Manual Handling And Patient Transfer Solutions

It has been calculated that some 1.3 million working days are lost to the NHS each year because of back pain, and many nurses choose to leave the profession as a result of it. Royal College of Nursing guidelines now state that employers should ensure that nurses and other care staff avoid lifting patients manually in all but exceptional circumstances. The law which regulates this area is The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.

See our legislation section for more information.

Health & Safety Regulations require careful Risk Assessment before any lifting or handling procedures are carried out. Training in correct manual handling techniques is very important, to ensure the safety and well-being of both the carer and the client. Westholme provides regular free training days giving an overview of their moving and handling range through a series of practical demonstrations and workshops.

Hoisting covers both ceiling track hoists and mobile, portable lifters, as well as the slings that accompany them. There are also stand aids, or standing hoists, and other a short distance patient transfer aids, for people who are able to weight bear sufficiently to participate in the transfer.

Often lower cost and low tech alternatives to hoisting, small moving and handling aids such as slide sheets, swivel aids, leg lifters, etc are invaluable aids to transferring and repositioning people, or enabling them to do so themselves, if they have sufficient mobility.

A new addition to the moving and handling area, emergency lifting includes equipment to lift someone who has fallen to the floor, and products to use in emergency evacuation procedures.

Hoists and manual handling aids for the heaviest clients are included in our dedicated bariatric area.

There are also more specialised lifting products to be found elsewhere on the site:

Click here for bath lifts

Click here for car hoists