A Maximum BMI for nurses

Looks like clickbait. I wouldn't pay any heed at all!

I think anyone who works in a career where they look after vulnerable people in a physical way and where the job entails long periods of standing/physical activity (and occasional emergency responses) should try their hardest to ensure they are fit enough to do that to the best of their ability. Beyond that, I don’t care.

Honestly the best thing to do with this consultation is to read it just for the batshit comments and nothing else. Most of them can be safely ignored.

No idea what Streeting thought was going to happen. Presumably he’s forgotten about Boaty McBoatface.

What a weird suggestion! And not being funny but I think there might be a staffing crisis pronto!
high stress work and shifts and night work aren’t exactly conducive to weight loss

I am not an NHS worker, but have spent a lot of time hanging around the local hospital for one family member or another in the past 10 years. I would say that if we want healthy nurses then they should be provided access to buy nutritious food on their shifts. If you are working all night, the vending machine is not going to provide that. No wonder someone might put on weight when all they have access to is a packet of walkers and a twix. One canteen worker could surely be enough to sell salads, sarnies, soups and fruit to give people a decent snack or 3am "lunch"?

I bet no one has suggested that doctors only work in the NHS and not private practice as well?

No other section of the NHS is allowed to work a second job at the same time as having a full time one?

Much easier to pick on fat nurses….

Ignore the Torygraph.
I am surprised they haven't front-paged a government scheme to make all NHS staff house a migrant. Anything to rile up the red chino and Waitrose brigade.

Strangely, when seriously ill in hospital and again when admitted for surgery I was very nervous about I didn’t notice the size of the medical staff. I was just bloody glad they had the expertise and knowledge to treat me. And the fact that 100% of them were kind, reassuring and respectful were added bonuses.

Do I think your ability to do your job is impacted by your size? No. Do I agree there becomes a point where size becomes inhibitory? Yes.

It's pointless pretending size has no impact. It's a demanding job, constantly moving and on your feet. Run if there is an emergency. If you're extremely large and struggling to fit around the equipment, out of breath, can't run to respond to emergency situations etc then you aren't doing your job. Just like you wouldn't want a very obese fireperson.

BMI doesn't constitute ability to do those things. I have an obese BMI and would he physically able to do the job. But it does react a point where you can't.

And if I’m completely honest, I wouldn’t want a health care professional taking care of me who solely judged me on my weight and presumed I don’t take my health seriously.

If you needed an example of how most members of the public are as thick as mince, this is it.

Take an essential profession, which is subject to chronic workforce shortages, and introduce a totally arbitrary rule that will reduce the pool of available staff even further.

Absolute genius.

Fucking LOL at the idea that I’m so fond of my PIN I’d go on a diet to keep it 🙄

Surely if you’re a working nurse you can see that what the nhs needs more than anything else is to reduce its pool of trained nurses?

Surely we should set a minimum breast size as well? Just to narrow down the options further and not because we want to leer at the professionals who care for us

BMI is bollocks - I was having chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, very thin, prescribed ensures for nutrition and a tiny size 8 at 5ft 7.

BMI classed me as overweight 😂😂😂

@soapydopeybubbles please don’t take it personally. There are hundreds of suggestions on there that are utter rubbish ranging from getting vets to work in A&E to invading France to get more medical equipment. My personal favourite though was replacing the Secretary of State with a dog.

I wonder throw that will help the staffing crisis.

Can I ask what are your tasks within the community? Is it physical tasks or admin tasks?

@setmestraightplease I work as a community nurse, so its mainly physical tasks. I see the same amount of patients as everyone else, have to walk up the same flights of stairs/hills/farm tracks as everyone else, and my sickness level is lower than most of my colleagues.

To give you an idea of the other suggestions:

• put memes on the walls of hospitals/GP surgeries
• remove healthcare for tory scum
• NHS-wetherspoons partnership to put pubs in hospitals
• tax over 60s more
• fire the right honourable member for ilford north out of a cannon
• ban apples from hospitals
• get rid of britain

The Telegraph are reporting on this one suggestion of the thousands of pisstakes to stir the pot (although I think some of the above may have merit!)

I am brilliant at giving other people advice and always manage to come up with ways that they can help themselves. Do you know what I'm really shit at? Taking my own advice lol, if a fat nurse tells me I'm fat (I am) and gives me advice on how to go about losing it and eating healthier then I will take that advice from them even if they are way bigger than me. I really doubt any overweight nurse is oblivious to their own size and is telling someone smaller than them to lose weight to be a prick.

@QueenofAssam when on late/night shifts no nourishing food available just ultra processed

Patients have no choice and have to contend with hospital over-cooked and unhealthy meals.

You have a choice. You can take in pre-prepared healthier food if you choose - much like any other shift worker?

I've done shift work and always managed to take in something a wee bit healthier ....??!

Why isn't it possible in the NHS? - genuine question

Plenty of people are also misogynist.

I don't think it's coincidence that the only healthcare profession to be singled out for targeted fat-shaming is the one that happens to be female dominated.

Well this nails it.
As for The Telegraph I wouldn't wipe my arse with it.

Maybe if staffing levels were better, people would have time to eat well instead of on the run. This suggestion is so stupid, all while care is being hived off to private providers left and right.

The issue is not nurses being obese.
It is obese nurses telling patients they need to lose weight.
The issue is not to say nurses must not be fat.... Its that they need to stop the nonsense of nurses being instructed to counsel you on your weight regardless of what you go in for!!

@Pippa246 to be fair the parrot didn't discriminate between fat or thin colleagues ! And the situations I described are common place and equally challenging regardless of the nurses weight. If anything climbing onto a king sized bed to reach the patient as an obese nurse has the advantage that the bed dips and they automatically roll towards you