South Wales Dental Clinic Refers Obese Patients to Hospital Amid Health and Safety Concerns
A dental clinic in South Wales has contacted patients to advise them that they may be referred to hospital if they are too heavy to fit in the surgery’s state of the art dental chair. Patients at Maendy Dental Practice have received a letter explaining they may be asked to have treatment in hospital if they are heavier than 20 stone, due to health and safety concerns.
The letter states that the dental chair has a specific weight limit and in cases where patients are unable to fit in the chair or use it safely, they will be politely asked to go to hospital for treatment. The chair, which cost a minimum of £7,500, has a weight limit of 20 stone. According to the latest statistics, the average man in Wales weighs 13 stone 4 lbs, while the average woman weighs in at 10 stone 13 lbs.
A spokeswoman for the practice said it was necessary to contact patients because more and more people visiting the practice are overweight and if they are too heavy for the chair, it is unable to operate properly and this poses risks for both patients and members of staff. In the event that a patient is too heavy for the chair, they will be referred to a nearby hospital for treatment. Hospitals are better equipped to deal with obese patients and can provide treatment safely. The team stressed that they are not judging anyone about their weight and it is not their place to talk to patients about their BMI. However, this is a step they have to take to protect staff members and patients.
The practice has sent every client a letter and there are also advisory notices in the reception area. The aim of the letter is to avoid situations where patients are turned away because they are too heavy for the chair.
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