Delay routine surgery for smokers and obese people

Health bosses have approved plans to delay routine surgery for smokers and obese people.

The restrictions, brought in by NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), mean overweight patients will have to lose 10% of their weight before surgery.

NHS England has now approved the plan.

This is plain barking. What about people that drink access alcohol, should they have their NHS entitlement rationed?

I am sure there will be a legal challenge. Will our Prime Minister intervene?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-38131052

I don't smoke but its obvious they're just using it as an excuse to ration care.

Yeah. Once that's in we can do it for the elderly because it wont benefit them for long.

And children because they've not contributed.

etc....

Smokers contribute way more in taxes than is spent by the NHS on smokers. If the argument is financial then smoking should be encouraged and smokers should have priority!

Yeah. Once that's in we can do it for the elderly because it wont benefit them for long.

 

And children because they've not contributed.

 

etc....

I have other fresh news for you (...that the government probably would like you not to be aware of, so a bit of NHS-related plebeian furore would be nice for distraction).

Won't be long before Maggie's years are remembered fondly.

Isn't there any comment from NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group as to what their reasoning is??

Is there a higher mortality rate for obese patients undergoing surgery, so forcing them to loose weight decreases their risk of death?

Smokers contribute way more in taxes than is spent by the NHS on smokers. If the argument is financial then smoking should be encouraged and smokers should have priority!

I'd love to see some actual data attached to that. What price chemo? The last time I heard a triple bypass was £20k - but I'm prepared to be corrected.

Here: https://fullfact.org/economy/does-smoking-cost-much-it-makes-treasury/

First they stopped treating the obese, and I did not speak out —

Because I was not obese.

Then they stopped treating smokers, and I did not speak out —

Because I was not a smoker.

Then they stopped treating the drinkers, and I did not speak out —

Because I was not a drinker.

Then they wouldn't treat me — and there was no one left to speak for me.

Just like the bedroom tax ended up in court, with some disabled people winning their case. This may apply to hospital treatment too. Although a larger percentage of the poor maybe obese, the disabled may be more obese. If they have mobility problems, they cannot exercise.

But if your Dr tells you to loose weight or stop smoking (for years) or it'll kill you - why should they then provide an intervention when his prophecy comes true?

Any monies paid in taxes has been used already,for the previous years provision of giving"you" advice "you" choose to ignore.

I read the details and it links to stuff like hip and knee replacements - how successful would a new hip or knee be with 3 or 4 times the load on it?

Don't get me wrong i'm overweight - not obese, all my other medical conditions are perfect. But i dropped 10 kilos in 4 weeks by reducing food intake. That's within the limit of most people if i can do it.

I wouldn't stop there, if people (who are able, fit and healthy) don't pay into the system, they should also forgo surgery/treatment!