Designed & created by

Gavin Wright

Terms & Conditions    59 Balliol Close, Peterlee, Co.Durham, England. SR8 2NX    e-mail

I am so excited about this. It has been a long time coming (almost 9 years since initial contact).

I am sure many of you are aware of the differences in patient handling when you go from one hospital to the next. Well those difference are magnified a hundred fold when you go from one country to the next. For instance, in this issue of this newsletter, there is a story of how Minnesota has become the latest to offer safe patient handling laws for their nursing staff. The have ran this piece of legislation up after learning from the benefits as well as the mistakes of other countries and states of the USA. At the moment, though steps are underway for change, no such laws exist at all in South Africa.

Well, come December, I am off there to head the South African Moving & Handling Project as the National Coordinator. We are initially running a 6 month government sponsored pilot study in one State hospital complex in association with one of the South African Nursing Council approved universities. Following the pilot study a five year programme of implementing safer patient handling policies will follow.

It is going to be a big steep hill to climb but I am really looking forward to the challenge. The concept of safe patient handling doesn’t enter into the equation at the moment. The lack of equipment and training means that the drag lift is the primary method of moving a patient. However, the way I see it is, we have a clean sheet of paper to work with. Hopefully over the next 5 years we will make big changes which will encourage the “homecoming revolution” as they call it, that is, the return to South Africa of nurses who left to work overseas.

I will keep you informed as to the progress of the project.

South Africa is a relatively poor country, and for them to be thinking along these lines is a big step. Any manufacturers of equipment who would like to get involved in the project, please contact me as soon as possible. Also, any hospitals, nursing homes etc who have unwanted or underused equipment and would like to donate them to the project, please let me know as well. Be assured, any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

If the colours look familiar, its because I feel like it is my baby and someone had to design the logo