The following links and documents provide a range of information and guidance from across the UK.
Obesity Statistics 2025: House of Commons Library
A research briefing summarising:
- Obesity among adults in England
- Obesity among children in England
- Obesity in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Bariatric surgery
- International comparisons
Summary statistics for Great Britain 2024.
MHRA issue NPSA safety alert on medical beds, bed rails (also known as bed safety rails), trolleys, bariatric beds, lateral turning devices and bed grab handles (also known as bed levers or bed sticks).
Published 30th August 2023.
Issue 13: Protecting people using wheelchairs - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)
CQC guidance on wheelchair use updated 24th August 2023.
When something goes wrong in health and social care, the people affected and staff often say, "I don't want this to happen to anyone else." These 'Learning from safety incidents' resources are designed to do just that. Each one briefly describes a critical issue – what happened, what CQC and the provider have done about it, and the steps you can take to avoid it happening in your service.
All Wales NHS Manual Handling Passport Scheme Revised 2020
The All-Wales Manual Handling Training Passport and Information Scheme signifies the coming together of Trusts within Wales to work towards a shared vision. It is based on a partnership between the all-Wales Trust Manual Handling Advisers Group and the Health and Safety Executive. The overall purpose is to promote health and safety in the workplace with regard to manual handling practice, by ensuring a consistent approach and the promotion of safer handling practice within NHS organisations in Wales.
Bed Rails: Management and Safe Use
This document is aimed at all users, carers, and staff with responsibility for the provision, prescription, use, maintenance, and fitting of bed rails. This document identifies areas for safe practices, so that policies and procedures can be reviewed and put in place.
Hoisting Guidance - Yorkshire Back Exchange
The aim of the guidance is to promote safe working practices of hoisting activities in all service areas. It covers a wide range of hoists. The guidance is designed to be used as an information, instruction, and training resource. The guidance contains two support tools:
Quick Reference Hoist Guidance
Quick Reference Person-Specific on the Spot Risk Assessment.
This information sheet will help employers, the self-employed, employees and equipment providers in the health and social care understand the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). It specifically addresses those parts of the Regulations which have proved difficult for those working in the health and social care sector and provides detailed interpretation for equipment commonly in use.
Human Factors in Health and Social Care CIEHF
This document aims to aid understanding of how human factors can and should be used, and the competence and experience needed to manage effort, solve problems, and make decisions. It describes how human factors can bring a depth and clarity of understanding to health and social care issues.
Managing for Health & Safety (HSG65) HSE
One of HSE’s most popular guides is mainly for leaders, owners and line managers. It will particularly help those who need to put in place or oversee their organisation’s health and safety arrangements. The advice may also help workers and their representatives, as well as health and safety practitioners and training providers.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Guidance on Regulations (L23)
An HSE publication. This guidance is mainly for employers, managers, and safety representatives, but may also be useful for employees. The guidance explains how to avoid, assess, and reduce the risk of injury from manual handling.
Scottish Manual Handling Passport Scheme (SMHPS)
The Scottish Manual Handling Passport Scheme (SMHPS) is an initiative designed to improve the standard and consistency of manual handling training / education and the systems (process/procedures) that underpin it within Health Boards and Local Authorities (LA) in Scotland.