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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bariatric ambulances

108 replies

mutznutz · 03/02/2011 11:51

Whilst it's a shocking sign of the times that ambulance bosses are having to spend a fortune on wider ambulances and bigger, stronger stretchers to ferry obese people to hospital...what about the paramedics?

If the obesity rate continues to rise as fast as it is, then surely ambulance crews are going to have to eventually become stronger or risk putting patient's lives at risk by being unable to carry the stretcher or doing themselves an injury?

Where does this leave all the more slightly built trained professionals? Confused

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12287880

OP posts:
DuplicitousBitch · 03/02/2011 11:56

i think the raise in no. of patients weighing 30 stone is tragic.

Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 11:57

It is..and it's very fast too.

OP posts:
eaglewings · 03/02/2011 12:01

The clip I saw of this news item showed special hoists to take into the house to move the patient. I would imagine that the specail ambulance would have a crew trainned for those who need help.

It is tragic that people gain so much weight, but for those who have a food adiction it is harder to cut down on food than for an alcoholic to stop drinking.

Before we judge someone we should walk a mile in their shoes - we will than be a mile away from them and have their shoes Wink

VivaLeBeaver · 03/02/2011 12:03

I think in worst case scenarios the paramedics have to get help from the fire service. I'm sure I read in the paper years ago about a man who was 40stone and the fire brigade had to help get him out the house.

I'm a midwife and we have bariatric beds for obese women. Problem is though that we have to order them in and sometimes they don't come in time. We had one lady once and she turned up in labour and couldn't get on the bed as was too heavy. We had to put mattresses down on the floor for her. Then she needed an emergency section and couldn't get up off the floor. Plus they had to wait to get a bigger opertaing table over from general surgery. The Drs were on about getting some porters over to come and help pull her up but we said no as it wasn't very dignified for her. But God it was hard getting her into theatre.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 03/02/2011 12:10

I think it's very sad and quite shocking. Humiliating for the patients involved and an real challenge for the paramedics and medical staff treating them.

Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 12:13

I take the point about special ambulance crews being trained but if the obesity rate continues to climb as it is...those crews will be rushed off their feet. Hence my question, what about the trained professionals now?

I'm not sure the rise can be blamed on food addiction either eaglewings because it's too fast a rise...I know a minority of obese people have a proper addiction to it though.

Taken from the link.....

A few years ago - probably only 10 years ago - your average patient was 12 to 13 stone, now that's probably 17 to 18 stone. And we quite regularly see patients around 30 stone in weight and even bigger than that

OP posts:
OnlyWantsOne · 03/02/2011 12:13

did any of you see the program about the man that was 56 stone? Getting the poor bloke out of his housefor the first time in years, and the ambulance they used was nicknamed a "jumbulance"

Poor bloke :(

Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 12:16

No I didn't see that...but I've seen similar things Onlywants I remember years ago a programme where someone had to have part of a wall removed to get to hospital Sad

OP posts:
not1not2 · 03/02/2011 12:23

dh and I were talking about this just the other day

we were being along the lines of Mr and Mrs grumpy the gov will have to legislate etc etc!!

Callisto · 03/02/2011 12:34

Why should we all feel sorry for these people though? The vast majority of obese people eat too much and exercise too little. It is self-inflicted, so I struggle to find any sympathy tbh. Poor medical staff having to deal with it though.

PlanetEarth · 03/02/2011 12:34

My mum had an accident a few years ago (fell down the stairs and was knocked unconscious, she'd also broken both wrists). Now she's nowhere near the size of these people, she's about a size 18 I guess. But still, as she was unconscious and a dead weight she was too heavy for her friend and me to move her into the recovery position, and it took 3 ambulancemen to get her on the stretcher and into the ambulance

Makes you think... Sad.

Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 12:37

Callisto I don't feel sorry for overweight/obese people in general...that would be quite patronising.

But someone who reaches 30st plus, obviously has deep issues.

OP posts:
Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 12:38

Planet that must have been scary.

I hope she's fully recovered.

OP posts:
Callisto · 03/02/2011 12:43

Mutz - it was all of the sad faces for the morbidly obese. Also, we all have issues to deal with, I'm not convinced that everyone who is massivly overweight is this way because they had a shit childhood (or whatever).

Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 12:47

No I agree with your there Callisto...often people just like eating and drinking to excess and do too little excerise.

I do however feel sorry for those who clearly have deeper issues (the 30+ stone kind) and also I feel very sorry for overweight children whose parents have neglected to feed them properly.

OP posts:
jenroy29 · 03/02/2011 12:54

I watch the programs about obese people and there is always someone feeding them! Surely once someone gets to the point where they lie in bed all day because they can't move themselves to get to the fridge they must start losing weight.

Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 13:32

Yes, the feeders are a whole other strange lot!

OP posts:
ronshar · 03/02/2011 13:42

I had to leave the ambulance service because I hurt my back so many times lifting fat people that I am now almost certainly sentenced to a lifetime of pain and a very early retirement spent being unable to get out of bed without pain relief!

So yes it is a big problem. Has been for a long time and quite frankly is an issue that has been skirted around for too long.

It is all well and good saying that some people have deep problems which manifest themselves as food/feeding. But does anyone give a thought to the staff who will eventually be called in to turn a patient who has horrific pressure sores across their sacrum, from sitting down all the time? Or the staff member who has to lift a huge breast to dress the rotten infected tissue which is dying because the patient cant actually move their arms enought to wash?

Just a few situations I have found myself in over the years.

olderandwider · 03/02/2011 13:45

jenroy29 - my thought exactly. If someone is bed bound, surely the carers can simply put them on a weight-loss diet?

Original poster
mutznutz · 03/02/2011 13:47

ronshar that sounds awful Sad

OP posts:
ronshar · 03/02/2011 13:53

Unfortunately it was.
You know its bad when there is four of you and you still cant get a person out of their house.
I have waited 3 hours to get a seriously ill person out. We had to get firebrigade to take out front first floor window. There was a crowd of about 30 people watching as patient was craned out of the window.
Tell me that is worth over-eating for years for!

Sorry but I have almost no sympathy for someone who choses to over-eat to the extent that they cant get themselves of the floor. No excuse.

maltesers · 03/02/2011 13:58

Its weird you are all talking about this subject as I heard the same info on out local radio this morning.
A bad sign of the times. We will have to train big beafy bouncers to carry these heavy patients. . . . not good !

new2cm · 03/02/2011 14:03

ronshar,

I don't believe you - you are exaggerating. I can believe that people in general may have put on a couple of stones, and are heavier nowadays, so maybe 15 stones (100kg) instead of 13 stones (85kg).

The individuals in this country, on the whole, weigh less than 100kg each.

new2cm · 03/02/2011 14:08

I agree with jenroy29. There is no way someone can eat themselves to the extent that they can't get themselves off the floor.

I mean, logic tell us that if someone can't get themselves off the floor then how is that invidual be able to reach any food?

new2cm · 03/02/2011 14:10

Actually, being bed-bound should make it easier for someone to loose weight, because the only way that individual can obtain food is if someone else brings the food to them.

Hence, it should be simplier for someone who is bed-bound to be placed on a calorie-controlled diet.