The NHS is facing an obesity crisis, with the number of morbidly obese patients in Britain escalating three-fold since 1993, from 450,000 to 1.4 million. According to the latest NHS figures, the number of people admitted to hospital because of their obesity has risen 11 times in a decade, increasing from 1,019 cases in 2001-02 to 11,736 in 2011-12.
A Daily Telegraph news report stated that many hospitals have failed to invest in ‘supersize’ equipment suited to today’s morbidly-obese patients’, recently prompting the NHS to buy uprated CT scanners for treating patients weighing up to 50 stone. This is the same safe working load adopted for a range of bariatric treatment couches and chairs developed by Plinth 2000, to help tackle the obesity crisis and ensure safe manual handling guidelines are observed.
Every hospital department should have at least one heavy-duty plinth, able to safely lift a morbidly-obese patient to a suitable treatment height or position. Suffolk-based Plinth 2000 leads the UK treatment table market in developing a range of bariatric products, currently offering two, three and four-section heavy-duty couches, a divided leg trolley, podiatry chair and the first fully-rated 50 stone (320kg) tilt table, as well as a bariatric leg ulcer package with an uprated treatment chair.
A bariatric gynaecology couch is also about to be launched for the new generation of ‘plus size’ pregnant mothers, with a trendelenburg/reverse trendelenburg version also in the pipeline, which will enable even easier access for obese patients. A heavy-duty dialysis chair is additionally in development, complementing the recently-launched standard chair, which has been designed with patient comfort and safety in mind, during prolonged dialysis treatment.
To ensure fitness-for-purpose, Plinth 2000 has totally re-engineered all bariatric versions of its standard models, with heavy-duty steel frames, reinforced self-lubricating bearings, uprated electric motors and robust twin-wheel castors among the revised specifications.
Across the range, electrical height and angle adjustment allows even the heaviest patient to be positioned safely and comfortably, with optional battery back-up maintaining functionality in the event of power failure. Plinth 2000’s innovative bariatric tilt table breaks new ground with synchronised twin motors and linear actuators, to meet SWL (safe working load) ratings for tilting as well as lifting.
Deep, pressure-relieving comfort foam ensures prolonged comfort for heavier patients on all models, while ‘supersize’ seat widths, backrests, divided leg profiles and working platforms accommodate greater abdominal girth.
“In response to early demand from our client base and initial signs of an increasing prevalence of morbid obesity in this country, we were the first to introduce a bariatric treatment couch - our Model 50,” said Plinth 2000 founder and managing director, Niall Dyer.
“We have now built up the largest range of heavy-duty chairs, couches and tables, with two new designs already in the pipeline. We are now keen to engineer further bariatric designs, providing there is customer demand.”