early on, and even when making the decision to take on the role, thinking “How do you go about moving a culture forward?”. It seemed necessary to move the thinking from an inward, reactive process to an outward, proactive, customer-based one. So, with Sarah Lepak, we set about finding ways to show members and non members that we could work and act in their interests.
My time as Director General was both challenging and satisfying, and I look forward to a slightly easier pace in my new role as Director of Public Affairs.
So I dived in with much enthusiasm and passion. I have always believed in what we stand for, so it was not difficult to display that to all concerned – Ministers included. After all, we as an industry impact on the lives of others and bring solutions and an enhanced quality of life to thousands. Importantly, we have at long last convinced many (especially within government) that we do this economically and in reality save the public purse millions. It had seemed to me for a very long time, a view I came to very early in my career, that we all have a very special responsibility. All manner of companies and individuals support healthcare
Ray Hodgkinson MBE, Director of Public Affairs
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Part of the solution for Scottish care Following the success of last year’s Scottish Parliamentary reception, BHTA Scotland held its second event at Holyrood on 10 March 2015. The event, designed to let MSPs know about the central role BHTA members play in patient and client care on the ground in Scottish constituencies, was hosted by Jenny Marra MSP (Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing). The event was also supported by last year’s sponsor, Michael McMahon MSP, Convener of the Cross Party Group on Disability, as well as Jim Hume MSP (Lib Dem Health spokesperson), Rhoda Grant MSP (Labour’s Shadow Minister for Health Improvement), Nanette Milne (Conservative Public Health spokesperson) and Labour Whip Margaret McDougall MSP. BHTA Scotland Chair Lisa Barry welcomed BHTA’s Director General Tracey Lloyd on her first visit to the Scottish group.
“ I assessed the unmet
needs of my caseload and collated an electronic register of every patient in the Western Isles ”
Rosemary MacRitchie
With delayed discharge still a significant problem and the integration of health and social care progressing over the coming year, it was the perfect time to highlight member companies’ contribution to helping people live safe, independent lives in their own homes. Kenneth Munro of W Munro (Rehab) Ltd spoke of his thirty years experience and the growing professionalization of the sector. He also talked about the support for professional standards provided by the new Healthcare & Assistive Technology Society, which already has over 400 members working in hands-on roles in assistive technology, all of whom have signed up to the Society’s Code of Practice. MSPs also heard from Rosemary MacRitchie, Clinical Nurse Specialist Tissue Viability/Continence Adviser in NHS Western Isles, who presented her service changes, evidencing greatly improved health and experience outcomes for people with continence needs. After the two presentations, there was a lively and interactive discussion on a range of topics from procurement to stoma care, including the important partnership between BHTA members and Allied Health Professionals for the benefit of patients. Kenneth Munro, W. Munro (Rehab) Ltd Jim is a 35 year old family man who has a progressive degenerative condition. He is wheelchair bound and relies on his family and carers to support his needs. Working with healthcare professionals, companies like W Munro
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(Rehab) Ltd advise, demonstrate and maintain a range of equipment that assists Jim in his daily life and in moving around his home. We have been involved in installing a ceiling track hoist, which assists in lifting Jim and moving him from his height adjustable profiling bed to his specialised posturally-managed seating system. These are just a couple of examples of the Assistive Technology equipment used to help Jim maintain as much independence as possible. This close co-operation with healthcare professionals is an example of the type of team work that is involved in keeping Jim at home with his family in a community setting. Rosemary MacRitchie, Clinical Nurse Specialist Tissue Viability/Continence Adviser in NHS Western Isles NHS Western Isles has now become the first Health Board in Scotland to implement a new patient management system for individuals with ‘actively managed incontinence’, so that patients’ individual issues are managed more proactively, effectively and efficiently. Latest figures show that between three and six million people in the UK are estimated to have some degree of urinary incontinence, and ‘major faecal incontinence’ affects 1.4 per cent of the general population over 40 years old. These issues can be managed with the right support, however, stigma and embarrassment really restrict progress. The service manages an active caseload of people with severe continence needs across a very challenging demographic. The 13 islands of the Western Isles demand particularly innovative
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– helping you all the way THIS IS A FINANCIAL PROMOTION
Product Liability Insurance: Protection for Your Business Product Liability Insurance provides solid protection for your business relating to the manufacturing or sale to the public of products, foods, medicines or other items.
