Eight obese people rely on specialist ambulances every day in Tayside and Fife to get them to hospital, shock new figures reveal.
The number of patients in Tayside with weight issues who need the Scottish Ambulance Service to take them to routine appointments has nearly doubled in four years, from 820 in 2011/12 to 1,566 in 2015/16.
In Fife, it has soared from 955 to 1,380 over the same period.
The figures, which relate to the SAS’ non-emergency Patient Transport Service, are a stark reminder of the obesity epidemic sweeping parts of the country, which is putting an increasing strain on health services.
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Liam Kerr said: “The PTS is a fantastic asset, but it’s clearly struggling to deal with the challenges of an increasingly unhealthy population. It hits home just how much more needs to be done on lifestyle and diet.”
Mr Kerr said initiatives like The Courier’s Can It campaign, which calls for headteachers to ban energy drinks, could help tackle one of Scotland’s most pressing health issues.
Nationally, the number of patients needing the bariatric support from the PTS has gone up from 11,170 to 20,177 in four years.
Obesity data published earlier this year found nearly a third (31%) of Fife adults are obsese, compared with 27% in Tayside.
A spokeswoman for the ambulance service said: “While the number of bariatric patient journeys has steadily increased over the last few years, in the course of 2015/16, we have seen a small decrease in the overall number of bariatric patients conveyed by PTS.”
She said the services continues to invest training and equipment to “ensure bariatric patients receive appropriate care and can be moved safely”.
Public health minister Aileen Campbell said they are developing a diet and obesity strategy to make it easier for people to be more active and eat more healthily.
“We are engaging with the food and drink industry on action to offer healthier choices, rebalance promotions, and reformulate products, with a focus on reducing calories, salt, fats and added sugar,” she added.
