Ferno to feature in Channel 5's big body squad
Tuesday, 14 February, 2012
Yorkshire medical equipment manufacturer is star of new TV series
Ferno, the world leading manufacturer of medical equipment to emergency services, is set for a starring role in a new Channel 5 series next week (Wednesday 22, February) which follows the men and women whose job it is to look after the nation and its 'growing needs'.
With nearly a million morbidly obese people in England, ambulance teams, fire crews, carers, and others are having to adapt to be able to provide a service for Britain's 'Big Society'.
Ferno, based in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, has developed a range of specialist equipment including ambulance trolleys, wheel chairs, evacuation chairs and hospital trolleys which will appear in the Channel 5's new fly-on-the-wall documentary Big Body Squad.
Ferno managing director Jon Ellis said: "The number of morbidly obese people in England has doubled since 2000 and in the next ten years it is predicted that more than a third of people in England will be obese.
"As a result over the past ten years we have developed a range of bariatric equipment to help hospitals and the emergency services safely deal with larger patients, as well as allowing for a more dignified approach. The success of our equipment means Ferno products feature prominently in several medical dramas and documentaries - Big Body Squad is just our latest starring role."
Big Body Squad will follow the supersized ambulance teams, fire crews, equipment specialists and carers across the UK as they deal with the associated complications and risks that come with mobilising an obese nation.
As the nation grows in size, so must ambulances, beds, and other medical equipment in order to assist the morbidly obese such as hoists and lifts, and heavy duty medical equipment.
Big Body Squad will give a thorough insight into all aspects of the specialist training and the risks associated with dealing with these patients.
The show will follow the specialist ambulance teams who take to the road in their £90,000 adapted ambulances designed to transport plus size people, meet the crews and their patients, and learn about life on both sides of the stretcher. The show will also explore what it is like to be so large that for some people even simple everyday tasks become impossible and so require carers to assist them.
Ferno, which has been trading for 40 years, has developed a range of bariatric patient handling equipment which includes the Harrier® LT, the only electro-hydraulic trolley in the UK pre-hospital market that will lift a patient weight of 350kg. This minimises the effort needed for patient transport while protecting medical staff from any potential ergonomic problems.
