Questions to ask yourself

The first half of this course has focused on deciding what to donate. Questions which arise will include ‘What is needed?’, ‘Will it work?’, and ‘What are the possible unintended consequences?’

As a general rule, the more complex the equipment, the more caution should be used when deciding whether to donate.

Before deciding to donate, ask yourself the following questions:

• Has a request for the product been expressed by the recipient?
• Is there a genuine clinical need for the equipment?
• Are there clinical staff already trained on the type(s) of equipment? (Bear in mind that if the equipment is sophisticated, staff may require additional training on an unfamiliar brand of the device).
• Does the recipient have the ability to receive, store, maintain and dispense/use the donation appropriately?
• Does the recipient have the ability to dispose of the donation safely?
• Are technical/maintenance/engineering staff aware of the proposed donation? If relevant, are they able to order any spare parts they might need?

If the answer to any of these questions is no – do not proceed with the donation