Terms and Conditions of Hire and Sale

Terms and Conditions Applicable to All Equipment

1. ‘Medicare’ means Medicare Health and Living. ‘The Hirer’ means the person or persons (incorporated or otherwise) named in the booking form as hirer.
2. It is the hirer’s responsibility to ensure that equipment is returned to Medicare safely and in the same condition in which it was despatched. The risk to all equipment passes to the hirer on delivery of the equipment and reverts to Medicare upon safe receipt of the equipment by the company. For this reason, it is advisable that the hirer should insure equipment from the time of delivery to the time of return of the equipment to the company.
3. The hire period begins when the goods are despatched from our office and ends on their recorded return to our office.
4. When returning equipment by post or courier the hirer should get a receipt for any parcels or packages left with a post office or courier company.
5. The hirer agrees that Medicare, shall not have any liability for any loss, injury (including fatal injury) or damage of any description what so ever which may be suffered or incurred by any person as a direct result of the use, malfunction of failure of the equipment or any part of it or the negligence of Medicare, its service or agents. Any rights (if any) conferred on the hirer or liability on Medicare arising by virtue of sections 12 to 15 (inclusive) of the Sale of Goods Act 1893 (as amended by the Sale of Goods & Supply of Services Act 1980), are hereby confirmed and are not to be in any way restricted or excluded by these terms and conditions otherwise than in accordance with Section 55 of the Sale of Goods Act 1893.
6. The hirer agrees to accept phone calls from a Medicare staff member to confirm that the hired equipment is in use and operating satisfactorily and that, where applicable, sufficient accessories, are available to the hirer. These phone calls may take place from 9am to 9pm from Monday to Saturday inclusive. Medicare’s normal operating hours apply for incoming calls and are 9am to 5:30pm (Monday to Friday) 9:30am to 4pm (Saturday).
7. The hirer agrees to accept a replacement machine which may not be identical to their ‘in-use’ machine in the event a replacement machine is needed for any reason, Medicare will endeavour to replace ‘like for like’ machines where possible.
8. Where a private hirer becomes eligible for HSE, or any 3rd party assistance, with regard to hire/service charges, the hirer accepts that it is their responsibility to pay for their hire/service charges up to the date the 3rd party in question agrees with Medicare to take over those hire/service charges.
9. Geographical Limits – If the hirer is outside of the Republic of Ireland and requires emergency assistance, the cost incurred for the delivery must be borne by the hirer.
10. Any damage caused to rental equipment due to misuse by the hirer renders the hirer liable for the repair/replacement of the equipment.
    • In the case of water damage caused by water ingress to the machine on more than one occasion the hirer will be liable for the repair/replacement of the equipment and will be encouraged to use accessories & protocols to prevent the re-occurance.
11. Medicare reserves the right not to replace equipment which has been damaged excessively or has been replaced on more than two occasions.

Obstetric TENS

1. The person in charge of the delivery must know and agree to the use of Obstetric TENS.
2. Obstetric TENS is effective in the majority of cases, however it does not give total or partial relief all of the time.
3. To ensure that the TENS machine is working normally after it has been dispatched the hirer must test the unit using electrodes placed on the arm or leg. TENS must not be used with the electrodes positioned on the mother’s back prior to 2 weeks before he due date, except under medical supervision. TENS should only be used with the electrodes on the mother’s back when labour has started.
4. The hirer should test both leads.
5. The initial payment covers a 4 week period, 2 weeks before the due date and 2 weeks after. Extra periods will be charged at the set rate per week or part thereof.

Electric Breast Pumps

1. Pumps must be despatched and retuned using a courier service and not ordinary regular post (except for those being collected/returned in person).

Respiration Monitors and Pulse Oximeters

1. The respiration monitor/pulse oximeter in no way guarantees the wellbeing of a child. It is essential to hold sufficient stock of the sensors in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines. The hirer must use the monitor strictly in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions during the hire period. The hirer must not attempt any repairs or alterations to the monitor or the sensor lead. The hirer is responsible for any damage caused to the monitor or the sensor lead.

Payments / Refunds

1. It is the duty of the hirer to confirm the relevant rental charges by contacting Medicare directly or consulting a current valid price list.
2. All charges are payable in advance and can be paid by cash, cheque or credit/debit card.
3. An initial payment covering the initial hire period, accessories, plus delivery (if applicable) is made at the time of collection or delivery of the equipment. Initial payments will be as quoted (via telephone or in writing) when a booking is made. At the end of the initial hire period, the hirer must return the equipment or pay in advance for future rental periods; failure to do so will make the hirer liable to a charge at the same rate as the initial hire period (charged to the hirer’s credit/debit card), until the equipment is returned. This liability of the hirer is in addition to the liability of the hirer to return equipment to Medicare, and will continue for as long as the equipment is not returned.
4. in the event of the hirer not making any rental payment when due, either during the initial hire period or thereafter, Medicare will be entitled to seek either an immediate return of any equipment or the then current market value thereof with all outstanding rental charges until the equipment is either paid for or returned.
5. Hirers wishing to purchase equipment they already have out on hire will be entitled to a reduction in the normal retail cost of that equipment equivalent to no more than the minimum hire charge for that equipment regardless of how long they have had the equipment on hire. Medicare reserves the right not to sell its hire equipment.
6. Minimum charges apply to all equipment. Minimum hire charges vary depending on the equipment being hired and vary from the equivalent of one week’s rental charge to two month’s rental charge depending on the equipment.
7. Hirers who receive brand new equipment and decide to purchase it at the end of the minimum hire period will be obliged to keep the equipment they initially received.
8. No refunds due to non-use of equipment can be made after despatch of the equipment to the hirer.
9. Medicare reserves the right to alter, add to or otherwise amend their conditions by notification in writing to the hirer.
10. All receipts are issued subject to clearance of funds.