Dear all,
I would value your opinions on a matter on my NHS Trust:
The Trusts' occ health department run a back care course where they invite
anyone who has suffered any back problem to attend. It runs for two hours a
week over seven weeks. At the course, people discuss problems they are
having and/or have had, there is an educational element, anatomy
demonstartions., videos and exercises.
One delegate on the course with a history of LBP was 6ft 3inches tall and was
not even allowed to sit on the normal chairs by the occ health nurses running
the course - they said he was too tall - they got a special chair for him to
sit on in these meetings. All the (gentle) exercises where given with the
continuous overiding command to 'go slowly, don't push it, stop if you are in
pain.' They were told pain was a sign of something wrong. All well and good.
The trouble is that the aforementioned 6 footer asked the team to assess his
working environment both in a clinic and in a home visit situation. He had
been told by a ex physio occ health team member that someone of his height
should not be doing home visits whether or not he has had any history of
problems.
One nurse came to the clinic and part of the report was that he should not
even bend to the lowest drawer on the filing cabinet!
On the home visit assessment, the nurse said she saw all the problems with
slouching, stooping, bending, and kneeling (he also has had knee problems),
but 'didn't know what she could suggest about it'. The report on this has
not gone to the individuals manager and it has been a month plus since the
assessment, and he is still expected to do the home visits
Now here is the crunch question: given that the team make such a fuss
(rightly so) about sitting right, not bending, stooping, kneeling, avoiding
pain etc, and they can see the problems that the individual has, and cannot
offer any help, shouldn't they simply say that he should not be doing home
visits?
Also, would the occ helth team be liable if anything were to go wrong, given
that they have admitted the problems, and have no answers?
I would appreciate your comments
many thanks
Andrew Tindall