(left to right) Rhoda Grant Labour, Shadow Minister for Sport, Health Improvement & Mental Health; Rosemary MacRitchie Continence nurse specialist, NHS Western Isles ; Greg Quinn, Coloplast ; Jim Hume MSP, Scottish Lib Dem Health spokesperson and Tracey Lloyd Director General of BHTA
approaches to deliver access to patients and enable them to partner in shared care management. This includes care coordination with colleagues in all public sector agencies. The service assessed a new e-management system was required to underpin best-care of existing service users, and for the service to expand to enable access for all hard-to-reach groups. There were a cohort of patients that were not aware they could call on a Continence Health Care Professional. I had already established an effective and transparent contracted relationship with Coloplast Ltd, who manufacture a wide range of intimate health products. I assessed the unmet needs of my caseload and – using a bespoke web-based ProACT Patient Management system - collated an electronic register of every patient in the Western Isles. This gave NHS Western Isles a baseline to develop a new proactive continence service, and included patients who are sheath, catheter and ISC (intermittent self-catheterisation) users, rather than patients who use absorbent products, such as incontinence pads. The register is managed by the continence service, who review and order the products for each individual patient every month, which has created a proactive, timely and much more efficient service. This has resulted in a substantial reduction in prescribing costs, Increased efficiency resulting from fewer unplanned hospital admissions, reduced length of hospital stay, improved patient outcomes and reduced adverse incidents, and proactive accessible care with patients supported to prevent complications and admissions, and enable best quality of life. (A more detailed version of this case study, with outcomes and underpinning data, is available at www.bhta.net/ continenceservice)
Product Liability Insurance protects against the following claims: • Manufacturing or production flaws that cause unreasonably unsafe defects in the product (e.g. traces of dangerous chemicals, which could be toxic to users). • Design defects that make the product unsafe for use by the public. • Failure to provide adequate defect warnings or instructions for using the product. These claims arise when products are not properly labelled or had warnings that were not explanatory enough to reduce consumer risks while using the product. Depending on the outcome of the case, money may be awarded to the party that filed the claim for compensatory loss (including costs, economic damages and fees) or punitive damages (designed to deter the defendant from repeating the action that caused the damage). At times, these cases can put organisations out of business because the awarded damages are so substantial. Why Purchase Product Liability Insurance? Even if you do not physically manufacture a product, you may be at risk for litigation. Consider implementing these techniques into your organisation to limit product liability: • Develop a quality control programme and distribute it to your employees. It should outline procedures for product safety, design, testing and inspection, plus information regarding traceability, guidance regarding customer complaints and a product recall programme. • Place serial or batch numbers on all products to ensure that they are traceable in case of a recall. • Keep records of all information about your products, including testing, product performance, component percentages and complaints. • Ask a solicitor to review warning labels, assembly and operating instructions, disclaimers and any other information distributed to consumers. If you need additional assistance, consult a product safety specialist. • Ask a solicitor to periodically review contracts and indemnity agreements for use with your customers and subcontractors. Assure that these contracts limit the liability you will assume for a quality product and consider obtaining certificates for liability insurance from your subcontractors. Transferring risk is an essential part of protecting your business. Contact Christian Kaye at ICB Group for assistance with all your insurance needs.
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Mobility vehicles moving on As well as suggesting that wheelchair users contact BHTA for information about suppliers and recommending “always going to an approved supplier who should also assess your needs and help you to choose the right vehicle”, new guidance from the Department for Transport should also help users with complex conditions. The guidance document, “Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs on the road – some guidance for users”, gives a new maximum unladen weight of 150kg for a Class 3 (roadgoing) mobility vehicle. In addition to this new unladen weight limit, which makes it possible to have a heavier, more robust chair with a larger battery, the Department’s guidance also allows for “necessary user equipment” to be carried on mobility vehicles. This covers any equipment necessary “to meet specific clinical, postural, hygienic, caring or nursing requirements of the user”, which might include specialist seating to support a user’s body position, or a pressure care surface to prevent the formation of pressure ulcers. There is a new upper weight limit of 200kg for vehicles laden with equipment, enabling wheelchair users who need to carry essential items to do so. BHTA has for some time been engaging with the Department for Transport regarding changing the rules on weight for mobility vehicles, and we’re pleased to see that current guidance has moved on. Our free guidance leaflet “Get wise to buying a mobility vehicle” is available free to download from www.bhta.net/ home/get-wise.htm and is a useful guide for members of the public and anyone considering buying a mobility vehicle.
