NHS spends millions on larger equipment for obese people

At least £7 million has been spent on adapting equipment and services

Ambulance services have expanded their bariatric budget (Getty)

NHS hospitals are spending millions on providing larger equipment for obese patients, new figures reveal.

According to the figures, obtained by Sky News, many NHS foundation trusts have dramatically increased spending on bariatric provisions, the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity.

Of the 100 foundation trusts contacted under the Freedom of Information Act, around half responded with figures which total just under £7 million.

Approximately 25 per cent of people across the UK are obese, forcing the NHS to make special provisions. Over the last five years the NHS has spent at least £7 million on adapting equipment and services to treat obese patients. Money has been spent on wheelchairs, bigger beds and larger mortuary slabs.

Earlier this year, figures revealed ambulance services have also had to expand their bariatric budget, with 800 ambulances, costing up to £100,000 each, having to be designed or adapted to deal with patients weighing more than 50 stone (318kg).

These revelations come amid a row between health campaigners and the Government, after David Cameron ruled out a potential sugar tax, claiming that are “more effective ways of tackling” obesity.

The British Medical Association has called for a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks, warning that a third of the population is projected to be obese by 2030.