MHRA Issues Supporting Guidance for Patient Hoist Safety Alert

We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Supporting information to accompany the National Patient Safety Alert on patient hoists and slings NatPSA/2026/005/MHRA. Get emails about this page Documents National Patient Safety Alert Supporting Information. Patient hoists and slings: incidents and case examples. HTML This guidance should be read alongside the alert. This page provides supporting information to accompany the National Patient Safety Alert on patient hoists and slings (NatPSA/2026/005/MHRA) . It summarises post-market surveillance data, recurring causes, and case examples which show how serious and fatal incidents may occur. The MHRA receives reports of adverse incidents through the Yellow Card scheme and through manufacturer incident reports. The incidents described occurred in the United Kingdom and include multiple care settings, manufacturers and hoist models. From 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2025, the MHRA received 22 reports of incidents with a fatal outcome involving patient hoists during routine transfers. Incidents occurred across acute hospitals, care homes, and within patient homes. The incidents occurred across various manufacturers, models or care setting. These figures are based on Yellow Card reports and are likely to underrepresent the true scale of harm, as not all incidents are reported. The issues described may affect any patient hoist or sling. Investigations consistently identify a small number of recurring causes. They reflect systemic gaps in practice and can occur across different equipment types and care contexts. Spreader bar hooks, carabiners, D‑clips and other retaining features can fail when components are missing, worn, damaged or incorrectly assembled. End boom caps or locking mechanisms have, in some instances, been missing, allowing hooks to rotate or disengage when in use. These conditions may not be obvious without a deliberate pre‑use check. Loop‑type sling attachments can move out of position on spreader bar hooks before all the patient’s weight is applied. This risk can be increased when slings are new and stiff, as loops may not be fully seated when initially attached. If loop displacement is not identified before the patient’s weight is applied, the sling may fail to retain the patient. Third‑party slings that have not been validated for a specific hoist, or the use of loop‑type slings with spreader bars designed for clip attachments (and vice versa), can result in insecure or incomplete attachment. Compatibility must be confirmed using the manufacturer’s instructions for use and should not be assumed because a sling physically fits. Use of an incorrectly sized sling can result in the patient slipping through or falling from the sling. Sling sizes and colour coding vary between manufacturers, which can lead to selection errors where multiple sling brands are used within the same organisation or where staff work across multiple settings. Toileting slings provide minimal support and must only be used for their intended purpose. Failure to identify unsafe equipment conditions before use is a recurring contributing factor. This includes missing components, worn or damaged retaining features, incorrectly seated sling loops, and incorrect sling attachment. Pre‑use checks should be capable of detecting these conditions and must include a “pause‑and‑check” step after initial load take-up, before the patient is fully lifted (for example, after slack has been removed and the sling attachments are under tension). Equipment that is overdue for statutory examination under the Lifting Operations