Bans on NHS treatment?

Question

Do you think it would be fair for the NHS and the Government to ban the obese and smokers from some treatments? Personally I believe I think it is unworkable, as they could then ban other high-risk people, such as professional sports people, as they participate in an activity which is higher risk than ordinary activity (I use this example 'cause I'm a cyclist). What do you think?

Answer 1

Everyone pays national insurance and as such are entitled to free healthcare. what the government seem to forget is that they profit from smokers. Many people who need the NHS now because of smoking related ilnesses started smoking before the full dangers were known. Can the government really penalise people for ignorance?

Also, they keep raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol not to mention other non health related items but what do the peope get. A health service that thinks of patients as money and not people. Its now a case of in and out before you have had time to put your pyjamas on. The government set the budget for healthcare and yet the NHS is in serious debt. Surely if more money was directed towards the NHS instead of war and possibly a nationwide payrise to lower earning people so that they could afford some form of private healthcare that may take the strain off the NHS.

Answer 2

As an ex smoker I could never understand why smoking hasnt been banned ..until you look at the fact that the taxes on tobacco provide funding for the NHS so why not simply tax fatty foods as well and invest the money in to health.The food industry should have tighter regulations regarding ingredients to help us make better choices also.No one should be stopped from getting medical help but the government must be firmer about the issues regarding food etc.it took a tv chef to show how badly schools feed our kids why is that?

Answer 3

Not all obese people are overeating some have other problems such as thyroid and eating disorders I hope you never suffer or perhaps you will have to be put down. Most fat people have paid their taxes and the NHS would lose a lot of tax money if smokers all gave up. All our rates would go up to make up the shortfall

Answer 4

No I don't think they will be quite that pedantic. If you are clinically obese because you have high muscle density, it is very unlikely that they would refuse treatment, and doctors have gone at length to explain that.

These are guidelines that are being implemented to encourage healthy living. If someone has a condition that is contributed to by being too heavy and having too much body fat, they would encourage them to treat the cause of the problem, which is their unhealthy lifestyle, which will treat them in the long term and improve their quality of ife.

And doctors have also said that these are just guidelines, and they would never leave a patient in discomfort no matter why they needed treatment

Answer 5

The obese and there are thousands of them. Personally I have never in my life seen so many "aprons" of fat hanging down over
peoples crotches. !!!! Maybe the food industry should be brought to book over fat people. We don't know what is in our food, what the additives are or the long term effect of them , well we can see, loads of fat people !!!. Places like mcdonalds and pizza hut should say NO to Fat People, won't serve you like a responsible pub landlord does to the drunks. If the government save money on this and ciggy smokers what will they spend the NHS budget on. Many things are self inflicted, but unless you get all the facts before you start to smpoke or food binge then I think you should be treated. i also think parents should be taken to court for feeding their children to the point of bursting and risking their long term health, It should be a case of neglect and abuse. there had my say thank you

Answer 6

I think some "treatments" should be disallowed but not groups of people - you can get lung cancer and have heart problems for all sorts of reasons - not just cos yr a fat smoker.
I don't think it's right for there to be waiting lists in NHS hospitals when the same hospitals and facilities are being used by private patients (have I got that right or did I make it up?)

Answer 7

Absolutely not. That would amount to health fascism.

There are some things that are available on the NHS that I do believe we should seriously consider not providing. The sort of thing I have in mind is where the person has a condition that is not life threatening. Cosmetic surgery to name but one.

Answer 8

Hi Fassa , I think before we start banning anyone we should start with those who arrive in our country without having ever paid a penny in N H I contributions and then expect to take advantage of the services which we have paid for , costing us millions of pounds and preventing genuinely entitled folk from getting the treatment which they are entitled to and are being denied of by the sheer numbers of Free-Riders and Bed Blockers.

Answer 9

As a smoker, I would welcome a ban on treating smokers. On the down side (for the mad Scot chancellor) I would then want to be legally entitled to opt out of National Insurance payments. The NHS & State Pension are absolutely crap value for money.

Answer 10

No,

We must educate peoples. Who sell all and promote all this fat and tobaco? The governement let it be sold, to make taxes....

If the government would not sell tobacco, it may be possible to moraly ban smokers. But fat....You know a word called G-E-N-E-T-I-C ? What is this new ideas of persucutions fat? Higher risk ? Do you know who made this scale of fat-longevity ? It was a insurance company....And it's crap......

Look at all this, and tell me after all we should ban.....please :