Up to 25,000 Scots who could be eligible for gastric band surgery are being denied the opportunity to transform their lives. The number of bariatric procedures carried out in Scotland on the NHS each year is between 150 and 180.
Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to serious health complications, is one of the country’s fastest growing conditions. But people are being denied gastric band and gastric balloon procedures because health boards are unwilling to finance them.
Although research has shown that obesity surgery can have a major effect on improving the health of obese people, Scotland has one of the lowest rates of bariatric surgery in the world. In Scotland only 0.8% of those eligible and willing to have a weight loss procedure receive treatment. This compares with 1.2% in England, 5.5% in Sweden and 9% in the United States.
If more patients were offered treatment, their health could be improved and the NHS would save money over the long term.
Scotland on Sunday 10/1/2010
NOSC View
Each year we see an increasing number of people embark on the life changing journey that results from gastric band surgery and the non-surgical gastric balloon procedure. Patients experience incredible health benefits and generally feel fitter and enjoy improved mobility. Although people talk about the physical benefits, we also see a marked improvement in patients who have suffered with depression. If the NHS in Scotland could fund twice the number of patients each year, it would bring them in line with the NHS in England. And they would still both be lagging behind the rest of the world!