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Obese patients and smokers banned from routine surgery with the NHS

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I think this is a step in the right direction however it should be discretionary with a large scope for exceptions, such as people with glandular problems or mental illness. There also needs to be a careful review of the conditions that the hospital can refuse treatment.

It's important that the NHS is no longer required to help people to cope with obesity, when the person is capable of losing weight. The key is to send the right message. I've worked at a hospital outpatients department and it's staggering the proportion of patients coming in with obesity-related illnesses.

Clearly for some people, they feel that being obese is a lifestyle that can be maintained. Help and advice are not enough because they simply are not seeking or following them.

I think this policy is drastic but deserves to be tested. If it proves to be an incentive and cuts cost then we could be looking at a win-win solution.

Reply 41

difeo

Agree for obese people, not for smokers. They pay more than enough tax.

Reply 42

difeo

Original post by AnnaRainbows

I can understand the smoking ban, but perhaps other factors should be considered and not just BMI... what if an old person needed surgery and they can't help but get fat because that's what happens most of the times when you get old :/ not everyone is physically capable to lose weight...

Other than that yes I agree with the obese part; if a person is young and capable to stay in the healthy weight limits but doesn't do anything for that, it only seems fair. Besides, all the complications that can result from operating on an obese person. It's for their sake as well.

Everyone can eat less

Reply 43

sdotd

good news. being fat is not good and should not be accepted unless they have illnesses that cause them to become fat

Reply 44

!!mentor!!

I don't think this will save money. I think that if they don't receive the operations then we will spend even more money on palliative-type care / medicine.

Reply 45

IamJacksContempt

I see absolutely no reason why Ronaldo is worthy of the Balon D'or over Suarez this year

Reply 46

username471863

Original post by MeYou2Night

But they can afford all the cigarettes?

I'm not talking about smokers only, rather everyone who will be affected by the privatisation of the NHS.

Reply 47

Sisuphos

Privatise the NHS. Problem solved (?). I don't get why smokers and fatties should pay NI and be denied surgery - wtf?

Reply 48

JamesN88

Original post by MasterJack

It needn't be a 100% reliable indicator, even 90% is good enough. You are much more likely to come across a >30BMI individual that's obese than extremely muscular (body builder). I'm pretty certain there are some extenuating circumstances as well, a lot of media headlines report things in a simplistic way.

The NHS is FREE AT THE POINT OF USE, by smoking or being obese and then having surgeries which could have a higher risk of complications than a non-obese/non-smoker, you're making things more expensive in the long run for a system that's already burdened with diabetes, cardiac disease, cancer, more age-related issues, etc. In a way, this could add to the incentive of living a bit healthier. If you want "more freedom" to do unhealthy things, you should be the one paying for the treatments of your sins than everyone else. Why would you want what little money the NHS has, going towards those that abuse their health in the first place when people at no fault of their own are struggling to get treatment?

It's a slippery slope if we start imposing things like this, they have paid their taxes(smokers especially) like everyone else.

Reply 49

The_JoKeR

Original post by difeo

Everyone can eat less

They CAN, but that doesn't mean it'll have an effect. I suggest you google for glandular problems.

Reply 50

TheDailyMan

The state is the bearer of the sword. When the state runs health care, it will eventually arrive at the cheapest cure, which is to shoot the patient.

Reply 51

MeYou2Night

Original post by WBZ144

I'm not talking about smokers only, rather everyone who will be affected by the privatisation of the NHS.

Fine.

As I've said, it doesn't bother me as everything I need is done at a very efficiently run private hospital :smile:

Reply 52

Mudas

I seriously don't get this. They pay their taxes, so they are entitled for treatment.
It's much different from surgeries such as organ transplants where, of course, the organ should go to the person who didn't destroy it. But these are ordinary, routine surgeries where we don't face issues such as lack of donated organs. This is a stupid policy.

Reply 53

difeo

Original post by The_JoKeR

They CAN, but that doesn't mean it'll have an effect. I suggest you google for glandular problems.

You should probably do that yourself... Glandular problems can cause things like increase in appetite and decrease in energy, which can obviously lead to weight gain if you're not careful. What they can't do is cause excess calories you consume to magically not be stored as fat.

Reply 54

Maker

Original post by TheDailyMan

The state is the bearer of the sword. When the state runs health care, it will eventually arrive at the cheapest cure, which is to shoot the patient.

Or harpoon them since fatties can have a thick layer of blubber like whales.

Reply 55

JamesN88

Original post by Maker

Or harpoon them since fatties can have a thick layer of blubber like whales.

You're a ****in savage. :biggrin:

Reply 56

KimKallstrom

It's my understanding that smokers pay so much tax from the mark up on the packets that they pay a lot more towards the NHS than they take out.

Reply 57

L'absurde

Well it's a question of funds, the NHS has limited funds and with all the people needing treatment, those who have eaten and smoked their way half to death should be at the bottom of that pile. With all the money they've spent on cigarettes/food they could've financed their own surgeries.

Although the ban is being reviewed in York.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-37265752

Reply 58

The_JoKeR

Original post by difeo

Take an under active Thyroid gland as an example, it doesn't cause an increase in appetite but because it means a low metabolism, what you do eat is more than likely going to be stored as fat. Even if you exercise its very hard to lose weight with this "condition".