This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
New ambulances introduced to cope with obese patients
Information revealed via a BBC South East Freedom of Information request has revealed ambulance services across England have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds to ensure vehicles can cope with a growing number of obese patients.
The bariatric ambulances are specially-designed and equipped to respond to hospital emergencies linked to obesity.
Figures collated from the FoI showed the north west had the highest number of obesity-related admissions in 2016, with 78,000.
The North West Ambulance Service has eight bariatric vehicles, used 40,000 times in four years, and has spent £184,000 on specialist equipment since 2015.
The news comes as the number of admissions has increased from 52,000 in 2006 to 520,000 in 2016.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, commented: "For years governments have not taken enough interest in what's happening with the population's weight, they haven't prepared for it.
"You can't expect a very overweight person, who is very poor even, to pay for that kind of service.
"That's the sort of service the NHS was set up to cope with."
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