NHS staff are facing accusations of fat-shaming after more than 100 formal complaints were lodged by obese patients, according to a Freedom of Information Act survey of NHS trusts. The complaints, filed in the last financial year, include claims of refusal of care and humiliating comments from doctors, nurses, and paramedics.
One patient reported that a nurse refused to give them a bed bath because they were too fat, while another said transport declined to collect them due to their weight. In a bizarre case, a health worker was reprimanded for not recognising a patient who had lost significant weight.
The complaints highlight challenges medical staff face in implementing the Government's anti-obesity strategy. Among the cases, a sonographer at Barnsley Hospital was given additional training after telling an obese patient to hold their belly up as it was 'too heavy' for them to lift. At Walsall Healthcare Trust, a patient said they were 'humiliated' by a nurse who refused to wash them.
Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, commented: 'There will be times when patients refuse to hear what doctors say, take umbrage and fire off complaints.' The true number of complaints is likely higher, as many trusts said they could not disclose details.
