Highlighting the importance of healthcare equipment

In August, we wrote about the collapse of NRS Healthcare and the immediate shockwaves felt across the healthcare equipment sector. Since then, while many services are stepping up admirably, the challenges remain real and pressing. 

To get a sense of how things are being felt on the ground, last week, I visited Homerton University Hospital, hosted by occupational therapist Joanna Bennett. Across a Friday afternoon, I witnessed the extraordinary efforts of occupational therapists and wider teams working to discharge patients safely before the weekend. It was a powerful reminder of the vital role OTs play in enabling people to return home, regain independence and avoid unnecessary hospital stays. 

But even here - in a service that has secured a new provider - the effects of the NRS collapse are still being felt. Staff described delays in securing even simple aids and adaptations, adding days to discharge timelines and increasing pressure on teams already struggling to cope with demand. I heard: 

• Prescribers are going the extra mile, manually checking equipment and absorbing the impact quietly. 

• Situations that could usually be managed in the community – such as managing pressure care needs – are escalating to emergencies, leading to more avoidable hospital admissions in an already stretched hospital system. 

• Health equity concerns are growing: those who are able to buy equipment privately are doing so, while others face delays and unmet needs. 

Last week, I was in parliament to attend the first evidence session of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Access to Disability Equipment, alongside Emma Nicklin, Associate Director for Allied Health Professionals and Trust Head of Profession for Occupational Therapy at Central and North-West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL). Emma provided powerful evidence to the committee, drawing on her experience across London services.  

She highlighted that the disruption caused by the collapse of NRS is not an isolated incident, but part of a wider systemic trend - one that has been building over time. Emma warned that unless these issues are addressed, they pose a serious threat to the Government’s ambitions to deliver on the 10-Year Plan for the NHS and social care. Her testimony underscored the urgent need for reform, resilience, and investment in the community equipment sector. It was a privilege to also hear directly from equipment users, manufacturers and suppliers. 

Earlier this year, 33% of OTs (n=2277) told us they were unable to provide equipment or adaptations when needed - directly impacting their ability to meet people’s needs. The collapse of NRS has only deepened those challenges. 

The APPG has committed to continuing to explore this issue in future meetings, and confirmed they will follow up on the letter sent to the Secretary of State on RCOT’s behalf, to ensure this remains a priority at the highest levels of government. 

Across the UK we are continuing to work with relevant governments and departments to mitigate against the challenges presented. 

We must now ask: what does resilience look like in this sector? The lack of repair and recycling infrastructure, poor contingency planning and a small marketplace of providers all point to a system in need of reform. 

Yet amid all this, services like Homerton, those run by CNWL, and others across the UK, are stepping up. OTs are innovating, adapting, and advocating for their patients. Their work deserves recognition - and their voices must be central to shaping the future of community equipment provision.