Our staff are asking you to please return your crutches when you no longer need them.
With the winter weather bringing regular periods of cold and ice, slips, trips and falls are on the rise.
It means more patients are presenting to the University Hospital of North Tees and the University Hospital of Hartlepool with suspected bone fractures.
Every week, a rapidly increasing number of people are treated in the urgent and emergency care department with fractures.
The Trust, therefore, regularly calls on its community to return crutches.
Nicola Grieves, clinical lead in urgent care, said: “The colder weather sadly brings with it a rise in the number of accidents and people experiencing injuries and breaks.
“For anyone in this situation under our care, we will treat them and they will often be given a set of crutches to take with them.
“We ask for these to be returned so we can re-use them. And we understand this can easily be forgotten as people get back on their feet.
“We know there will be crutches in so many garages and lofts across Teesside and we’re asking people to have a look and, if they find a pair, please return them.”
Please return crutches to the University Hospital of North Tees via:
- Main reception
- Urgent and emergency care reception
- Orthopaedic outpatients
- Tatchell Centre
Please return crutches to the University Hospital of Hartlepool via orthopaedic outpatients.
For more information about returning crutches, please visit our medical equipment webpage.
Stay well this winter
For more information about staying well this winter, please visit the NHS website.
