18 June 2025

A green initiative that sees the reusing of mobility equipment at Queen Alexandra (QA) Hospital is having a significant positive impact on both patient care and the environment thanks to the support of local communities.

Since its launch in July 2024, the walking aid return and reuse scheme at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) has enabled more than 5,000 items including crutches, walking frames, and sticks, to be cleaned, safety-checked, and reused by other patients.

Kerry Herriott-Brown, Therapies Clinical Pathway Lead for MSK and Children's Services, said: “This scheme is making a real difference, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has taken the time to return their equipment when it’s no longer needed. By doing so, we’re not only becoming more sustainable and cost-effective, we’re also ensuring that patients have access to the mobility aids they need, when they need them most.”

The initiative is part of PHU’s broader commitment to sustainability and supports the NHS’s ambition to become the world’s first net-zero carbon healthcare system.

By refurbishing and reusing just one walking aid, carbon emissions are reduced by an average of 98% compared to supplying a new one.

Trevor Mose, Head of Sustainability and Energy at PHU, said: “Since we launched the recycling scheme, we’ve had over 5,300 products returned and successfully been able to reuse 84% of them. This has resulted in carbon savings of 89 tonnes, the equivalent of planting over six football pitches’ worth of trees. That’s a huge and vital contribution to protecting our environment.

“A massive thank you goes out to everyone involved in this scheme, especially members of the public who take the time to return their unused equipment.”

The scheme supports PHU’s Green Plan, which outlines the Trust’s strategy for delivering more sustainable healthcare. The plan includes initiatives including saving water, changing prescribing practices to lower carbon medicines, renewable energy, energy-efficient lighting, promoting greener travel options for staff, and engaging suppliers to provide lower carbon products and services.

How you can help

If you have mobility aids issued by the hospital that are no longer needed, please check your cupboards and return any unwanted equipment to the designated drop-off points at Queen Alexandra Hospital:

  • Main Entrance
  • Fracture Clinic
  • Discharge Lounge

Before returning equipment, please clean and wipe down all items. Visitors dropping off mobility aids can park free of charge for up to 20 minutes in either the Main or North multi-storey car parks.Before returning equipment, please clean and wipe down all items. Visitors dropping off mobility aids can park free of charge for up to 20 minutes in either the Main or North multi-storey car parks.