Training to help health staff handle obese patients (From Echo)

Training to help health staff handle obese patients

2:30pm Wednesday 27th May 2009

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HOSPITAL staff are to be specially trained to deal with obese patients.

Southend and Basildon hospitals are working together to ensure all emergency staff are more clued up and adept at handling patients who weigh more than 20 stones.

Manual handling adviser at Southend Elizabeth Leigh and Hazel James, backcare adviser at Basildon Hospital, are organising the event next month to share skills with other colleagues from the emergency services.

Ms Leigh said: “Only a few years ago, a patient who weighed 47 stones had to travel on the floor of the ambulance and be brought into hospital on a tarpaulin because they were too heavy for the ambulance trolley.

“All the emergency services have come a long way since then.”

Both hospitals are now well equipped to deal with bigger patients.

All new beds are capable of taking patients weighing as much as 39 stones, and specially-strengthened hoists, wheelchairs, trolleys and other equipment are available.

Canvey-based private ambulance firm, Thames Ambulance, is also equipped to deal with transporting larger patients.

Nurse Jane Gretton has acted as a patient for previous training exercises on moving larger patients.

She said: “The essence of these exercises is treating larger patients as individuals.

“Reality TV programmes have treated very overweight people as freaks, instead of individuals with normal feelings.

“Obese people are often reluctant to seek medical treatment, because they fear a lecture about overeating.

“Often they wait until they are really sick before they contact the health services. We have to get away from categorising people and making assumptions.”

The awareness day is being organised held on June 24, at Billericay fire station.

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