Should a doctor be struck off for refusing a patient treatment,because he or she smokes,or is overweight.?

Question

A doctor can refuse a patient treatment,if he or she is a smoker,or overweight.the G.M.C recently stated that no patient can be refused treatment because of their lifestyle.Does this mean that if you are refused treatment the doctor can be reported,and possibly struck off?

Answer 1

To the best of my knowledge there is nothing in the Hippocratic oath that says doctors have the right to judge people's lifestyle before providing treatment though they are entitled to offer people advice if this will improve their health. But if a smoker cannot or will not follow that advice then they should still be treated and if the doctor refuses, they should indeed be struck off. Those that argue that we should not waste time and money treating self inflicted illnesses and injuries really need to consider all the other conditions that could be avoided and for which a similar argument could be made.

Answer 2

Mmm. Good question. Speaking as an ex-smoker and someone who is a bit overweight, I don't think a doctor should be allowed to refuse treatment. At least, not without trying other methods first. There are many smoking cessation clinics about nowadays. If someone can prove that they are serious about wanting to improve their lifestyle maybe by attending one of these clinics on a regular basis then that's fair enough. Or attending a weight loss clinic.

But it's not always that simple. I really get sick of people saying 'If you really want to stop, then you will stop'. We're not all blessed with tremendous willpower, and sometimes even trying to change something makes you go in the completely opposite direction. You could be trying to stop smoking but because you are thinking about it all the time you actually end up smoking more than usual. Does anyone genuinely believe that the average person enjoys forking out £40 or so every week on cigarettes or thinks it is normal to always feel out of breath. Or that someone enjoys being ridiculed or likes feeling fat and unattractive.

Some doctors believe that stress is at the root of problems like these so maybe that stress has to be treated first. I don't know what the answer is, but I do believe that some people really do have addiction-like problems when it comes to smoking, overeating, alcohol, drugs etc. and genuinely cannot help themselves.

Answer 3

I believe that everyone has the right to good medical treatment after all that was why the NHS was started in the beginning. However if a person has a destructive lifestyle I do think that more good advice and help should be given hand in hand with any other treatment the patient is receiving and maybe in some cases the patient should have to show that they are serious about doing something about it and making progress. Unfortunately once any treatment is given to a patient who has a problem with food, smoking, drink, drugs etc etc many seem to relapse into an unhealthy lifestyle often undoing any good the initial treatment, operation had done, e.g. a heart patient continuing to smoke after an operation. Having said that no Doctor has the right to refuse treatment and if a patient believes that this is happening because of their lifestyle then they do have the right to take the appropriate procedures to report that Doctor to the G.M.C. Unfortunately we are likely to always have this problem unless people realise that sometimes in order to be and stay as healthy as possible they should stop leading a destructive lifestyle and really be prepared to do something positive about it, after all we are all responsible for our own well-being.

Answer 4

Not struck off, no. Maybe they should be reported, but ONLY if there aren't sound medical reasons for denying treatment.
A doctor (a good one, anyway) doesn't make that decision as a judgement against someone's lifestyle, but purely on medical grounds.
I work with doctors, and they frequently have to tell people they can't currently be treated as they are too overweight or smoke. Depending on what we're talking about, some treatment is just very unlikely to work (eg. infertility treatment) or is actually dangerous (anything that involves anaesthetic) if the patient is very overweight and/or smokes heavily.

In my experience patients are told to cut down their smoking or lose weight to increase the chances of success of the operation, or to reduce the likelihood of them suffering complications during or after surgery. Some people do, and some are annoyed they can't carry on the way they want to. The last group would probably be the first ones to sue if they suffered a clot after anaesthetic.

The NHS has limited resources, and it can't afford to waste them doing operations that won't work, on those people who refuse to help themselves.

Answer 5

It's a difficult one I have been refused an operation because of smoking and weight, yes I'm disappointed only in my case it's the right decision, the operation I'd be having is a right jaw replacement which will take nearly 5 hrs, I've had quiet a few strokes over a number of years that I've only found out I did have, my consultants words were 'stop smoking for a few months and try and get some weight on as no anaesthetist would put you under for such a long time as you may not come through it' now that consultant has known me for 5 years he knows my pain so yes he refused with good reason.

Answer 6

A lot depends on the circumstances. Some procedures can be very risky to a heavy smoker or overweight person, and the doctor or consultant has to explain this to the patient., The treatment or operation might be deferred, not refused, to allow weight to be lost or smoking curtailed in order that the treatment is less hazardous . and the patients recovery is swifter. Also the medical people would be aware that they might be sued if they performed the operation and any sort of harm befell the patient.. There must be a point that a person has to take some responsibilty for their own health and wellbeing. ..A good doctor will advise .It is a foolish person who does not heed this advice.

Answer 7

I don't think anyone should ever be refused treatment no matter how overweight they are or how much they drink or smoke etc. we all pay out National insurance to cover those things &, because of that, they are our right.
You only have to look at the state of the health services in places like America to see that we are lucky to have our NHS. In America before an ambulance will come in an emergency they ask about your health insurance. If you can't afford treatment, you get none.

Answer 8

this is a tough one! i believe that if you are overweight through being greedy and eating the wrong foods then yes you should be refused treatment as it can cause issues if you were to have surgery.

Many doctors dont like to do surgery on overweight patients because there are many more risks involved, for example, overweight patients are at more of a risk of heart trouble when in surgery, and if doctors believe that their hearts cannot take it, they wont treat them until they have lost weight, which i think is more than fair enough!

if, however, the patient is overweight due to other reasons that are beyond their control then doctors should at least try and do something to help eg try and help them lose weight before treatment can be issued!

good question by the way, wonder how many people will be against my answer!? cant help having an opinion though at the end of the day!

Answer 9

My dad smoked and he lived to be 84, he was fit and healthy until the last few years of his life. Just because you smoke or are overweight does not mean you are the unhealthy one. There are people dying of cancer who have never smoked, there are skinny people who have strokes because of high cholesterol. Doctors cannot refuse a patient for being a smoker or overweight it's discrimination, and the doctor could be sued for this.

Answer 10

This is a tricky area, because frequently the doctor is making a clinic decision rather than a life style judgement. If a persons obesity or the fact they smoke, will adversely affect the outcome of the treatment, then isn't the doctor correct to refuse it. If for example somebody morbidly obese requires an operation, but the risk of them dying in theatre is high because of their weight, the doctor could be right to refuse it until they have lost that weight.