Stronger beds for obese patients

A hospital is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on reinforced beds and strengthening mortuary slabs due to an increasing number of obese patients.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital said standard beds are not strong enough to hold some people.

It has begun a £200,000 project to refurbish its mortuary including bigger storage spaces needed for obese people.

Hospital spokesman Andrew Stronach said the situation highlighted the obesity problem currently affecting the NHS.

Cremation facilities

He said: "I think this situation highlights a growing public health epidemic over people's weight, particularly in cases of morbid obesity.

"It is a considerable issue, not only in terms of people's health but with the cost to the health service."

The news comes two months after a Norfolk family was told their dead mother could not be cremated in her home city because she was too large.

Penelope Stapleton from Norwich, who weighed 22 stone, died of a heart attack aged 61.

Her coffin was too large for the facilities at Norwich's Earlham crematorium and the family was forced to arrange a cremation 120 miles (193km) away in Watford.