Leading UK stairlifts provider Handicare has successfully retained contracts with two local authorities to supply, install, service, repair, and remove stairlifts and patient handling equipment.

The authorities, Glasgow City Council in Scotland and Gateshead Council in the North of England, serve over 100,000 elderly residents, many of whom will rely on mobility aids to remain in their homes into later life. The Glasgow contract, awarded in June 2021, is agreed until at least June 2024, while the Gateshead contract will run until 2023 with the opportunity to renew for a further two years.

Both contracts, previously held by Handicare, have been retained following a competitive tender process. Despite the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic has posed, Handicare has continued to deliver on its promises to provide a quality service for the stairlift users who rely on them.

Handicare’s VP Commercial Clare Brophy commented: “The pandemic has been disruptive for all of us, but Handicare has worked tirelessly to achieve a fully covid-secure service throughout. We have remained open by providing full PPE for our engineers and surveyors, as well as ensuring that frontline staff received vaccines at the earliest opportunity. In every instance, the costs of these measures have been absorbed by Handicare, freeing up local authorities to focus resources on supporting their communities through the crisis.”

Clare went on to congratulate the Local Authority team on their success: “This is a fantastic achievement by the whole team. Their hard work and dedication to servicing local authority contracts has really helped to build relationships and strengthen our reputation. We look forward to making everyday life easier for even more stairlift users through this local authority provision.”

Handicare is a division of global accessibility leader Savaria, providing accessibility solutions to make everyday life easier for customers around the world. In the UK, Handicare supplies technical aids for elderly and disabled patients, enabling them to stay in their homes and enjoy their independence for longer.