There’s been much discussion recently of whether insurance should be compulsory for mobility vehicles, partly in response to the perception of a high rate of accidents, and Sarah Lepak represented BHTA at a meeting with the Department for Transport in early April. This was a broad discussion of the issues around insurance, registration and licensing of mobility vehicles and their users, with representation from user groups and insurers, as well as industry, police, NHS, researchers and the government.
Sarah Lepak, BHTA Director of Governance and Policy Development
There was broad agreement that any moves towards compulsory insurance would have to be very clearly communicated BHTA guidance leaflet and implemented in stages to make this effective, and that what is appropriate for Class 3 road-going mobility vehicles is unlikely to be appropriate for Class 2 (not legal for use on the road). Users are currently asked to register their vehicles, but there is no requirement to have a registration plate or buy insurance, and it was agreed that registration needs to have a purpose to be meaningful.
“ Get wise to buying a mobility vehicle ”
Launch of the National Wheelchair Leadership Alliance
The Wheelchair Leadership Alliance held its inaugural meeting in January 2015, chaired by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson; Ray Hodgkinson MBE, BHTA’s Director of Public Affairs is one of the 12 Alliance members. This group is focused on building the Right Chair Right Time Right Now campaign, creating a Wheelchair Charter and calling for concerted action by the different stakeholder groups across England to make a difference to the experience of people who use wheelchairs. You can get involved in the work and share your ideas through contacting the Alliance via email at wheelchairs@ nhsiq.nhs.uk or on twitter via @rightwheelchair or@Tanni_ GT using #MyWheelchair.
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Compulsory insurance for mobility vehicles?
It was a positive meeting and the Department for Transport seems to be taking a pragmatic approach. There is clearly a spectrum of opinion on these issues, but we feel ultimately progress can be achieved.
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Independent OTs and BHTA, working together Getting patients the right equipment at the right time to support their independence can have real benefits for society as a whole. And it’s clearly in patients’ interests that health professionals and providers of healthcare and assistive technology should work closely together and have a good understanding. Occupational Therapists (OTs) are often the professionals who work with patients, focusing on supporting independence and helping people make the most of their lives. The College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section Independent Practice (COTSS-IPP) is the home for Occupational Therapists who work in private practice, rather than being employed by the public sector.
the right equipment, and installing it for maximum benefit, making sure the client gets what’s right for them.
COTSS-IPP assures the highest possible standards of clinical as well as business practice amongst their members, in order to safeguard the public and protect the reputation of independent OTs, and provide ongoing training and professional development opportunities for members, to help them constantly improve the quality of the services they provide to their clients.
As BHTA’s Director General said at the most recent COTSS-IPP Conference:
COTSS-IP and BHTA are working together to provide consumer legislation training for independent OTs on Tuesday 19 May 2015. This course will offer essential training on how to comply with new consumer legislation, particularly the new Consumer Act, which came into effect in June last year. The legislation impacts any OT in independent practice, whether they work with members of the public by phone, online, in a client’s own home or from their own premises and this half day course is designed to ensure OTs understand how consumer legislation affects their practice and their clients. Lead by BHTA’s Director of Governance and Policy Development, Sarah Lepak, this interactive session will cover the practical implications for OTs and the changes they make need to make to their working arrangements. The course will cover the following topics, which all independent OTs need to understand in order to comply with the law:
BHTA members have customers who need professional assessment of their needs, from assisting self care at home to helping increase their mobility out of the house. OTs can offer specialist assessment and prescription for the most appropriate type of support, tailored to the individual.
“While the internet can be a fantastic tool for research and comparison, too many people are buying complex equipment without a proper assessment of their needs or the product’s suitability for them. This means they could end up spending money on an unsuitable product that might even make their condition worse.
Lynda Niles, Chair of COTSS-IPP
Our specialist knowledge of those products and services can complement your knowledge of your client – working together, we can achieve the best possible outcome for them.”
