Obesity putting a huge strain on North East fire services

Mar 13 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

RISING obesity levels in the North East are putting a huge financial strain on the region’s fire services, new statistics released last night reveal.

Fire brigades around the region have spent nearly half a million pounds to assist in lifting or freeing trapped obese people over the last five years – attending one call out a week on average.

Obese people stuck in their bath, trapped behind furniture or unable to move from hospital beds have all needed help from firemen as the country’s rising obesity rate continues to put emergency services under pressure. In one case Tyne and Wear fire crews were called to a house to help an obese person who could not get up off the floor.

The mammoth task of lifting patients who sometimes weigh more than 30 stone has left hospital nurses with no option but to call in outside help.

The increasing number of call outs and the strain they are putting on services has left fire crews such as Northumberland Fire Authority with no option but to start looking at charging for assistance.

And fire chiefs have warned they may start turning away some calls as they grow tired of attending the non-emergency situations.

Northumberland fire authority told the Conservative Party they were looking to a nationwide policy announcement which would allow them to charge for non-emergency help.

In Tyneside assistant chief fire Officer Dave Simpson said the obesity issue was a “small but growing problem”. He added: “We don’t see it as a significant drain on our resources but it would be fair to say it is taking up more of our time.”

In the last five years there have been 203 call outs to help obese people, costing up to £464,667.

In Northumberland fire crews are regularly called on to help in hospitals when NHS lifting equipment is not available.

In Durham fire crews were called to help move an elderly obese patient and are often called to help police remove the bodies of dead obese people.

Nationally more than one fire crew a day is called to help carry the overweight, leaving many to wonder just how effective the Government’s ant-obesity measures have been.