DGT Services Ltd have been providing Repair and Maintenance Services to NHS Wheelchair Services for almost 40 years in the Essex, Hertfordshire and North and East London area. As an Approved Wheelchair Repairer, listed on the NHS Supply Chain, they also provide reconditioning of wheelchairs (and their associated accessories).
They consider ourselves guardians, promoting and delivering recycling of assets for all WCS whenever they can. They discourage a linear economy and ensure all wheelchair assets and their associated parts are safely and reliably reused …. And reused!
Over the last few years, they have been able to evidence the substantial financial savings delivered year on year for Wheelchair Services. The figures below demonstrate the savings achieved on behalf of 10 Wheelchair Services during 2024-25 period as the result of recycling and refurbishing thousands of wheelchairs and their associated spare parts and pressure cushions.
The savings are calculated by comparing the cost of purchasing a new item (at NHS unit pricing) against the cost of recycling / reconditioning, i.e. this would be the additional cost to the Wheelchair Service, had the equivalent assets been purchased.
DGT Services Ltd
Reconditioning Savings delivered for NHS Wheelchair Services
1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025
| TOTALS | SERVICE |
| £ 46,462.07 | A |
| £ 65,605.82 | B |
| £ 95,316.50 | C |
| £ 111,007.31 | D |
| £ 142,054.65 | E |
| £ 144,114.51 | F |
| £ 194,804.78 | G |
| £ 199,312.54 | H |
| £ 259,189.37 | I |
| £ 322,707.13 | J |
| £ 1,580,574.69 | ALL |
Whilst the financial efficiencies are hugely impactful and vital to budget management, recycling wheelchairs and their associated parts on behalf of our NHS is also about so much more and is an integral part of their business. They are passionate about reusing equipment wherever it is possible and appropriate.
The benefits, in addition to the cost savings delivered (of over £1.5 million to the NHS last year) include:
- Contributing to high first fix rate because parts do not need to be ordered in for the client. Therefore, minimising inconvenience and waiting times for the client and maintaining optimum levels of mobility.
- Decreasing the number of emissions produced as the result of shipping parts, very often from the Far East.
- Decreasing the emissions produced transporting parts supplied from manufacturers by road and rail within the UK itself.
- Reducing the amount of scrap and waste.
- Avoiding delivery charges incurred with carriage.
- Minimising / avoiding the need for packaging materials used when new goods have to be ordered and shipped.
- Reducing waste and unnecessary ordering, for example, when just a small component is broken and requires replacement. Very often it is not possible to order just this element and therefore a much larger (and more costly) part has to be ordered.
- Local skills training and employment provided to workshop wheelchair technicians who carry out the reconditioning.
- Supporting our local economy and community, using local suppliers wherever possible.
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