How to get care equipment through the NHS

This guide is for anyone aged 55 or over who is finding everyday tasks at home harder than they used to be, and for family members trying to help them. By the end, you'll understand how to access free mobility and care equipment through the NHS and your local council, what to realistically expect from each step, and where the NHS route ends and private purchasing begins.

The short answer: most free care equipment comes not from your GP directly, but through a joint NHS and council service called a community equipment service, almost always triggered by an occupational therapist (OT) assessment. The assessment is free. The equipment, if prescribed, is free on loan. And the process is more straightforward than most people assume.

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Step 1: Work out whether the NHS route is right for your situation

Community equipment services exist to provide practical aids that help people live safely and independently at home. They tend to cover items that are clinically justified, meaning a health or social care professional has assessed that you genuinely need them.

What you're likely to get through this route: raised toilet seats, commode chairs, bath boards, shower seats, grab rails, bed rails, non-slip matting, long-handled reaching aids, walking frames, and similar items. Wheelchairs for outdoor use are often handled through a separate NHS Wheelchair Service, and you'd need a distinct referral for that.

What you won't get: stairlifts, ceiling track hoists for new installations, major wet room conversions, or high-specification power wheelchairs are generally not within the community equipment service's scope. Some of these may be fundable through a Disabled Facilities Grant (a separate council grant worth up to £30,000 in England), but that's a different process entirely.

If you've already decided you want to buy a particular product privately, services like NRS Healthcare sell directly to the public without any referral needed. But it's worth going through the NHS route first if you're unsure what you actually need. The assessment itself is valuable, quite apart from any equipment that follows.

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Step 2: Get a referral to an occupational therapist

Your GP can refer you, as can a district nurse, a hospital discharge team, or a social worker. In many areas you can also self-refer. Self-referral is worth knowing about because it cuts out a step. Search "[your county or borough] community occupational therapy self-referral" and most councils now have an online form or a phone number you can use directly.

Age UK's local branches sometimes help people navigate this, particularly if you're not sure which service covers your postcode. Worth a call if you hit a dead end.

Waiting times vary considerably. Urgent referrals (for example, someone being discharged from hospital who can't safely use their bathroom) are usually seen within days. Routine referrals in some areas take eight to twelve weeks. If you're told there's a wait, ask to be added and then ask your GP to mark the referral urgent if your situation deteriorates.

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Step 3: Prepare for your OT assessment

The OT will come to your home, not a clinic. That's the whole point: they need to see your actual bathroom, your specific staircase, the height of your bed, the width of your doorways. Generic advice from a clinic is less useful than an assessment done in the room where the problem actually happens.

Before the visit, it helps to think through the tasks you find difficult or unsafe. Getting on and off the toilet. Getting in and out of the bath or shower. Getting up from a chair. Managing the stairs. Standing at the kitchen hob. Even if something feels trivial, mention it. OTs are trained not to dismiss what patients describe as small difficulties because they often point toward bigger risks.

Jot down any relevant medical history too, including any recent falls, a diagnosis of Parkinson's, osteoporosis, a hip or knee replacement, or a balance condition. The OT will ask, but having it written down means you won't forget anything in the moment.

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Step 4: Attend the OT assessment at home

The assessment usually takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half, depending on complexity. The OT will watch you perform the tasks you've described. They'll measure things (door widths, bed height, step heights). They'll ask about your daily routine, who else lives with you, and what support you currently have.

In my experience, people are sometimes surprised by how practical and low-key the assessment feels. There's no pass or fail. The OT isn't checking whether you're "bad enough" to deserve help; they're working out what specifically would make your home safer and more manageable.

They may make recommendations on the day, or they may take a day or two to write up a plan. Either way, they'll usually explain what equipment they're recommending and why before they leave.

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Step 5: Understand what you'll receive free and what you won't

Equipment prescribed by the OT and deemed clinically necessary is provided on loan at no charge through the community equipment service. You own nothing; it stays the property of the NHS or council and must be returned when you no longer need it. That's a reasonable trade-off for most people.

The OT may also flag things that fall outside what the service can provide. A Closomat wash-and-dry toilet, for instance, is rarely funded through community equipment but can be transformative for people with limited dexterity. A stairlift might be recommended as appropriate for your home, but funding through the Disabled Facilities Grant involves a separate application process and a means test in England (though not in Scotland or Wales).

If the OT recommends something you'd need to fund yourself, ask them to specify the exact type or specification in writing. Private retailers and services like NRS Healthcare, Aidacare, or local independent suppliers can then quote on that specific item rather than a general category.

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Step 6: Arrange delivery and installation

The community equipment service handles delivery and, where relevant, fitting. Grab rails need to go in the right place at the right angle; they'll send someone who knows what they're doing. Raised toilet seats and bath boards are simpler but the delivery team will still check the fit before leaving.

Timelines: urgent items (post-hospital discharge, falls risk) are often delivered within two to five working days. Routine items typically take two to four weeks, though this varies by area. If you have a firm hospital discharge date, make sure the hospital's therapy team knows so they can flag the urgency to the equipment service.

Once equipment is in place, the OT or a support worker may follow up to check it's working for you. If something isn't right, ring the community equipment service or the OT directly. Equipment that doesn't fit properly or doesn't suit your home isn't just unhelpful; it can create new risks.

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Step 7: Know how to return equipment you no longer need

This is the step most people forget. Community equipment is designed to be reused. When someone recovers from a hip replacement and no longer needs the raised toilet seat, or when circumstances change and a different solution is in place, the equipment should go back.

Contact your local community equipment service directly (their number is usually on a sticker on the equipment itself). They'll arrange collection and the items will be cleaned, inspected, and reissued to someone else. You're not responsible for the cost of collection.

If you've lost the contact details, your council's adult social care team or your GP surgery should be able to point you in the right direction.

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