Transforming Community Equipment Services (TCES)
About TCES Aids to Daily Living Retail Model
Hammersmith and Fulham Council and the Primary Care Trust are changing the way you can receive simple aids to daily living, by transforming community equipment services in line with the Department of Health’s proposals.
What will change for service users?
Currently, if you are eligible for local authority or health support, an assessment by an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, community nurse or trusted assessor will take place, after which the assessor orders the items of equipment which is then loaned to you.
Under the new model, following the initial assessment, local authority social care or health professionals will issue you with a written prescription that can then be exchanged for ' simple aids to daily living ' at selected, local accredited retailers . The items can then be redeemed by you, a carer, family / household member or friend and the item is owned by the you.
To provide greater choice, you will have the option to “top up” or “upgrade” to an item that meets the same assessed need but is more pleasing to you, for which an individual may pay an additional charge.
Benefits for residents
This new way of accessing simple aids equipment will also benefit residents who are not eligible for statutory support by offering the opportunity for any person, to go to a local accredited retailer and buy their own simple items of equipment to help them or someone else maintain their independence. Many of these items cost less than £30 and will assist people with limited mobility, bathing, meal preparation, eating and dressing needs.
What is community equipment?
It is equipment to help people lead safer more independent lives. There are two types of community equipment and are known as “simple aids to daily living” and “complex aids to daily living”.
Simple aids to daily living support people to maintain their independence in mobility, toileting, bathing, cooking, dressing, reaching, eating etc. Many of these items cost less than £30 and include items such as: kettle tippers, shower stools, reachers, grab rails, adapted cutlery and raised toilet seats.
Complex aids to daily living are largely provided by the council and its health partners, to support care in the home setting e.g. profiling beds, hoists, bath lifts and standing frames. These items often have electrical or hydraulic components, generally cost more than £100 and often require planned maintenance. Complex items will not be provided through the retail model with services continuing to be accessed via the current loan contract. Bespoke specialist equipment will continue to be sourced through the loans contract.
Who are local accredited retailers?
Accredited retailers are a select list of high street retailers with accessible premises and a good knowledge of disability and diversity issues. They are audited and trained by the local authority in line with Department of Health's standards for accreditation. The seven retailers listed below are trained and supported by both the council and health partners and prescriptions issued can only be redeemed by these retailers.
Bush Pharmacy
334 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherds Bush, London W12 7LL
Contact:Sailesh Pindolia
Tel:020 8743 9254
Email:bushpharmacy@hotmail.co.uk
Greenlight Pharmacy
228-230 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherds Bush London W12 7JD
Contact:Mr Saeed Behbod
Tel:020 8743 1320
Email:shepherdsbush@greenlightpharmacy.com
Lime Grove Pharmacy
66 Goldhawk Rd, Shepherds Bush, London W12 8HA
Contact:Mr Chow
Tel:020 8743 6186
Email:greencrossltd@hotmail.co.uk
Oza Chemist Ltd
9 Fulham Broadway, Fulham, London SW6 1AA
Contact Mr Oza
Tel:020 7385 9156
Email:nboza@hotmail.co.uk
Parmay Pharmacy
160 North End Rd, West Kensington, London W14 9PR
Contact:Mayur PatelTel:020 7381 4376
Email:parmaypharmacy@yahoo.co.uk
Palace Pharmacy
331 Fulham Palace Rd, Fulham, London SW6 6TE
Contact:Daniel Agyeman
Tel:020 7736 3034
Email:dagyeman@hotmail.co.uk
Windwood Chemist
96 Askew Rd, Shepherds Bush, London W12 9BL
Contact:Mr M Ahmed
Tel:020 8743 3562
Email:windwoodchemist@gmail.com
MAP: View map of location of the accredited pharmacies (pdf, 905kB, August 2011)
Poster: Download our poster for display (pdf, 212kB, August 2011)
Leaflet: Download our leaflet ( pdf, 307kB, August 2011)
Information for service users
Benefits
The new service model will
- Offer you the chance of more choice and control by putting you at the heart of the service
- Ensure you own all items of equipment you redeem
- Enable you or a nominated person to take an equipment prescription to an accredited retailer and receive in exchange the prescribed equipment
- Improve access to products that aid daily living from your local chemist or pharmacist
- Allow an increased range of products available immediately
- Offer flexibility, so state supported service users can 'top up' to a product more suited to their lifestyle that is not a 'standard issue' item
- Enable you to live as independently as possible by providing a readily accessible equipment service
- Be more responsive to community needs so that the retail market provides equipment based on people’s choices and needs
FAQs - answers to service users' frequently asked questions
Information for prescribers
Benefits
- will increase more clinical time to people with complex needs
- will reduce time spent processing collections and returns as simple aids will now be owned by the service user instead of on-loan
FAQs -answers to prescribers' frequently asked questions
More information
For background information, including 'an overview for users and carers' and 'an overview for prescribers' and frequently asked questions for service users, retailers and prescribers, please follow this link to the Department of Health website (opens new window) for information.
Click here for information for accredited retailers
Updates
We are planning to create a register where you can be emailed updates. Information about how to register will be available here soon.
Links to related services
Page last updated: 09/11/2011
