The HSE in the Midwest spent €42,750 on 'lotion massage'  last year. 

FOI figures released to Newstalk reporter Josh Crosbie break down details of spending on aids and appliances in 2023.

Out of the health service’s €23 billion budget last year, over €85 million of it was spent on aids and appliances. 

The data also reveals that officials also spent at least €17 million on wheelchairs and walking aids.

On The Hard Shoulder, Josh described it as “big money” and said some believe the HSE needs to do more to re-use the equipment they give out to patients. 

Recycling?

Ireland South MEP Michael McNamara told Newstalk he has been “aware for some time” about the lack of recycling in the health service. 

“It seems to me that very little reuse is being made of them,” he said. 

“They seem to be provided to a single client and after that discarded.” 

Mr McNamara previously broke his leg and had to use crutches for some time to get around. 

When he inquired about returning them to the health service, he was told he did not need to bother. 

“It does seem to me to be an incredible waste of money and also a huge environmental waste given the amount of materials that go into making them,” he said. 

“One would imagine a greater effort could and should be made to reuse these.” 

Safety concerns

At Phelan’s Pharmacy in Stillorgan, Sarah Connolly, who works on their mobility counter, explained it is usually not good value for money or time for the health service to recycle equipment. 

“If someone has used it previously, they can’t guarantee how much use that it’s got or if there’s a fault with it because of how the previous person used it,” she said. 

“If they were to re-issue that to somebody, they need to be able to standover that it is 100% safe for the person.” 

In a statement to Newstalk, the HSE confirmed that Zimmer frames with wheels, crutches, sticks and tripods are issued as “single client use devices” and are not reissued due to the “risk of potential damage”.

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Main image: A caregiver using massage lotion. Picture by: Alamy.com