Change Changes Things

During our semester on Care in the Community earlier this year, we were taught that if we had any problems moving obese patients (e.g. out of the bath) we should call the Fire Brigade as they're more equipped (and probably have less potential of nail breakage!) to move said patient. Tomorrow, the government are set to release a commissioned report - Foresight. One claim expected in the report is that within 25 years, half of the UK population will be obese (a BMI of 30+). That's a pretty scary statistic, isn't it? Just think how much our society would have to change to cater for this.

It would appear that fireman in Wales are one step ahead of the game and have begun using a 28 stone dummy in training.

While we obviously have annual mandatory manual handling updates to enable hospital staff to efficiently care for all patients, when it comes to obese patients there are probably about three pieces of helpful equipment in the entire NHS! Ok, so that's a little cynical - I think our Trust has one "extra large" bed. But that won't be enough if half the UK population become obese. We'll need bigger wards to put the bigger beds in; wider doors to get the bigger beds through, etc.

Does it make me a cantankerous, disillusioned old woman to assume that the NHS won't be ready for this?!

More concerning than this, of course, is the nation's health. In 2006, it was reported that 25% of UK adults were obese, costing the NHS 3.7 billion a year. Obesity causes more harm than smoking, poverty or alcohol (see here). While the government have been making funds available for public health, ministers didn't see fit to ring-fence it. In other words, the money has been given to help the health service tackle obesity, but it doesn't have to be spent specifically on this. Perhaps it disappeared into that black administration-shaped hole... ;)

So, fellow colleagues, it's down to us to set a good example to the nation.
I'll just have a quick cup of tea and a delicious slice of cake first...