4.5.12.1 Types of requests for equipment & related services

Continence, wound care and nutritional equipment requests

Equipment	Prescriber
Continence equipment	Qualified continence nurse or urologist
Wound care equipment	Wound Management Specialist, where the injured worker has complex or pressure care wounds, or a community nurse.
Nutritional equipment	Qualified dietitian

Agents may accept a prescription for a maximum of 2 years or request once-off supply.

Continence, wound care and nutritional equipment must be prescribed from the WorkSafe Contracted Supplier Equipment List using the Continence Equipment Request and Order Form – Hospital Discharge or the Continence Prescription (Community) Form.

Where requested items are not on the Contracted Supplier Equipment List, the Agent must provide the equipment order form to the WorkSafe Equipment Purchasing Team.

Medical beds and related items

In certain circumstances, WorkSafe may pay the reasonable cost of, or make a contribution to, the purchase of a:

• medical bed and related item

• companion bed or mattress for a medical bed

• non-medical bed and related items

An injured worker may claim the reasonable cost of a medical bed or a related item if they:

• are participating in a WorkSafe approved CIP Community Integration Program or have a spinal cord, acquired brain injury/traumatic brain injury or amputation as a result of their work-related An injury/disease is work related if it arose out of or in the course of employment and the scope of employment. injury; and

• can supply clinical justification from a suitably qualified Allied Health Professional (e.g. occupational therapist) for the requested item.

If the injured worker does not meet the above criteria and is recommended a medical bed mattress by an Allied Health Professional, they will be required to contribute towards the cost of the medical bed in line with the WorkSafe contribution table set out in the policy.

Agents are required to contact the WorkSafe's Equipment Purchasing Team (email to equipment@worksafe.vic.gov.au) for all medical and non-medical bed, mattress and related item requests.

Where requested items can be provided by contracted equipment suppliers

With a prescription and valid quote from the prescribing THP Treating Health Practitioner, the Agent can order directly from a Contracted Equipment Supplier:

• Any item valued under $1,000 (excluding GST Goods and Services Tax) supplied by a Contracted Equipment Supplier

• Any item listed on the WorkSafe Contracted Supplier Equipment List including:

  • equipment supply (purchase)

  • equipment hire

  • equipment trials

  • equipment repairs and maintenance

  • equipment retrieval (only for high cost equipment)

  • installation

  • delivery

See: Processing requests from contracted equipment suppliers

Where requested items are small stock (less than $200)

See: Small stock items under $200

Where equipment requested is to be hired

• for >4 weeks it is recommended to purchase the equipment if its total cost is less than $200
• if total cost is >$200, consider contacting equipment supplier to discuss cost/benefit over purchase vs hire

Where requested items are not on the Contracted Supplier Equipment List or the item is requested from a non-contracted supplier

Agent Process

Follow the below steps when requested items are not on the Contracted Supplier Equipment List or the item is requested from a con-contracted supplier.

Note: this process does not apply for items valued under $1,000 (excluding GST) being supplied by a Contracted Equipment Supplier.

Step	Agent action
Review request	THP should be contacted to determine whether the item is clinically justified and has been trialled by the worker if THP provides justification, refer the request to the WorkSafe Equipment Purchasing Team the WorkSafe Equipment Purchasing Team will then review whether the item can be substituted with an item available on the Equipment List.
Item may be substituted	If item may be substituted with a listed item: the WorkSafe Equipment Purchasing Team will notify the Agent of a substitute item on the Contracted Supplier Equipment List the Agent should contact the THP to confirm the substitute is appropriate prior to approval if approved, the Agent then forwards an equipment order form (EOF) through to the contracted supplier. See: Complete equipment order form
Item cannot be substituted	If the item cannot be substituted, the Agent provides the EOF to the WorkSafe Equipment Purchasing Team to place the order.
Hospital direct order form is received	Where hospital direct order form is received refer to Hospital direct orders.

Items not provided by Contracted Equipment Suppliers or the WorkSafe Equipment Purchasig Team

• prosthetics and orthotics
• small stock items provided by a treating medical practitioner, physiotherapist Registered physiotherapist means a person registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law to practise in the physiotherapy profession (other than as a student)., chiropractor, osteopath or occupational therapist after in-rooms treatment
• regular services associated with personal safety equipment

For these items the provider must be WorkSafe registered and approved and standard Agent approval processes to be followed.

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