Renting an oxygen concentrator for holidays....

[happyfeet59]

I had a weeks holiday in Scotland recently and found the proceedure re getting oxygen organised up there a real trial. My oxygen supplier needed at least 2 weeks notice, someone had to be there....etc..etc

I decided to try renting a machine to take with us and found a fairly local supplier. I am currently on 5Lpm continuous at night and have 2 piggiback machines at home so the portable ones were no good.

My home machines are very noisy, but the one I rented was much quieter, lighter and fitted in the boot alongside the suitcase. We placed it on the landing outside our bedroom door and everyone in the house agreed it didn't disturb. What a shame my supplier doesn't offer this machine.

I also took my oxygen cylinders for ambulatory use. Didn't need to pay for these!

It cost £100 for one weeks hire, we picked it up and returned, so no delivery. Excellent service, will use them again.

[Mavary]

Hi Happyfeet. We have been talking about holidays but it all seems a bit much to sort oxygen. I suppose when we have done it the first time it will look easier. My Husband is on 4ltrs for walking around anywhere. Is that what you would call ambulatory? I'm not sure.

[pollyjj in reply to Mavary]

Yes that is ambulatory.

polly xx

[Mavary in reply to pollyjj]

Thanks Pollyjj.

[ginachron in reply to Mavary]

My usual supplier, Air Products, are excellent and made it all very easy. The O2, supplied by Air Liquide was waiting for me at the hotel when I went to Northumberland for a few days away. The staff were able to take delivery (one of the conditions) and the cylinder was waiting in the room. We had to notify the hotel of delivery details and give Air Liquide a contact name but it was all very straight forward. If I were going away again for longer than a few days I'd take the concentrator in the car.

[Mavary in reply to ginachron]

Hi Ginachron. You do make it sound easy. We will try it when the weather is better. Although thinking about it. It would maybe be nice to go somewhere along a seafront now. My Husband could sit and watch TV or watch the sea and people going by. I being a shopaholic could go shopping. That's worth thinking about. Mmm!

[Kipper1910]

Hi, Can you give more details of where you hired this from as would love to visit my cousin in Edinburgh,

Many Thanks

[caroleoctober]

I don't hire, I ring my oxygen company about a week before I go and they deliver a portable concentrator, an I go, to my home and a small tank of liquid oxygen, which fits in the boot of the car, so that I can refill my helios cylinder. I can use the I go on the journey as it will stand on the floor behind my seat. This costs me nothing and the concentrator is quiet enough to use in my 2 berth caravan. My oxygen company is Air Liquide and as long as you want the same sort of equipment as you use at home on your prescription they should supply it. Hope this is of help to you. Keep smiling.

Carole

[happyfeet59]

Carole - it is great that you are able to organise your oxygen so quickly and it works for you. Unfortunately my litreage is too much for a portable concentrator (5Lpm) and the static concentrator provided by my company is too heavy and too noisy to take with me. I may use the free service when I book our main holidays next year. Although I would like to go back to France so that might be another story!

Kipper, it was the fact that I wanted to visit Scotland that took me into renting. Because Scotland has its own NHS (SNHS), and their own supplier the process was very complicated. HOOF to my supplier, my supplier contacts SNHS with HOOF, SNHS passes HOOF to their Scottish supplier, they contact the destination owner and arrange delivery. They couldn't tell me which machine they would deliver so I had no idea how noisy it would be. Also they needed 3 weeks advance warning. Too complicated for a spur of the moment holiday at my sisters.

The company I used is based in the Midlands, Sutton Coalfield area. They charge £20 each way for delivery but I picked up. The minimum hire period is a week but I got it on the Thurs and returned it on the Mon following the holiday week and I paid for one week. The price is probably more in the high season, and for the truly portable machines. They also say they get busy in the summer, but my machine is less popular than the 'airline friendly' ones.

Not sure if I can name them here but they are on the internet, they sell concentrators, other medical equipment and tENs machines. The one I had was blue and cost around £999.