Closing the loop on equipment loans
Date published: 18 Aug 2026 Author: Lauren McColl
EnableNSW is exploring opportunities to improve the return and reuse of medical equipment across the health system.
More than 100,000 pieces of medical equipment are loaned each year through EnableNSW and Local Health District (LHD) Equipment Loan Pools, to help patients recover safely at home and support earlier discharge from hospital.
When equipment such as wheelchairs, hospital beds and pressure mattresses, are no longer needed, they can be returned, cleaned and reissued to another patient.
EnableNSW's equipment reuse model is already delivering significant environmental and financial benefits. In 2025–26 alone, EnableNSW reissued 3,500 returned items delivering a cost avoidance of over $5 million and avoiding 540 tonnes of carbon emissions.
To build on these outcomes, EnableNSW has secured funding through the NSW Health Sustainable Futures Innovation Fund to explore opportunities to further improve assistive technology equipment return processes across the NSW health system.
Led by Eden Cash, Equipment Allocation Program Lead at EnableNSW, the project will assess current return processes, identify opportunities for improvements and explore how a more consistent approach could support increased equipment reuse in the future.
The project follows the Choose Circular Medical Equipment Project, which explored a similar theme and identified improving equipment returns as a key opportunity to strengthen EnableNSW’s circular equipment model.
‘Choose Circular showed us that there is enormous value in the equipment already in the system,’ Eden said.
‘We made good progress improving returns through communications uplift and manual processes, but it also became clear that if we want to achieve change at scale, we need to understand what IT system improvements are needed.
‘This funding will allow us to work closely with LHDs to better understand current processes and identify opportunities to make returns easier, more consistent and more effective.’
EnableNSW's equipment reuse model has been operating since 2013, making it one of the most established models of its kind in Australia.
Dr Carly Hollier, A/Associate Director, Sustainability at HealthShare NSW, said the project is a practical example of how innovation can support a more sustainable health system.
‘This project is focused on getting more value from equipment that is already available within the health system.
‘By improving how equipment is recovered and reused, we can reduce waste, avoid unnecessary emissions associated with manufacturing and transport, and reduce reliance on purchasing new equipment.’
The project is expected to commence later this year and run into 2027.
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