Equipment and Consumables Service
Who are we?
The Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) Equipment and Consumables Service (ECS) provides medical equipment and clinical consumables for eligible patients to use at home.
Equipment and consumables are prescribed by your child's healthcare team and are provided when you are discharged from the hospital.
Services we provide
Equipment
We provide a wide range of specialised paediatric equipment to eligible PCH patients for use at home, including:
- wheelchairs
- crutches
- specialised chairs
- walkers
- showering and toileting aids
- feeding and infusion pumps
- suction equipment.
Most equipment is provided as a short-term loan for the period prescribed by your child's healthcare team.
Before the loan ends, the ECS will contact you to arrange return of the equipment. Please return all items clean, in good condition, and with all parts and accessories.
If equipment needs servicing during the loan period, we can arrange a replacement.
If your child still needs the equipment, you can request a loan extension. This will need approval from your child’s healthcare team.
Consumables
We provide ongoing medical supplies (consumables) for eligible patients who need them for 4 weeks or more, where these items are not available through a pharmacy or supermarket. This may include:
- syringes and other sterile items
- nasogastric and PEG feeding supplies
- suction and tracheostomy supplies.
When your child leaves hospital, the ward will give you an initial 2-week supply.
If ongoing supplies are needed, your child will be referred to our Home Consumables Service, which is managed by the ECS.
Consumables are supplied according to the prescription from your child’s healthcare team. Any changes to the items or quantities will need to be approved by the treating team.
Funding and eligibility
PCH provides equipment and or consumables to patients who are not eligible to access external funding.
If your child is eligible to receive external funding, (for example, through disability support programs), this funding is expected to cover the equipment and consumables they need at home.
If you have any questions about equipment or consumables, please speak with a staff member on your child’s ward. They will be happy to help.