Obese patients in Manchester have been told that they do not qualify for weight loss surgery because they are not fat enough.
Patients used to be eligible if their BMI was over 40 but the limit has now been raised to a BMI of 50. This decision has upset patients who thought they were eligible but have now been told they cannot have surgery.
Jacquie Coleman, 53, from Manchester, was recommended for surgery after she she hit 16 stone. She has shown her commitment to a change in lifestyle by working with a dietician to lose a stone in weight. Now she has been told she cannot have surgery, even though she can’t exercise because of arthritis in her knees. She has diabetes and is currently waiting for a second knee replacement.
A spokesman from the Greater Manchester Public Health Network said “Surgery should be rationed. We have a limited amount of resources and we have to prioritise services.”
Manchester Evening News
NOSC View
As the obesity epidemic escalates, more and more people will attempt to access treatment via the NHS. Providing surgery to people with a BMI over 40 is a costly business. However, if the NHS don’t pay up now, they will have to pay up in the future, when the inevitable effects of obesity become apparent. We will see a rise in diabetes, joint replacement surgery, cardiac and many other debilitating conditions.
Like any other business the NHS has to budget for its provision of services. How it chooses to proportionally fund these services will remain a very difficult choice.