More and more people in the United Kingdom are obese, and the problems they present for healthcare providers are evidenced by a new report about Freedom of Information data. According to the report, almost 1,000 healthcare workers in the U.K. were injured while trying to care for obese patients between the years of 2011 and 2015.

The report revealed that 923 healthcare workers caring for obese patients were injured during that five-year period. The workers suffered from a variety of different injuries. One nurse suffered neck, back and shoulder pain because of having to hold up a woman’s breasts during her ultrasound. Other injuries included sprains, hernias, torn muscles, slipped discs, trapped fingers and kicks to the ribs.

A spokesperson with the National Obesity Forum said that one problem leading to the high number of injured healthcare workers is the fact that hospitals try to use standard medical equipment in order to provide care for obese people. The head of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy further stated that hospitals need to make certain that there are enough staff working and that they have the correct training and equipment for lifting.

As the population becomes increasingly obese, the injuries to healthcare workers will likely continue to become more frequent. It is important for hospitals to make sure that they do what they need to do in order to reduce the risks of injuries to their workers. People who are injured may file claims for benefits through the workers’ compensation program. Injured workers may want to get help from solicitors with filing their claims. A solicitor may be more familiar with the available categories of benefits, helping his or her client to apply for all of the appropriate types. The solicitor may then advocate for his or her client’s maximum benefits recovery.