Published 12 October 2026
A new community equipment loan contract for four Greater Manchester boroughs began on 1 October 2026. According to THIIS Magazine, Medequip has been awarded the Community Equipment Loan Service (CELS) for Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside.
The contract was awarded by a partnership of the four councils together with NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board. It runs for an initial three years, with an option to extend for up to a further two. Medequip will manage the full lifecycle of the equipment, covering procurement, delivery, installation, maintenance, repair, collection, decontamination, refurbishment and recycling.
Community equipment services are the NHS and council route to items such as profiling beds, pressure mattresses, hoists, commodes and walking aids, loaned to people who need them to stay safe at home. A council paper on the earlier Oldham arrangement gives a sense of scale: in 2019/20 that service delivered around 22,000 items of equipment to 5,244 Oldham residents, and it also covered minor adaptations such as grab rails and handrails. Items are prescribed by occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nurses rather than bought by the person. THIIS notes that these services support timely hospital discharge, reablement and recovery, and help prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
Medequip will initially work from its existing depot in Dukinfield to keep the service continuous, then move to a purpose-built 32,450 square foot service centre at the Hollinwood Junction development. The company says it will focus on refurbishment and reuse of equipment under circular economy principles. In July 2026 it also announced that it had retained the Birmingham Community Equipment Loan Service contract. According to THIIS, no separate official award notice was available at the time of writing, so the contract details above rest on the company’s announcement.
What does this mean for residents? If you already use the service in one of the four boroughs, your route to equipment is unchanged: you are assessed by a health or social care professional, who orders the item. Medequip’s Operations Director (North), Paul Norton, said the team looks forward to working with commissioners, prescribers and partners across the four boroughs, while Oldham Council’s Mike Barker said having the right equipment at the right time helps people stay safe and independent at home.
It is also worth knowing what to expect from a loan service. Equipment is lent rather than owned, so it should be returned when no longer needed, and faults should be reported to the service rather than repaired by the user. Because items are chosen by a prescriber against an assessed need, the range is usually narrower than what you would find in a specialist shop, which is one reason some households top up with their own purchases.
The loan service does not cover everything, however. Larger adaptations usually follow a different route. According to GOV.UK, a Disabled Facilities Grant from your local council can help pay for home changes such as ramps, grab rails, wider doorways, stairlifts and level-access showers. Many people also choose to buy items privately for faster access or a wider choice. Our stairlift costs guide and stairlift quote page explain private options, while our bathroom mobility and daily living aids guides cover items often bought outright.
Related guides on Review Mobility
Sources
- Medequip awarded Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside Community Equipment Loan Service contract, THIIS Magazine, 29 September 2026
- Disabled Facilities Grants, GOV.UK
- Integrated Community Equipment Service cabinet report, Oldham Council, September 2021
Published 12 October 2026