BHTA CODE OF PRACTICE APPROVED BY OFT
From the BHTA Website:
The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), has just completed the first stage of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Consumer Codes Approval Scheme. It is the first healthcare trade organisation to achieve this valuable recognition from the government body.
By completing Stage One, the BHTA has satisfied the OFT that its consumer Code of Practice promotes and safeguards consumer interests by helping consumers to identify better businesses. In practice it means that when consumers buy from a BHTA member they know that company will behave in a trustworthy and ethical manner.
"This is such an important development for our association and I'm proud to have been able to steer it through during my tenure at the BHTA," says chairman Graham Collyer. "It's a great day for consumers, too," adds BHTA president Julian Cobbledick.
The BHTA has over 350 member companies who manufacture and retail wide range of healthcare assistive technology products and services, for example in mobility, prosthetics and rehabilitation for patients and clients many of whom are elderly and disabled people.
Says Ray Hodgkinson, BHTA director general: "This is an achievement to celebrate. The assistive technologies market is different to most other sectors. The sale often occurs in the customer's own home, where they are most vulnerable and salesmen have to be 'hands-on' when fitting equipment. Now if consumers deal with BHTA members they will have the reassurance that they're dealing with bona fide companies."
Colin Brown, OFT Director of Market Transformation, says: "By buying goods or services from a business signed up to the OFT Consumer Codes Approval Scheme, customers can expect a much higher standard of protection than that required by law. The BHTA has undertaken a great deal of work to develop this code of practice, and we look forward to working with them during the next stage towards OFT approval."
The main features and benefits to consumers of the BHTA Code of Practice include:
- protection of deposits paid by consumers in the event that a BHTA member is unable to meet a promise to deliver goods or services
- an independent arbitration scheme
- independent disciplinary procedures with a range of sanctions, including warnings and ultimately termination of membership, for non-compliant members
- comprehensive monitoring procedures including inspection visits by independent inspectors, mystery shopping exercises and a consumer satisfaction survey.
OFT approval of the BHTA Code of Practice has been widely welcomed by professionals and consumer groups alike. "Disabled people deserve and are entitled to the highest level of service from the healthcare and assistive technology industry," says Bert Massie from the Disability Rights Commission. "I very much welcome this initiative."
Jan Gethings, executive director of charity Mobility Choice says: "We applaud the BHTA for its initiative in introducing a Code of Practice and support the Association's drive to raise standards within the industry."
"We welcome and fully support the new BHTA Code which will provide working standards and controls for BHTA members in their service to vulnerable consumers." adds Anne Demick, national secretary of ia, the Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group.
BHTA now has the challenge of providing OFT with evidence that the code is working in order to achieve stage two approval, when BHTA members will be able to put the OFT Consumer Code badge alongside that of the BHTA Code of Practice badge.
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