• Mandatory information for customers • Optional charges • Types of contract rules governing their content • Cancellation rights • Returns and refunds • Dispute resolution The course takes place at 10:30 – 13:30 on Tuesday 19 May, at BHTA’s Wellingborough office. You can find more details and book your place online at http:// www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/consumer-act-training-coursetickets-16121696428 There is a clear synergy between members of COTSSIPP and BHTA. OTs have clients who can benefit from assistive technology products and services, whether that’s remote monitoring to increase their confidence at home, or specialised seating to improve their body position. BHTA member companies can offer advice and support on selecting
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Sir Harold Evans urges time for new thinking at the first Alf Morris Lecture On Tuesday 10th March, the inaugural Alf Morris Lecture was given by the renowned journalist and historian Sir Harold Evans, and attended by almost three hundred people. One of the key themes of Sir Harold’s talk was design: ‘It’s not the wheelchair that’s the disability – it’s the stairs! The environment should respond.’. He provided a number of examples of inconsistent design such as adapted cars but inaccessible parking meters and went on to ask ‘Why should the world be designed for people who have two legs, two arms and the usual bits and pieces? Why?’. His talk advocated a different way of thinking for technologists, product designers and planners, in which they consider carefully every person who wishes to interact within the environment and community. Sir Harold also urged attention to the demise of the Independent Living Fund and the new role of local authorities; he alerted the audience to the backlog in processing the new PIP allowance and asked whether funding for older and disabled people is yet at the level needed. Sir Harry’s concern with technology was echoed by Lord David Owen and a number of experts, including Professor Heinz Wolff (Emeritus Professor of Bioengineering at Brunel University). Professor Wolff advocates a change in public behaviour to adopt earlier use of technology, saying ‘Too many people leave making these changes until they are absolutely necessary.’ He has coined the term ‘tools for living’ and says that DLF has been a pioneer in publicising assistive technology. Sir Bert Massie (a former chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, director of RADAR and governor of Motability) was keen to stress that first you need to know what is available. ‘I’ve been disabled for over sixty years; most people become so later in life and don’t know about equipment and as a consequence their independence is slowly diminished. The first thing you need to know is what is there, and then what’s best for you and any advice. Life can be so much easier. That’s why the DLF and the new Fund are so important. The service the DLF provides is unique.’ Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley is a former MP, niece of Lord Morris, and now sits in the House of Lords. She said ‘I think Alf would be pleased but also surprised to see us all here. It’s on occasions like this that other new ideas are born. Someone will have a conversation tonight that leads to something new.’
Lady Irene and Gill Morris in discussion with Sir Harold Evans at the Dinner
Sir Harold Evans and host Victoria Macdonald in the Q&A after Sir Harry’s lecture
All the interviews and Sir Harold’s speech can be viewed in full online at www.facebook.com/dlfuk All income from the Lecture, drinks reception and dinner was donated to the Alf Morris Fund for Independent Living, launched by the Disabled Living Foundation and set up to honour a man who made a difference to the most vulnerable members of society. This Fund will help people find out about the resources available to keep them independent, and to help them make choices. Its purpose echoes Alf’s vision, in his own words, “adding life to years” rather than just years to life. Donations to the Fund are via https://mydonate. bt.com/charities/thealfmorrisfundforindependentliving or call 020 7432 8006.
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Sir Bert Massie a guest who was interviewed by DLF at the Alf Morris Lecture
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Take the first step to becoming an award-winner Entering the British Healthcare Awards is an easy, cost-effective way to raise your profile and demonstrate how proud you are of your work. We’re looking for: • strong new businesses (established in the last three years) • innovative products or services (brought to market in the last three years) • established products or services that continue to deliver great value to customers • great marketing campaigns with demonstrable results • creative solutions to how you sell or deliver products and services • products that have significantly enhanced independent living
simple and you have until 18 September 2015 to get your entry in. Our panel of independent judges, representing industrial, professionals and consumers will review all the submissions and decide on the winners, to be presented at the Awards dinner on 3 December. Take the first step to becoming an award-winning business and submit your entry by 18 September.
We believe most assistive technology business will be able to enter for at least one award and very much encourage you to do so. We received a fantastic number of entries last year and entering is easy - the whole process is now electronic, with no paper copies required. Simply complete the entry form (available shortly at www.bhta.net/awards), return it to us with payment details for the £25 fee and we’ll provide a link for you to upload your entry. It’s quick,
Our 2014 award winners – make your business one of the 2015 winners of these national awards.
We’ll also be recognising the BHTA Team of the Year and Individual of the Year, based on the customer satisfaction forms your customers return. All members companies have been sent out an initial batch of customer satisfaction forms and you can download more from www.bhta.net/customersatisfaction - this is a great way to demonstrate you’re getting feedback from your customers through an independent process.
Customer Satis
faction Survey
We’re committe d to operating to our customers the best service really high standards and offer we can. ing
To demonstrate that, we’re membe Healthcare Trades rs of Association (BHTA) the British keep to their Code and we agree to of Practice, which by both BHTA is strictly monitor and by the Trading ed Standards Institute .
