Safe Patient Lifting for Hospitals

Ensuring the protection of staff, patients and visitors is vital in a hospital environment and regular moving and handling training is important for the health and safety of all concerned.

The importance of maintaining safety in lifting cannot be underestimated with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) reporting that moving and handling injuries account for 40% of work-related sickness absence in health and social care.

With this in mind, our safe patient lifting products are used on medical wards to enable healthcare professionals to come to the aid of a patient without delay and without putting themselves at risk. We realise that a big part of our responsibility as leaders in our sector is to build awareness about the impact of a musculoskeletal injury.

Within a year of introducing the ELK, sickness had reduced by 10% saving the service over £300,000

South Western Ambulance

We received a complaint from a member of the public that an elderly relative had fallen in the hospital during visiting time. They had asked staff for help to get up and been lifted using a hoist. This had caused the elderly visitor some distress. They felt a hoist was undignified and shouldn’t be used on ‘non-patients’. I had come across the Mangar Camel before and recognised that for uninjured people who have fallen, an inflatable lifting cushion provides a comfortable, dignified lift while still protecting staff from injury. I recommended the introduction of Camels into our hospitals. We now keep the lifting cushions stored centrally and easily accessible on medical wards.

Kevin Good Hope Hospital