Top surgeon to sue over ‘rationing’ of weight loss surgery
One of Britain’s top surgeons is considering taking legal action over the “rationing” of life saving obesity surgery on the NHS.
Professor John Baxter said that the health service was putting patients lives at risk by not funding the surgery for many. He accused Primary Care Trusts of limiting the number of operations they performed because of the cost, which can be up to £6,000.
He said that the operations, which include gastric band surgery, would pay for themselves within four years, because they would reduce the number of obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes. The health service currently carries out fewer than 300 stomach shrinking operations a year.
Professor Baxter said that half of all PCTs in England were ignoring guidelines that morbidly obese patients should have the surgery, which can lead to rapid weight loss.
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If you’re considering having weight loss surgery, please visit Vita Clinics today - based in Birmingham they’re the UK’s experts in obesity surgical procedures.
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Vita Clinics is attending the Regional National Obesity Forum Meeting in Cardiff on May 12th and hopes to discuss the benefits of bariatric surgery on the health status of morbidly obese people in Wales with commissioners of care from the Welsh National Health Board. With the health and economic benefits associated with obesity surgery clearly proven, Vita Clinics is committed to ensuring that those patients who are eligible and suitable for weight loss surgery have the same level of access as patients elsewhere in the UK. It will do this by setting up large expert, specialist bariatric centres in conjunction with the NHS and/or private sector. Watch this space….