Nearly new splints, braces and supports from the NHS are being sent to Africa to help patients there.
Archie Veale is a orthotist at the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary, plus community hospitals.
Orthotics – which include braces, splints and supports – supplied by the NHS cannot be reused in this country and Archie noticed that nearly new equipment was being thrown away.
Archie said: “I reached out to a former lecturer at the university where I trained, Dr Louise Ackers, who chairs Knowledge for Change, a charity working to improve healthcare and education for disadvantaged communities in low‑ and middle‑income countries.
“Through Dr Ackers, I was able to form a partnership with Timothy Isingoma and Jackson Murungi, orthopaedic technologists from Uganda.
“I first arranged for disused orthotics to be sent to Africa for use in Uganda and Tanzania four years ago and we have developed a learning partnership since.
“In late 2025, I travelled to Uganda for six weeks to work alongside Tim and Jackson. Working on the ground allowed me to see which orthotics were most useful, and which weren’t, which will help me tailor what to send going forward.
“I also gained hands‑on experience treating patients with conditions like we see in the UK, but with much less resources available. It encourages lateral thinking and diversification of skills.”
Tim, who is also an amputee, has spent three months in the UK through a Commonwealth Fellowship at the University of Salford.
During his visit, he shadowed Archie at the Cumbrian trust, learning new approaches to diabetes prevention, orthotic management and wider clinical practice.
The partnership is going from strength to strength, with Archie, Tim, and Jackson introducing newborn health checks at their health centre in Uganda.
The checks, routine in the UK, have never been routinely carried out there. The success caught the attention of Uganda’s Ministry of Health, which has since committed to rolling out newborn checks nationally.
Archie added: “The partnership we have continues to grow and it is exciting to think where it could lead as we continue to work and learn from each other.”
