Joined up equipment service gets green light

Thousands of people in Staffordshire are set to benefit from an easier to use equipment service, following a decision by the council to pool its resources with the NHS and Stoke City Council.

Under the new arrangement, the three organisations will jointly commission services such as community equipment, home improvements, community alarms, and the handyperson service, all of which help elderly and disabled people remain independent in their homes.

Currently, contracts are managed separately, and people often have difficulty understanding or accessing services.

The change is designed to create a clearer and less fragmented system, and is the first phase of a programme to bring together equipment and telecare services worth £16m, across the three organisations.

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