Radical action Thick and smokers are expected to wait one year for routine surgery

Routine procedures for overweight and smokers must wait
Overweight and smokers in some clinics in the UK will in future have to wait longer for routine surgery. Because of austerity measures, they should only be treated secondarily. Experts speak of "discriminatory" measures.

Limited health care for thickness
People who are too fat do not just struggle with the physical consequences. Strong obesity also causes mental illness. In addition, those affected feel discriminated against. And in parts of the UK even their health care should be limited.

In some UK clinics, overweight and smokers will have to wait longer for routine surgery. Experts speak of discrimination. (Image: Jürgen Fälchle / fotolia.com)

Overweight and smokers have to wait for surgery
According to media reports, a British hospital association in Vale of York plans to treat overweight people and smokers in the future as secondary and to refuse surgeries. According to "BBC" sufferers would then have to wait for up to a year for routine procedures such as knee or hip surgery. Affected would be those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above. For serious illness or injury, the directive should not apply.

Discriminatory measures
The measures are said to ease the burden on UK health care. Shaw Somers, a surgeon from Portsmouth, told BBC that it was a logical step to save money, but it was also short-term and discriminatory. "Obesity is a disease". Affected people do not wake up every morning and ask themselves, "How do I stay fat?"

"The vast majority of them are trying to lose weight," denying them medical treatment because of their weight is discrimination.

Regulations are wrong
According to the professional association of surgeons are the most serious restrictions that have ever existed in this area. The president of the association, Clare Marx, said smokers and obese people should be helped to quit smoking or lose weight. "Introducing general regulations that delay access to life-changing operations is wrong," says Marx.

According to the information, the NHS now wants to check whether the plans of the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group are compatible with the national guidelines. An NHS spokesperson said, "Not only would patients benefit from reducing obesity and smoking, but the NHS and taxpayers would also save millions of pounds." (Ad)