letters

I almost fell off my chair when I saw the photograph illustrating your feature, 'A suitable case for treatment' (pages 26-27, 19 April), as this single image contains so many examples of frankly dangerous practice.

The handling technique being demonstrated has been discouraged by the Royal College of Nursing and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for some years. If you glance at the elderly gentleman's shoulders you will see why.

The pressure this technique puts on the patient's shoulder girdle is excessive and will cause pain, and the two staff carrying out the technique are at considerable risk of back injury from the position they are bent into.

One member of staff is wearing large rings, not to mention two hoop-like earrings. Not only can these scratch the patient, but earrings like these have been grabbed by confused patients in the past, resulting in damage to the lobes.

Both members of staff have pens or scissors in their tunic pockets, and you can almost see one example of them pressing into the patient's left shoulder.

Malcolm Philp Rochdale