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News release

16 February 2011 - NR 09/11

Event places seriously obese patients on the safety and health agenda

The issue of how seriously obese patients can be better cared for from home to hospital was discussed at an event today (Wednesday 16 February) in Dublin.

The Healthcare Section of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) Ireland Branch hosted the event at St Mary’s Hospital in Dublin, focusing on how seriously obese – or plus sized/bariatric patients – have to be considered in healthcare.

Dr Sue Hignett, a senior lecturer in the Healthcare Ergonomics and Patient Safety Unit (HEPSU) at Loughborough University, spoke about how she designs equipment to allow health or social care to properly look after these patients. And as only 35 per cent of organisations train for bariatric patient handling, the issue needs to become much more ingrained into organisations.

Tom Madden, chair of IOSH Ireland Branch’s Healthcare Section and the event’s organiser, said: “Everyone has the right to rely on the fact they’ll be safe and able to access everything they need whilst in hospital or in care.

“It’s thanks to the work of people like Dr Sue Hignett, Breda Shankla and Lucy Canning, that healthcare organisations are able to better plan and care for bariatric patients they might receive. As this is also a health and safety issue, we in IOSH Ireland Branch’s Healthcare Section think it’s important to deal with both the safety of the patient, and the care provider.”

Dr Hignett added: “We’ve been developing resources for seriously obese patients for a long time.

“My job is to look at the whole patient journey and how design can interact from the home, to health or social care and through to discharge. I work with designers and engineers to find out what’s really needed from the human point of view, so that equipment works for both the people who operate the equipment and those that use it.”

Dr Hignett has been involved in the design of stretchers, scales, lifters and standing aids, bathing aids, beds, theatre tables, walking aids, crutches, chairs and commodes. And she says that although the UK and Ireland has pockets of excellence, other organisations are less well prepared with the necessary procedures and equipment. In fact, although 84 per cent of ambulance trusts currently have risk assessments for the admission of seriously obese patients, only 40 per cent of acute and primary care trusts do.

Different providers such as fire service, education, healthcare and police are sharing equipment to solve the problem of lack of resources. Sue believes this as a better way to cost effectively provide for these patients in the future.

“The problem is that this is a relatively small group of the population. Because of that, it’s difficult to get consistent funding for equipment at each outlet because these resources might only be needed infrequently. That’s why we’re really trying to encourage each service to pool equipment so that everyone is catered for.” Dr Hignett added.

Dr Hignett was joined in her Bariatric Patient Handling presentation by Breda Shankla, a patient handling instructor from South East Training Services, and Lucy Canning, manual handling co-ordinator at Mater Misericordiae Hospital.

Today’s event also saw a Legionella Management presentation from Colm Power, a microbiologist for Complete Laboratory Solutions in Co. Galway.

- Ends -

Notes for editors:

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 40,000 members in 85 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.

We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of working people.

IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with international NGO status.