Each year in May, the UK’s National Back Exchange (NBE) marks Moving & Handling Awareness Day to highlight the importance of safe patient handling. Though Ireland does not yet have an official equivalent, professionals across the HSE and wider care community recognise and engage with this UK-led initiative, not just because it’s a sound source of evidence-based practice, but because the need to protect caregivers and patients is universal.
At O Neill Healthcare, we’re marking the occasion by supporting this important message throughout May and shining a light on innovative solutions that reduce risk, ease caregiver strain, and improve patient dignity.
Why moving & handling awareness matters
Manual handling injuries continue to account for a significant portion of workplace accidents across healthcare environments. The NBE created Moving & Handling Awareness Day to promote safer practice and raise awareness among clinical and care teams about the importance of good technique and equipment use.
Healthcare providers across the UK mark the day by:
- Hosting workshops and training refreshers
- Demonstrating new assistive technologies
- Sharing patient handling success stories
- Promoting staff wellbeing linked to manual handling
It’s a day to reflect on best practice, encourage learning, and highlight the systems that make care safer.
Our commitment to safer handling
Since 1999, O Neill Healthcare has provided high-quality, ethically prescribed solutions that enhance the quality of life for people with reduced mobility, complex medical needs, and specialist care requirements. We support patients, carers and healthcare professionals through assessment, education, and a dedicated product specialist team with over 85 years’ combined experience.
To honour Moving & Handling Awareness Day, we’re placing a special focus this May on the Hovertech range, a family of patient handling solutions that embody the day’s ethos of innovation, safety, and dignity.
Introducing the Hovertech range: Smarter handling for better care
- HoverMatt SPU Mattress: This single-patient-use air-assisted mattress transforms patient transfers. It reduces the force required to move patients by up to 90%, lessening caregiver strain while protecting fragile skin. Designed for all-day use, it’s breathable, radiolucent, and MRI-compatible. Ideal for boosting, repositioning and proning, the HoverMatt SPU supports better workflow and enhanced patient experience.
- HoverMatt SPU Half-Matt: A shorter variant tailored for labour & delivery, urology and gynaecology procedures. Ending below the buttocks, the Half-Matt adapts easily to specialised tables and clinical environments while offering the same skin-sparing, air-assisted glide as the standard HoverMatt.
- HoverJack Air Patient Lift: When a patient has fallen, the HoverJack provides a safe, supine method of lifting without the need for a full team. Four sequentially inflated chambers raise the patient smoothly, protecting comfort and dignity. It’s a flexible alternative in settings where ceiling or floor hoists may be unsuitable.
- HoverMatt Reusable Mattress: For facilities prioritising sustainability, this reusable air-assisted mattress provides the same safety and comfort benefits as the SPU version while offering years of use. It’s launderable, radiolucent, and available in multiple sizes, with double-coated variants ideal for operating theatres and high-fluid environments.
The Hovertech range reflects our belief that moving and handling shouldn’t just be safe, it should enhance the experience for everyone involved. These solutions:
- Minimise caregiver injuries and fatigue
- Support efficient patient flow with fewer personnel
- Promote patient dignity and comfort
- Meet compliance standards for manual handling safety
- Prevent cross-contamination in high-risk environments
Whether in hospitals, nursing homes or home care, Hovertech technologies elevate the standard of care.
Supporting safer moving and handling all across Ireland
At O Neill Healthcare, our product specialists work alongside care teams to ensure the right solution is chosen for every individual. With aftercare that lasts long after delivery, our service is one you can rely on.
This May, let’s shine a light on safer care. Mark Moving & Handling Awareness Day with us and explore how Hovertech can help you move patients safely, efficiently and with compassion.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about the Hovertech range or to speak to our experienced specialists.
