Equipment loaned to patients and not returned cost the Otago District Health Board at least $24,811 in the past year, management says.
In a report to the hospital advisory committee today, chief operating officer Vivian Blake said this amount was the "identified cost".
The board has a short-term loan pool service and other community-based services which electronically track equipment issued to people.
If equipment from this pool is not returned, follow-up telephone calls are made and where needed, equipment is picked up from homes.
Other services, however, including the fracture clinic and the emergency department do not have such systems.
Other reports have estimated that the cost of replacing unreturned crutches alone is $1500 a month.
Mrs Blake said the service was looking into improving the system for loaned equipment.
Publicity about the issue was prompted by board chairman Richard Thomson recently returning a long-forgotten hospital-issued walking aid he noticed in a wardrobe.
Returns of crutches have since increased, but many returned have not been reusable.
Orthotics Otago suggests crutches are examined for rust and have moving parts checked to ensure they have not seized up before being returned.
