Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to ensure that more medical equipment is returned and reused by other patients; and if he will make a statement.

The return, reuse or recycling of equipment is decided locally between the relevant commissioners and providers of equipment. There is a responsibility on National Health Service trusts to make the best use of all resources and items including recycling and reuse of equipment where it is safe and cost effective to do so.

The Department does not collect data on expenditure on reusable medical equipment and no estimate has been made of these costs.