Firefighters in Scotland are rescuing more morbidly obese people from their own homes than ever before as figures have tripled over the last 10 years.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) can be called to assist in the transportation and care of bariatric patients when it might be deemed necessary due to their specialist skills and equipment. While it's primarily a medical issue, they can come to the aid of patients often because they are trapped in their own homes.
Figures obtained by the Record from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show the SFRS attended 21 bariatric assists in 2011, compared to 72 in 2021, gradually rising each year over the decade by 213%.