Our commitmen • • •
Managing Director Steve Warburton of Disabled Care and Mobility, previous BHTA Team of the Year winner, said:
“
Winning the award was definitely a very proud moment in my life. After all the hard work that we as
a team have put in over the years it is extremely rewarding to know how much our customers appreciate what we are all about.
• • •
t to you:
we never cold-ca
ll
we never pressur e sell we protect all pre-payments and deposits customers from we encourage you to have an advisor present home visits at any we will give you information you need to know writing in through our membe rship of BHTA, to their free compla you have access ints mediation service if things wrong go
We want to know how we’re doing To help us offer – and so does BHTA. an even better service, we’d appreciate it if you could answer the three really on the other questions side of customers’ answer this page. BHTA will collate our s and let us know our scores They will anonym ise any comme . nts you make. If it’s easier, you can fill this in online http://www.bhta at... .net/consumers /your-opinion.htm l If you’re not happy with any aspect product, please of the service or talk to us on the telephone number above – we’ll do our best to given put it right. If we’re not able to resolve the problem to your satisfaction, you can contact BHTA assist. You can and ask them to contact them at complaints@bh on 020 7702 ta.com or 2141.
• •
Since winning the award there is definitely a feel good factor around the place and I certainly feel that it has increased the profile of “Disabled Care & Mobility Start your journey to being an award-winning company at www.bhta.net/awards
You can: •
Working to high ethical standards yourself is one thing, but to have your customers let you know that your staff also have the same approach, well, you couldn’t ask for any more really could you!!
answer the questio
ns online at http://w
ww.bhta.net/c hand the comple onsumers/you ted form overleaf r-opinion.html back to us and we’ll send it to or post the comple BHTA ted form overleaf (please ask us to BHTA for free; for one if you just use the Freepos cannot find it with this form). t address envelop e provide
”
d
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Society grows from strength to strength heard a presentation from The Professional Standards Authority The Healthcare and Assistive Technology Society is delighted to (PSA) for Health and Social Care, which oversees statutory welcome its new Advisory Board (as pictured above): bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the • Julia Scott: The British Association of Occupational UK. The PSA has developed an Accredited Register scheme Therapists (www.professionalstandards.org.uk/accredited-registers) and • Kay Purnell: Healthcare and Assistive Technology the Society has already applied to hold the Register for the Society Council healthcare and assistive technology sector. • Ian McCreath: The Alzheimer’s Society (represented by Adam Mileusnic) Since its launch in October 2014 at Trade Days, the Healthcare • Alison Somek: Somek and Associates and Assistive Technology Society has grown to over 400 • Baroness Glenys Thornton: Chair and Society Patron members from across the sector. It’s particularly pleasing to • Prof. Duncan Eaton: All Party see companies including Mangar Parliamentary Health Group International and BES Rehab signing • Dr. Sally Gosling: The Chartered up all their customer-facing staff, from “ The Healthcare and Society of Physiotherapists fitters and installers to sales staff and • Ray Hodgkinson: British Healthcare Assistive Technology engineers. Trades Association (BHTA) ” Society will be at Naidex The Society’s Council met in March • Clare Canale: The Posture and 2015 and discussed next steps in Mobility Group (not pictured) growing membership even further; This new group represents a wide range invitations will be going out shortly to BHTA members in of Allied Health Professionals and patient groups, providing the Childrens’ Equipment, Beds and Support Surfaces and a valuable wider perspective for the Society’s activities. The Pressure Care and Specialist Seating Sections. Advisory Board will support the standards, corporate aims and Philip Woodward, Accreditation and Professional Development objectives of the Society, advise the Executive Team and Society Manager, will be giving a presentation in the trade theatre at Council, oversee the Society’s disciplinary process, and promote Naidex, alongside Society Council members, and the Society awareness of the work the Society to the wider industry. will be at stand C61A throughout the show. Please do come Established to offer support and development opportunities and say hello, ask any questions, and sign up! The Society to individuals working in the healthcare and assistive also has a stand