Streamlining moving and handling equipment procurement for Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapists play a vital role in helping persons with disabilities and/or mobility challenges maintain independence and safety. A key part of the role of an OT involves assessing, recommending, and securing specialist moving and handling equipment that meets their individual clients’ needs.

However, the procurement process can often be very time consuming and complex, especially for OTs working within local authorities, NHS trusts, and private practice. Delays in getting the right specialist equipment can have a significant impact on patients, carers, and healthcare providers. We’ve explored these in a previous blog post which you can read here.

At Multicare Medical, our goal is to simplify the process, providing fast access to high-quality moving and handling equipment, expert assessments, and an end-to-end service that ensures the right solutions are in place as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The key challenges in procuring moving and handling equipment

Whether working in a hospital, care home, or a community setting, OTs face several barriers when trying to obtain the right moving and handling equipment for their clients’ complex and unique needs.

OTs frequently juggle high caseloads, leaving limited time for sourcing and securing equipment. This means the procurement process can be lengthy, with various approval stages, supplier lead times, and installation logistics. For those working within the public sector, strict budgetary constraints can often slow down decision making. Funding applications for essential moving and handling equipment such as hoists, slings, or transfer aids can often take many weeks or months to be approved. Private OTs also face challenges in balancing cost-effective solutions with the need for high-quality, long-lasting equipment.

In addition, navigating procurement frameworks, especially within local authorities and NHS supply chains, can be challenging and create delays. OTs must first assess the patient’s needs and identify what the right moving and handling equipment is. Then they need to request multiple quotes, ensure compliance with safety regulations, coordinate with multiple suppliers and arrange delivery, installation and ongoing assessments and maintenance. All this makes it harder for OTs to get the most appropriate moving and handling equipment quickly when a patient urgently needs it.

It’s also important to note that every patient has very unique and often specific needs, and what works in one care setting may not be suitable in another. OTs must ensure that any moving and handling equipment they specify is suitable for the client’s long-term needs, can be used safely by carers and family members, fits within the physical space available and complies with manual handling best practices. without expert support, finding the right solution can be time consuming and complex.

For OTs working within Local Authorities and NHS procurement frameworks, equipment purchases often need to be made through approved suppliers. At Multicare Medical, we have extensive experience working within these frameworks and can provide fast quotes to support funding applications, pre-approved equipment solutions that meet NHS and care home standards and regulations, and detailed product specifications with CAD drawings and room layouts.

For private OTs, we offer flexible purchasing and leasing options, ensuring that even clients with limited funding can access high-quality moving and handling equipment without delay.

How Multicare Medical Supports Occupational Therapists

We know that Occupational Therapists need fast, reliable, and expert backed solutions when sourcing moving and handling equipment. Delays in getting the right equipment can have serious consequences for patient safety, independence, and rehabilitation. We’ve designed our 360° design, install, train and maintain service to make the equipment procurement process as quick and smooth as possible, and remove barriers, which is why so many OTs choose to work with us. Whether you’re an NHS OT, a private OT, or working within local authorities, we provide:

Fast access to moving and handling equipment – We keep a wide range of equipment in stock, including mobile hoists, slings, and transfer aids such as the Sara Stedy, and many pieces of specialist equipment are available on short lead times, helping OTs secure essential moving and handling equipment without long waiting periods

Nationwide on-site assessments and room layout design – Off-the-shelf solutions aren’t always the most appropriate solution, which is why we offer a fully tailored service as required. Our in-house moving and handling specialists visit OTs and their clients across the UK to help conduct full assessments to determine the best equipment for the space and needs of the individual. We also provide room layout design and CAD drawings to ensure safe, effective installations that work! This means faster decision-making and more personalised solutions with equipment that truly fits the patient’s needs.

Transparent pricing and upfront costing – We know that budget restrictions can be a challenge. To help OTs and care teams plan ahead, we provide clear, upfront cost estimates followed up by detailed quotations and designs, cost-effective options to suit NHS, Local Authorities, and private clients, and flexible purchase or leasing solutions to help manage budgets. This transparency allows OTs to secure funding more easily while ensuring patients receive the right moving and handling equipment as quickly as possible.

End-to-end 360° service – Our team offers a full service solution managed by our own team to reduce the supply chain. We help with assessments and consultations to help recommend solutions that balance cost, suitability, and availability. Once the equipment is specified and selected, our engineers deliver, and where applicable, install and commission the equipment and provide training and ongoing maintenance as required to ensure full compliance and working order, which is critical for those needing specialist equipment for daily care.

All of this leads to less admin, fewer delays, and a smoother procurement experience for OTs and their clients.

Whether you’re an OT in private practice, working with the NHS, or supporting local authority clients, we’re here to make moving and handling equipment procurement simpler, faster, and stress fee.

If you need fast access to moving and handling equipment, expert assessments, or hands-on support with procurement, we’re here to help.

Get in touch with our expert team today to book a consultation, request a quote or arrange a site visit for an assessment

Call: 0800 298 6000
Email: [email protected]
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Multicare Medical: ‘Helping you deliver better healthcare’ since 1988