Our service has abandoned use of old style epic's such as Apollo due to shortcomings in its design. The outdated chairs such as Apollos are definitely limited in their ability to cope with anything other than fairly level ground. In addition to this they do not perform well when special seating has been placed on the them as the centre of mass ends further forwards and the drive wheels lose traction easily.
 
We are now using new generation of chairs such as the mirage which are indoor/outdoor but of reasonable size to be used as indoor only chairs. This eliminates the need to worry about the ability of the chair to cope with outdoor environment, however it does introduce the problem of ensuring users who are only suitable for indoor chairs being able to use them further afield, i.e. using them as indoor/outdoor when they are only really safe to use indoor chair. We do remove the kebrclimber in these cases and advise the patient accordingly but obviously the greater ability of the chair means the patient is no longer limited by the chair itself.
 

Gareth Adkins
Clinical Scientist

Westmarc
Southern General Hospital
1345 Govan Road
Glasgow
G51 4TF
Tel: 0141 201 1463
Fax: 0141 201 2648

-----Original Message-----
From: Geoff Harbach [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 26 June 2006 19:15
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: MDA/2006/036 mis use of EPIC's

Just read the above alert.
 
My understanding was that "Indoor" included the curtilage of the home, school, day centre etc. but did not include public highways and footpaths.
 
I will need to re read the instructions supplied from the manufacturers, but does this mean the end of supplying EPIC's to children in schools?
 
Recently saw an old gent in an EPIC get stuck in the gravel at the side of the paths in the grounds of a nursing home. Happened three times within a few minutes. Wouldn't have happened if he had been in an EPIOC.
 
Just a thought.
 
Geoff Harbach.
LEPMIS
 

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