Before all of the silly remarks that will probably fill this thread, there are probably some essential training issues.

For example, if you are in an acute hospital setting, what are the criteria for taking a patient without a HCW in atendance; what are the booking in and out requirements when collecting a patient - making sure you have the correct person; handling confidential documents (case notes etc); the manual handling issues when helping a patient & properly securing the brake; what to do when a patient gas an attack of the wobblies when you are half way down a corridor or in the lift; handling gas canisters & drips, other attached medical equipmemt items etc; brake systems and other controls of beds and trolley; handling the dead and removal of bodies....

I can't imagine there would be a course, it seems more likely an issue for extended induction training. But when you think about it, there is a hell of a lot to think about for these guys, not much in the way of thanks, and even less money

St John ambulance run a casualty handling course - I'm sure upon request this could be specific to wheel chairs!

Bilbo

the liabilities are the same for anyone who deals with patients and depends on how they are interacting with patients.

In the Trust which I work for and I suspect many others, most portering training is on the job from trained experienced other staff who do the work or train those who do the work.

There is a mandatory induction within which moving and handling is covered: two days for clinical staff and one day for non-clinical staff(if you disagree don't blame me, I am only reporting what is in the policy), followed by regular mandatory refresher training part of which puts rescusitation training together with moving and handling, 1/2 a day each. Other aspects also impinge - equality and diversity training, conflict resolution, vulnerable adult/child, HR input, Occi health input, consent and confidentiality, equpiment safety, fire evacuation etc etc. A lot of the required skills are interpersonal and do not rely on any specific course, they come with the person or are learned on the job.

There are no specific wheelchair pusher training courses that I am aware of in my Trust, nor have I ever heard of one. It might be worth asking your union guys which training they think is required so you can get specifics.

PM me if you wish, if you think that I can help further. It may help to know exactly what kind of facilities you work in to give a better overall picture eg hospital, patient transport, care home etc.?

Martin

Chatfield

I have also had to deal with this issue before and to address this I, along with three carers, carried out a risk assessment and used the control measures we identified as the basis for a simple 15 minute 'training' (information / instruction??) briefing for staff.

One of the issues we had difficulty with was the weight of clients and there is definitely not a 'one size fits all solution' (our assessment was based on manual operated wheelchairs) but basic stuff like how to manoeuvre a wheelchair off kerbs, planning routes, securing client, ensuring carer is capable etc were all covered.

We still have issues and it is not unusual for carer to refuse to push a client because they feel the client is too heavy - no problems with this at all as it demonstrates to me that the carer has done a dynamic assessment and raised an issue that may need to be addressed by some other type of control.

As has been mentioned it is essentially a manual handling assessment and experience shows that the 'personal' element of these type of assesssments can always be difficult to overcome.

For what its worth my approach is to try and give people who have to make these judgements as much information and guidance as possible to allow them to make an informed and reasonable decision based on the situation at the time. Just like in all walks of life there will be people who want the i's dotted and the t's crossed but I think you'll find most people are happy to be given the 'tools' to allow them to think for themselves.

FH

Martin,

That's really interesting and very useful. Our workers in some of our services use equipment provided by Social Services, and this has a direct bearing on situations like that. I do wonder though what would have happened had the employers done nothing at all about the ramp, whether the Law Lords would have taken the same line? In our case we establish that the equipment is properly serviced and get written assurances to that effect, but otherwise we do nothing (aprt from making sure our workers are properly trained of course),

John

Chatfield, I think you will find that the answer is 'no'. We had the same problem were I work, I completed a risk assessment and a manual handling assessment and a SSOW.

I think some of the psoters enjoy the sound of thier own key boards.

Hi Martin,

We don't inspect or service the equipment, and I don't work for Social Services. The context is the provision of care in the home, funded by Social Services contract. The hoists our workers use are either supplied, serviced and inspected by Social Services, or are privately owned. In the first case we get written assurance from the council concerned that they are discharging their duty (LOLER primariily of course), in the second case we talk directly to the person directly purchasing our services.

We provide the workers, and of course we train and supervise them.

A complicating factor is that the equipment, while being used at work, is in somebody's domestic house, and we cannot assume control over the environment at will.

I'm happy that we are doing what is reasonably practicable, and the case you allude to seems to support that view,

John

I find a wheelchair far easier to maneuver than a laden shopping trolley - is it me???