U.K.:'Too Fat' Patients Denied NHS Operations (smokers too; 6M people affected)

Sky News (U.K.) ^ | April 28, 2007 | Thomas Moore

[Stoat]

'Too Fat' Patients Denied NHS Operations

By Thomas Moore
Health correspondent
Updated: 23:27, Saturday April 28, 2007

 

Patients are being denied operations on the NHS simply because they are overweight or smoke, a survey by Sky News has found.

 

Six million people affected

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.

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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

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

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.

That way, they can sit on their butts (not necessarily by choice) and be an even BIGGER burden on society!

[Stoat]

A blog resource for anyone who’s interested in the real story about the English medical system.

It looks like an essential site, and has been bookmarked on the stoatputer for regular referrals and reading.  Thank you!

 

[GingisK]

Are they allowed to reduce what they pay in taxes?

[Publius6961]

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 should think that changing her residency to Bournemouth for 6 months would cost less than £8000

[Publius6961]

The irony is that when they came for the smokers, the beached whales were among the best carriers of shovels and pitchforks on the way to the burning...

The fun will really begin when they go after the next group of lifestyle choicers --- I refuse to identify them further, but they have the shortest life expectancy of all.

[Stoat]

Add a dental practice to that plan and you’ve got a winner!

Sadly, it seems that it won't be long before we will need to start shipping our British Friends books such as these, designed for use in third-world villages where there is no doctor for hundreds (and hundreds) of miles and the people must fend for themselves or die.

 

[Stoat]

I should think that changing her residency to Bournemouth for 6 months would cost less than £8000

Perhaps a person needs to live in a particular area for a specified number of years before they become eligible?

I'm guessing that the Socialist bureaucrats have thought of every conceivable trick to get around their rules and have placed obstacles in the way of all.

[EVO X]

Coming soon to a country near you.

It is here now. Denying joint replacements to people of size seems to be somewhat prevalent in my area.

[John Jorsett]

I’m guessing that one thing you won’t see is AIDS treatment denied on “it’s your own damned fault” grounds.

[ChildOfThe60s]

bump

[calex59]

Socialism at its finest. Any idiot that thinks government health care is the answer has their head on backwards.

[Churchillspirit]

She has taken out a loan of eight thousand pounds (sixteen thousand dollars) to have the operation abroad.

I hope she is not thinking of coming to the US for surgery.Sixteen thousand dollars would not go far here.

[TBP]

Government health care at its finest!

[Stoat]

She has taken out a loan of eight thousand pounds (sixteen thousand dollars) to have the operation abroad.

 

I hope she is not thinking of coming to the US for surgery.Sixteen thousand dollars would not go far here.

Although I normally would tend to agree, my curiosity got the better of me and I did a minimal search for "cost hip replacement surgery USA" and I got this hit, among others:

Hip Replacement Surgery FAQs

"How much does a hip implant cost? Is it covered by insurance?

The cost of a total hip implant varies, depending on the type of implant used. Typically, a total hip procedure includes four major implant components and the total implant price ranges from $4000 to $6000 (USD). 

In most countries, the hospital purchases the implant and includes it as part of the total cost for the surgery.

Standard total hip replacement surgery is generally covered by most insurance plans. You will need to check with your particular healthcare plan for details."

*****************************************

I was surprised at the low cost and had expected double this amount, but I'm guessing that it's low because hip replacement surgeries have been commonly done since the 1970's and it's really quite a routine operation with few complications.

In fact, the website that I referenced is a company that assists overseas customers in coming to the USA for hip replacements!

She has taken out a loan of eight thousand pounds (sixteen thousand dollars) to have the operation abroad.

 

I hope she is not thinking of coming to the US for surgery.Sixteen thousand dollars would not go far here.

[freeangel]

“hip implant cost”

I think that may just be for the “hardware”. Dr. and hospital bills, therapy, etc. would add on a whole lot more. Take into account the “extra” hospitalization and rehab costs costs for an obese atient—not to mention the the increase in probable complications for these patients and the costs become huge.

[RetiredArmy]

WELCOME TO SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!!!! This is what we will have with Hillary in charge!!!

[Osage Orange]

I prefer Mrs. 1st Rapist

[Stoat]

You may indeed be right, but it would seem strange to me that a company which is dedicated to helping patients come to the USA for surgeries would intentionally omit so very many things. Such a practice would put them in a difficult legal and ethical position, I would think.
If what you say is true then the company is no better than a bunch of crooks, which may be the case.

[PackerBronco]

First of all I'm not a proponent of socialized medicine; but let me ask a question to all who have chimed in on this topic.

What kind of insurance do you think these obese people would have qualified for in the United States?

[Stoat]

Not being a fat stoat I don’t know from firsthand experience, but I haven’t heard much in the media here in the USA about people being denied insurance exclusively because of their weight, although I did link to a FR thread about discussions in Missouri to do just that with Medicaid patients.