THE number of patients being admitted to Salisbury District Hospital who are classed as obese has increased compared to previous years.

Hospital figures show that 2,024 patients were classified as “bariatric” – a patient whose health or social care is suffering due to their weight - in 2013, compared with only 783 in 2012 and 597 in 2011.

The information was released in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, which also revealed the hospital has had to buy special pieces of equipment to cope with the increase in severely overweight patients.

Since January 2012, bosses have spent £4,583 on gowns, £7,610 on calf compression garments and £1,404 on pressure stockings for bariatric patients. The hospital also spent £21,397 on printed wristbands with bariatric extenders.

But a hospital spokesman said the apparently sudden increase in bariatric patients was down to new classification requirements for overweight patients.

He said: “We think that the increased figure reflects better reporting rather than an increase in this particular group of patients.”

The response to the FOI request also shows that seven members of staff were injured while moving overweight patients over the three-year period.

* A TOTAL of 129 people were admitted to Salisbury District Hospital with wounds or injuries caused by dogs last year.

The treatment of three of those involved the amputation of fingers or parts of a finger, and six people had to have their lips repaired.

Of the 129, the biggest number – 52 – only needed an examination, but another 13 required stitches. Three people needed operations on their nose and two on their ear. The rest needed a variety of procedures such as tendon or muscle repairs.

The figures, which cover 2013, were released in a response to a Freedom of Information request.