|
January / February 2007
Changes to the Allied Medical Team
In a quest to ensure that we are able to offer better and better assistance to assessors throughout New Zealand, Allied Medical has restructured and is going to be doing things a little differently in 2007.
Rather than having regional Product Specialists, we are introducing national Category Specialists, who will provide expert support to assessors throughout New Zealand on a specific range of products.
One Category Specialists will cover each of the following product categories:
- Powerchairs
- Manual Wheelchairs & Seating
- Paediatric Rehabilitation
Guy Wright, who many of you will know as one of our Product Specialists in the North Island, has taken on the challenge of the Paediatric Product Specialist. He has a strong background with paediatric products – ranging from powerchairs to bathing and toileting equipment.
Ben Lucas, our Christchurch based product specialist has had a change in his title – he is now our South Island Key Account Specialist. He will continue to work alongside assessors in this region to make sure that trials are successful and that Allied Medical products are supported technically.
While we are working on filling the new Manual Wheelchair & Seating and Powerchair Category Specialist roles, Katie Noble and Blake Noble will fill these roles, respectively.
The Category Specialists will also assist Ben throughout the South Island by providing expertise in their specific area and on going training for assessors and technicians.
Keep an eye on this space…. we are going to keep updating this page to let you know what changes are happening and how they might affect you.
Trials - 5 WORKING DAYS FROM 1 FEBRUARY 2007
We've been working with other suppliers within our industry to standardise how we will offer trial equipment, and one of the most significant changes is that as of 1 February 2007, trial equipment will only be available to assessors for 5 working days.
This is primarily due to the rapid increase in the requirement for trial equipment, the increasing costs of this equipment to suppliers and the on-going funding delays. The cost to businesses like Allied Medical to trial equipment is extremely high, and rapidly spirals upwards when the trial times required by assessors are continually extended.
For those of you who have worked overseas, you will know that the New Zealand trial system is unique and that in most other countries in the world clients only get to try the equipment for a matter of hours before they have to make a decision on the piece of equipment they will get.
The New Zealand Conditions for Trial equipment from 1 February 2007 are going to be as follows:
- Trial items can only be requested if the store has been checked for a reissue item or if the application for the equipment has been approved (proof of this will be needed to be faxed to the supplier).
- Supplier to advise therapist of delivery date of the equipment so Assessor can plan workload. If a supplier is unable to despatch an item within 3 business days of the trial request, the supplier will advise the therapist of the delay within 24 hours of receiving the trial request.
- All trial items are available for a time frame of 5 business days from time of delivery, during which they are the full responsibility of the therapist to whom they are issued.
- Suppliers also have the right to offer a controlled trial with company representative present, for a shorter timeframe when the equipment is of a high value, has a complex application or is in high demand.
- Trials are all deemed to be dry trials i.e. bathroom products are not to be used during the trial.
- If, for any reason, the trial needs to be extended, the therapists MUST notify the supplier as soon as this is realised. Approval may or may not be granted by the supplier for this trial to be extended, depending on the demand for/complexity of the item in question.
- Freight to the therapist (or destination requested by the therapist) will be paid for by the supplier.
- The items supplied for trial are to be returned to the supplier in as clean as possible condition (i.e. in a similar state to that in which it was delivered.), complete with battery charger, cushion covers, owners manuals etc. Items not returned from trial will be invoiced to the assessor.
- It is the responsibility of the therapist to package the trial item back up, in the original packaging and organise return freight, at their cost.
- If the item is to be funded and is to stay with the therapist, the therapist must fax the paperwork to the funding authority within 3 business days from the date of quotation.
Click here to download the new Allied Medical Trial Request Form – this must be completed before we are able to action your trial request and have equipment sent out to you.
We realise that these changes may create some difficulties initially but in the long run believe that these changes to the trial process will allow end users to continue to trial equipment before it is funded, and ensure that waiting times for trial equipment are kept as short as possible.
View More News...
· November / December 2006
· August / September / October 2006
· May / June / July 2006
· March / April 2006
· February 2006
· November / December 2005 - January 2006
· August / September / October 2005
· June / July 2005
The Ringleader
· September 2006 (Adobe PDF, 387 KB)
· June 2006 (Adobe PDF, 344 KB)
· February 2006 (Adobe PDF, 673 KB)
· November 2005 (Adobe PDF, 928 KB)
|
