Why?? What A Waste Of Money!

[Nibble]

Is there no end to the myriad usages of tax payers money in the wastage and proliferation of inane ideas in the NHS.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-25552320

But, seemingly, this isn't confined to a particular NHS Trust, it may well be endemic, (no pun intended)..

http://www.dbh.nhs.uk/Staff_design_fat_suit.aspx

Is this another attempt to persuade us that obesity should be seen as "normal".... well NOT in my world!!

[Zacs-Master]

So you didn't see the line in the first link which reads 'The £1,000 bariatric suit was bought by a hospital charity.'

[hc4361]

In your first link the fat suit was bought by a charity; in the second it was made by hospital sewing staff.

If it can help staff with lifting, handling and caring for obese patients, all well and good.

Obesity is currently being demonised, not normalised, in the media.

[Zacs-Master]

Yep, just like they would whatever they were doing. Find me a link which proves they were on overtime, or how someone 'suffered' due to them wearing it and you may have a point.

[EDDIE51]

It cost just £1000 and was bought by a charity so cost the NHS nothing.
Obese people are an increasing problem and this is helpfull in educating health professionls to understand the problems they have and the best ways to help them. Money well spent if you ask me.

[Nibble]

It's the assumption that staff should be made to "feel what the sufferer feels" that get me, it's the patient who has the condition, and wasting the funds raised by the generosity of others on this "gimmick" is riling in the extreme.

Rant over

[Zacs-Master]

So not the taxpayer bit then. You just threw that in for effect?

[Mamyalynne]

The problem of the NHS dealing with obese patients won't go away in a short time, your second link explains - it is as much to safeguard staff when dealing with large patients as anything else.

[Mamyalynne]

This suit will help staff experience some of the problems handling a person of this size (between 20 and 30 stones, or 125-190kg) and give them the confidence to be able to move and handle them safely

[jim360]

Given that one of the biggest gripes about the NHS at the moment is lack of empathy with patients, anything that might improve that empathy is surely a good thing.

[Zacs-Master]

Classic case of 'oops I've been proven wrong, so I'll move the goalposts'.

[ToraToraTora]

the NHS does indeed have many ways of wasting public money but I think in this case there is no NHS money involved and I for one think this scheme has more merit than many the NHS are pilloried for. At least they are preparing for a real and growing issue.

[Nibble]

What goalposts?

Just giving an opportunity for the populace of AB-land to discuss, as is the norm within the site.

[Zacs-Master]

The goalposts of 'wasting taxpayers money' to the 'waste of funds given by the generosity of others' which I actually think those fundraisers would find very insulting BTW.

[woofgang]

Oh nibble then go live in "your" world and shut the door behind you.

[bednobs]

well i have to agree with the above - It is not "normal" to be obese but bariatric patients ARE out there and NHS staff DO have to deal with them. Isn't it better they learn, rather than hurt themselves/their patients

[Zacs-Master]

I read the link (unlike nibbled). As I said, if you can prove that it cost the NHS any more money than the staff were being paid anyway, you will have a point.

[Nibble]

Agree, I read this with the idea of "Understanding how the patient feels" which is a strange base for the original purchase, however, I didn't also appreciate the training aid for handling and moving patients aspect which is to be commended.