Accident at Bunbury Regional Hospital
A recently reported accident at Bunbury Hospital highlights the increasing problem for health professionals in providing services to patients with high body weights. A patient slipped to the floor while being transferred between a trolley and a bed, and proved too heavy for four staff to lift from the floor. The patient complained of embarrassment at having to remain on the floor while hydraulic lifting equipment was brought from another Ward.
The challenge for SW Health Services is that they are expected to provide services to everyone, without discrimination, and regardless of their body weight. The consequence is an increased risk to both patients and attending staff.
Veterinary hospitals deal with the range of animal patients by making a clear distinction between large and small animals, and then providing specialised services to either, but never both at the same venue. Large animal hospitals such as that at Murdoch University are equipped with specialised bedding, hydraulic lifting devices and all the necessary hardware to deal safely with the full body weight of cattle and horses during examination and surgical procedures, ensuring the safety of both staff and patient.
“The needs of patients and the requirements of Occupational Health and Safety are now in direct conflict, and the average weight of patients now precludes direct handling by nurses in many cases,” reported a nurse of 30 years experience. “Today, nursing is more like cargo handling, and cranes and hydraulics are now essential equipment. “If the trend in average body weight continues, hospitals will come to look more like medical warehouses, and instead of beds, patients will be treated on padded pallets, and trasported by forklift.”
“Individuals are free to make their lifestyle choices in regard to diet, but we also have a right to protect ourselves from injury while treating them” said the Nurse.