Page 83 - BHTA 100 years

Rogue Traders, TCES doubts and Drug Tariff saga...
The BHTA was getting a good deal of exposure at the start of 2008 as the mobility industry was, once again, under the spotlight with high pressure sales tactics hitting the headlines. BBC’s Rogue Traders programme ran an exposé in which a salesman spent four hours and twenty minutes in an elderly lady’s home in an attempt to secure a sale.
Director General Ray Hodgkinson was invited to take part and give expert advice. The TV programme ended with a recommendation that consumers contact the BHTA to ‘get a steer in the right direction’.
While tackling pressure selling in the industry was one challenge at this time, another was a move by the NHS Supply Chain to achieve savings, with prices being driven down due to both competition and also a degree of consolidation in the market. Manufacturers were looking to the Far East and Eastern Europe to bene t from lower manufacturing costs.
With 28 members in 2008, the Beds & Support Surfaces section was one of the largest in the Association and the ‘Your Turn’ pressure ulcer awareness campaign had now been running for 18 months. Actress and comedienne Miriam Margolyes had become a supporter.
Meanwhile, the Transforming Community Equipment Services (TCES) Retail model scheme was under re as BHTA expressed ‘serious doubts’ about the plans. Representatives of the Association met with the Government Health Minister, Ivan Lewis to discuss concerns and BHTA issued a position paper detailing a number of issues that members had identi ed.
During a busy time for the Association, meetings were also taking place in Brussels with key of cials and MEP’s regarding the proposed reclassi cation of scooters and the implications in terms of import duty.
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