booked at Trade Days, which saw the very technology industry, the Society offers patients and healthcare first members sign-ups last year. The first issue of “Assistive professionals the assurance that all members are committed to Technology Practitioner”, the Society’s newsletter, has already a Code of Conduct. been sent to members and the next issue will be out in May. The composition of the Advisory Board was discussed and it was felt that the group would benefit from the addition of an educator, or representative from an educational institution, and an invitation has now been sent out by Baroness Thornton. Communications Manager Adam Mileusnic represented The Alzheimer’s Society at this first meeting, held at Millbank on 25 February, which was extremely positive. The Advisory Board
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New members
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A warm welcome to all these new member companies:
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BEDS AND SUPPORT SURFACES 1. RESTACARE Bury, Lancashire t 0800 975 5874 e Adam5181@aol.com w http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ electricbedworx?storeca chemiss=electricbed worx&t=km 2. SOTEC Pontefract t 01924 865567 e enquiries@sotecuk.co.uk w www.sotecuk.co.uk / www.tgoe.co.uk
ILPS SECTION 3. YOUR HOME SAFE t 07534 222608 e inf@yourhomesafe.co.uk w www.yourhomesafe.co.uk
8 PRESSURE CARE
MOBILITY GROUP 6. ADAPTATION STATION Uxbridge, London t 01895 520361 e sales@adptationstation.co.uk w http://adaptationstation.co.uk/ 7. ADDITIONAL AIDS MOBILITY Twickenham t 020 8755 0022 e aamobility@btconnect.com w www.aamobility.co.uk
4. MY SOS FAMILY Birkenhead, Merseyside t 0330 111 5756/0208 610 1600 e info@mysosfamily.org w www.mysosfamily.com
8. CHRIS CHEVERST MOBILITY LTD Exmouth, Dexon t 01395 200882 e chris@cheverst.co.uk w http://cheverst.co.uk/
5. OWNFONE Islington, London t 0845 459 4499 e info@myownfone.com w www.ownfone.com
9. EASY LIVING MOBILITY Walsall, West Midlands t 01922 633065 e walsall@easylivingmobility.co.uk w www.easylivingmobility.co.uk
10. AIROSPRING MEDICAL Nottingham t 0115 932 2403 e sales@airospring.com w www.airospring.com STAIRLIFTS AND ACCESS 11. RAISE LIFTS SERVICES Melksham, Wiltshire t 01225 344347 e raiseliftservices@live.co.uk w www.raiseliftservicesltd.co.uk
TRADE AFFILIATE 12. NORWOOD Stanmore, London Norwood supports children and families facing individual challenges, children with special educational needs, and adults with learning disabilities and autism. t 01922 633065 e joanne.surridge@norwood.org.uk w www.norwood.org.uk
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www.shopmobilityuk.org
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Section Chairs 2015 The BHTA is the largest trade body in the healthcare field in Britain representing nearly 500 companies, small, medium and large, organised in one or more of 14 sections covering most sectors of the industry. This unique sectional structure provides a platform for all companies to have an effective voice within BHTA and, through the Association, to influence the development of healthcare policies in the UK. The sections and the Section Chairs are: *Welcome to our newly appointed Chairs AAC David Morgan Meandi Business Services Ltd Tel: 07860 438372
FAME Robert Froomberg Safety First Aid Group 0208 4573777
Orthotics Colin Hurley Salts Healthcare Ltd Tel: 07921 917100
Beds and Support Surfaces Leyton Stevens Invacare Ltd Tel: 01656 776200
Hearing Care Clare Kewney Age UK Hearing Aids Tel: 0800 524 4708
Pressure Care, Seating and Positioning Debbie Williams Invacare Tel: 01656 776200
Childrens’ Equipment* Holly Jenkins Jenx Limited Tel: 0114 285 3376 Dispensing Appliance Contractors Chairman: Kevin Hodges Surecalm Healthcare Tel: 07711 627419
Lord Rennard Director of Communications
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Independent Living Products & Services Andrew Stevenson Nottingham Rehab Supplies Tel: 0845 121 8111 Mobility Group Current vacancy
Chairman Mike Lord tel 020 7702 2141
Prosthetics* Mark Davies RSL Steeper Tel: 0113 2704841
Stoma and Continence Products Phillip Salt Salt’s Healthcare Ltd Tel: 0121 333 2000 Telehealthcare Current vacancy
Stairlifts and Access* Lee Farrington Dolphin Stairlifts Ltd (Midlands) 0121 525 8925
who’s who
Tracy Lloyd Director General
Ray Hodgkinson MBE Director of Public Affairs
Sarah Lepak Director of Governance & Policy Development
Sally Edginton Research & Committee Support Officer
Nadim Anwar Operations Manager
Kate Webster Marketing and Communications Manager
Nigel Woods Training and Events Co-ordinator
Greg Askew Sales and Relationship Manager
Karim Uddin Membership Co-ordinator
Donna Eade Shopmobility Co-ordinator
Philip Woodward Accreditation and Professional Development Manager
Susan Burberry Accounts Administrator