Six million people affected
Posted on 04/28/2007 3:48:41 PM PDT by Stoat
Nine primary care trusts have a specific policy to refuse joint replacements to obese patients. And four will not consider orthopaedic surgery if patients smoke.
In all, six million patients live in areas affected by so-called lifestyle rationing.
Jean Ryan has been told she cannot have her hip replaced until she loses weight.
But she says that is impossible because the pain means she can barely move, let alone exercise.
Despite living on a pension she has taken out an £8000 loan to pay for surgery abroad.
She said: "I don't think it is fair. If I lived in Bournemouth there would be no bar on being overweight. I can't see any other way round the problem. I can't see them helping. So you have to help yourself. Either that or you end up in a wheelchair."
The Sky News survey shows that in the absence of national rules, local PCTs are making up their own.
North Staffordshire has the toughest restrictions. To qualify for any routine elective operation, patients must have a body mass index below 30. They must also have given up smoking for at least three months.
Andrew Haldenby from pressure group Doctors for Reform said there should be national rules for the National Health Service.
He said: " These decisions should be taken in Parliament. These are exceptionally serious thorny questions. They get to the heart of what the NHS is."
According to Suffolk PCT obese patients are at higher risk of blood loss and infections after operations.
The PCT is also £31million in debt and Public Health Director Dr Peter Bradley said money must be used wisely.
"We have limited resources and we have to make sure we are using them to best effect. It's sensible to use that money where we know the treatment is going to work."
The Department of Health insisted that treatment is delivered according to patients' clinical need, not their lifestyle choice. And decisions are taken by doctors, not managers or politicians.
:: PCTs with a specific policy denying joint surgery to obese patients:
North Staffordshire
Stoke
Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
Milton Keynes
Hereford
West Hertfordshire
East and North Hertfordshire
Suffolk
:: PCTs with a policy denying joint surgery to smokers:
North Staffordshire
Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
Milton Keynes
:: PCTs that expect doctors to consider bodyweight and tobacco use before referring for surgery
Surrey
South Staffordshire
Dorset
Central and East Cheshire
No new hips or knees for fat patients (UK)
Briton too overweight for NHS, not for Indian doctors
Hospital fined for treating too many patients
Too fat Medicaid might be withheld
UK NHS patients make beeline for Belgium
NHS patients pay cash for superior care (Socialized medicine collapsing in England)
Coming soon to a country near you.
Gee, lookie how well this policy has worked out in the UK, Canada, (...refuses to recite the entire list...).
Yes....you may have noticed that I also included a link to a FR article on Medicaid being considered for denial in Missouri due to obesity and smoking. It appears to be a growing trend.(pardon the pun)
And Mrs William Jefferson Blythe Clinton is thinking, “Hmmmm...”
Who wouldn't want the chance to play God's accountant?
Socialized Medicine is good.
/sarc
Who wouldn't want the chance to play God's accountant?
A Socialist bureaucrat comes quickly to mind.
Socialized medicion is rationed medicine.
Haw haw. Don’t you love how socialist bureaucrats come up with excuses for not doing things they can’t do anyway?
I bet that 6 million was almost exactly the number of people who wouldn’t get surgery within six months anyway.
“But we have to preserve our precious socialized medicine, at all costs! (snivel!)”
*Snort* Well, it is not a Quality Of Life issue there..
I bet they have to operate.
Chubbies and smokers made choices. So did this guy. Why is there a difference?
Michael Moore is dooooooooomed!!!!
Capitalism rescues the public from Socialism once again!
I’ve read stories dealing with these issues, in addition to maximum ages of treatment, and much else for the past 40 years.
Naturally, those in power poo-pood it; and the illiterate masses, even if they could have read the warnings being cried in the wilderness, were too mesmerized by promises of “free care forever” to pay any attention.
It is called "Economic Medical Triage"! Coming to you as a side benefit of the soon to be enacted "National Healthcare Assurance Act of 2009"!......... Stay tuned!
What am I saying? Of COURSE they will!
A blog resource for anyone who’s interested in the real story about the English medical system.
http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/
Add a dental practice to that plan and you’ve got a winner!
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