Table 1
Aspects of risk management covered in questionnaire and derivation of the MARCH score
| Aspect of risk management | Score | No. of hospitals | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | (%) | |||
| *Only applicable in English trusts. | ||||
| 1. | Defined management responsibility for manual handling issues at board level | 0 = none | 13 | (12) |
| 1 = yes, but with complex or unclear route of communication with ward manager | 27 | (25) | ||
| 2 = yes, and with short and simple route of communication with ward manager | 69 | (63) | ||
| 2. | Written, trust-wide policy for manual handling | 0 = none | 1 | (1) |
| 1 = generic policy only, not ward specific (not applicable or information missing) | 59 | (54) | ||
| 2 = generic policy and also ward specific policies | 49 | (45) | ||
| 3. | Score on health and safety section of risk management audit in NHS Litigation Authority Controls Assurance Baseline Assessment 2000* | 0 = lowest third of distribution | 21 | (19) |
| 1 = middle third of distribution (not applicable or information missing) | 63 | (58) | ||
| 2 = highest third of distribution | 25 | (23) | ||
| 4. | Routine collection of data on sickness absence and ill-health retirement | 0 = none | 1 | (1) |
| 1 = data collected routinely on either sickness absence or ill-health retirement, but not both (or information missing) | 51 | (47) | ||
| 2 = data collected routinely on both sickness absence and ill-health retirement | 57 | (52) | ||
| 5. | Data on manual handling incidents collected routinely and provided to study team on request | 0 = not collected | 2 | (2) |
| 1 = collected but not provided (or information missing) | 27 | (25) | ||
| 2 = collected and provided | 80 | (73) | ||
| 6. | Salary allocation for manual handling specialist(s) per 1000 staff | 0 = lowest third of distribution | 40 | (37) |
| 1 = middle third of distribution or salary allocated but amount unknown | 39 | (36) | ||
| 2 = highest third of distribution | 30 | (28) | ||
| 7. | Time per 1000 staff of manual handling specialist(s) allocated to advising about risks and controls | 0 = lowest third of distribution | 39 | (36) |
| 1 = middle third of distribution or specialist appointed but time allocation unknown | 40 | (37) | ||
| 2 = highest third of distribution | 30 | (28) | ||
| 8. | Guidelines on referral to occupational health department for nurses with back problems | 0 = none | 15 | (14) |
| 1 = guidelines produced, but referral not always within first four weeks of sickness absence (or information missing) | 66 | (61) | ||
| 2 = guidelines produced and referral within first four weeks of sickness absence | 28 | (26) | ||
| 9. | Rapid access to physiotherapy for nurses with back problems | 0 = none | 25 | (23) |
| 1 = available, but waiting time >2 weeks (or information missing) | 18 | (17) | ||
| 2 = available and waiting time ⩽2 weeks | 66 | (61) | ||
| 10. | Level of manual handling training | 0 = <1 day at baseline | 44 | (40) |
| 1 = other (or information missing) | 24 | (22) | ||
| 2 = ⩾1 day at baseline plus ⩾½ day refresher at least once per year | 41 | (38) | ||
| 11. | Records of attendance for manual handling training and proportion of nurses with attendance in past year | 0 = training records kept only at ward level | 13 | (12) |
| 1 = training records kept centrally and attendance rate in lower half of distribution (or information missing) | 64 | (59) | ||
| 2 = training records kept centrally and attendance rate in upper half of distribution | 32 | (29) | ||
| 12. | Proportion of clinical wards with accessible lifting equipment | 0 = ⩽80% of wards have either hoists or small aids | 30 | (28) |
| 1 = >80% of wards have both hoists and small aids, but some or all are shared with other wards (or information missing) | 43 | (39) | ||
| 2 = >80% of wards have both hoists and small aids for single ward use | 36 | (33) | ||
