Fire crews struggle with burden of fat patients

Published on Tuesday 7 April 2009 09:39

TEAMS of firefighters are spending up to an hour helping paramedics move morbidly obese patients in the Lothians, it emerged today.

Details released under freedom of information laws have revealed one incident where five Lothians firefighters spent 30 minutes helping a patient stuck in a bath following a request by NHS 24.

And in one of the more extreme cases, another team of firefighters took 64 minutes to help lift a patient after being called for help by ambulance crews.

The incidents today led to calls by the Fire Brigade Union for ambulance crews to be better equipped to deal with severely overweight patients to keep fire crews free to deal with their core duties.

It is also understood concerns have been sparked after a number of Lothians firefighters have been hurt while lifting patients as crews carry no specialist equipment.

Bryan Banks, of the Lothian and Borders branch of the FBU, said more could be done and the fire service was in talks with the NHS about the best way to deal with obese people falling.

He said: "We need to move away from a position where the fire service is considered the primary candidate for helping these people. This needs to be medically-led because we are not in a position to make judgements on wether people should be moved or not.

"We have called on our managers to press the NHS to make sure their staff have the right equipment to deal with these situations."

Fire crews from the Lothian and Borders area attended 13 incidents in recent years where they had been asked to assist with so-called bariatric patients.

Last year, the Chief Fire Officers Association Scotland (CFOAS) issued guidelines that fire crews were only to help in medical emergencies after fears were raised the lifting were diverting firemen from their core duties.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service today said all its firefighters receive the correct training on lifting people.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said it had invested in reinforced ambulances and trolleys for morbidly obese patients, and said it only called on fire brigade assistance in extreme cases.

CFOAS estimates there are around 200 call-outs a year across Scotland involving grossly obese people, many of whom are unable to get themselves back off the toilet or have fallen out of bed.

In 2005, Linlithgow man Bob Paterson – known locally as "Big Bob" – was helped out of his second-floor flat in the town on an extendable platform after suffering a stroke. A window had to be removed after paramedics ruled he was too heavy to be taken down the stairs.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We will always do our best to respond to calls for assistance .

"We ensure all our firefighters receive training on moving and handling."