The NHS must treat smokers and the obese fairly As doctors, we should not discriminate against groups of patients to save money.
One in three areas in England is denying or delaying surgery to patients who are obese or who smoke. That’s the stark finding of a new report by the Royal College of Surgeons.
Some may think it appropriate to deny treatment to people who overeat or smoke in a cash-strapped NHS, but as surgeons we think it wrong to have a blanket ban on surgery based on such criteria. Targeting patient groups risks unfairly isolating them and undermining the fundamental NHS principle to treat all patients freely at the point of need regardless of their background or lifestyle. Continue reading... The Guardian
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