Ban on operations for smokers and obese patients
By Liz Lockhart
Worrying news has broken in The Pulse about an operation ban for smokes and obese patients.
The article describes how GPs have signed off a series of sweeping referral restrictions by NHS Hertfordshire managers that will bar smokers and overweight patients from being referred for surgery as Primary Care Trusts across the country bring new cost-saving restrictions.
Moves to block any patients with a BMI over 30 from being referred for routine joint replacement surgery have been backed by both GP consortium leaders and LMCs. Overweight patients must first be referred to a weight management scheme. Similarly GPs will be prevented from referring smokers for any orthopaedic surgery until they have been referred to smoking cessation.
A Pulse investigation which covers 41 Primary Care Trusts has found that two-thirds have new procedures on ‘low clinical priority’ lists. These new procedures have been introduced since April as trusts struggle to cut costs.
Low priority procedures include:
- Acne scarring treatment
- Cataracts
- DEXA scanning in primary prevention of osteoporotic fragility fractures in men and women over 50 years
- Dose-dense temozolomide in recurrent glioblastoma mltiforme
- Hip replacement
- Knee replacement
- Treatment of ganglions
- Treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea
- Ultrasound to promote bone fracture healing
However, it is the restrictions on treatment for smokers and obese patients that has prompted the biggest reaction. Where will this stop? If these two groups are people are fair game for restrictions where else can PCTs look to make further savings?
These new restrictions have divided the opinions of GPs but a spokesperson for NHS Hertfordshire has said that the changes have been legally approved and they are necessary to make the best use of NHS resources.
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