Kevin1708
Century Club
Public asked for views on weight-loss surgery funding
York Press ~ 15th December 2010 ~ Nicola Fifield, Senior reporter
PEOPLE in York are being asked for their views on whether taxpayers should fund weight-loss surgery for obese patients.
Yorkshire and the Humber Specialised Commissioning Group is inviting members of the public to take part in an online questionnaire.
One of the questions asks whether the NHS should fund gastric band or gastric bypass surgery for anyone who is morbidly obese, people that have already tried to lose weight, or people who are morbidly obese and have other illnesses such as diabetes that could improve after successful surgery.
A spokesman for the commissioning group said all answers would be taken into consideration by the region’s primary care trusts, including NHS North Yorkshire and York, when they review their criteria for funding bariatric surgery.
At present, NHS North Yorkshire and York will only consider funding this type of surgery if the patient has a body mass index (BMI) of 50 or over.
This is despite guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that recommend surgery as a treatment option for people with a BMI of 40 or more.
Meanwhile, obese patients who also have conditions such as diabetes, ischaemic heart disease and sleep apnoea will only be considered for surgery by NHS North Yorkshire and York if they have a BMI of 45 to 50. The bar set by NICE for this category of patients is a BMI of between 35 and 40.
A spokesman for Yorkshire and the Humber Specialised Commissioning Group said: “The primary care trusts in this region are currently reviewing the criteria for funding surgery for individuals who are morbidly obese.
“We want to understand your views on NHS-funded surgery for people who are considered morbidly obese. As such we are working with patients, carers, members of the public, health care professionals and a number of organisations to understand these views.
“Responses to this questionnaire will be used to shape recommendations on how morbid obesity surgical services should be commissioned.”
To complete the questionnaire, log on to nyypct.nhs.uk
Your Say YourPress
lis0r, York says...
11:13am Wed 15 Dec 10
Since when has the public been suitably educated on the subject of medicine, and it's ethics and other complexities? I find it absolutely disgusting for them to rely on the prejudices of the public to excuse cutting the funding of such operations, when medicine won't provide them with one. The sooner they abolish these corrupt PCT organisations, the better.
TheTruthHurts, York says...
11:20am Wed 15 Dec 10
Filled in the questionnaire. Get them to pay for it themselves.
pedalling paul , York says...
11:29am Wed 15 Dec 10
Buy them all bikes........
york_chap, York says...
12:03pm Wed 15 Dec 10
The only circumstances under which this treatment should be publicly funded are when the obesity has been caused by something beyond the patient's control - inactive thyroid and the like.
As for the majority of tub-tubs who become obese through scoffing too many pies, chocolates and crisps, they should pay for a gym subscription like the rest of us have to.
Whistlejacket, York says...
12:12pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I'm willing to contribute to the cost of their surgery if they let me use their loyalty card at the kebab shop.
els, Haxby says...
12:31pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I can't believe the small minded people on this site who comment about something they dont have full facts on. Do we make alcoholics pay for a liver transplant, do we make smokers pay for help giving up smoking/cancer treatment. Just because the obesity issue is something that cannot be hidden unlike smoking and drinking, people are so quick to judge. There are strict guidelines on getting funding for this sort of surgery and if you dont meet the strict guidelines, you dont get funding. They dont just offer anyone the surgery. Im sure you all arent perfect so dont judge other people until you have full facts!
chickpea, York says...
12:35pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I was denied funding for this op and am now applying for it again as I weigh even more. This is a very risky surgery with a 1 in 200 mortality rate. It's far from the easy way out and requires life long commitment to a new way of eating. Having attended the bariatric support group at the hospital, I have seen how it can change the lives of people who are frequently ridiculed, discriminated against and misunderstood. Being morbidly obese is not the same as just being fat. Did you know for example that 1 in 4 of the patients requesting surgery have a history of abusive childhoods? Overeating is often a symptom of a mental illness. Unfortunately this pct doesn't have a dedicated weight management programme for us fatties, whereas it will provide funds for treating anorexia.
anonyork, York says...
12:39pm Wed 15 Dec 10
York-chap it’s a blatant generalisation and cruel to class all overweight/obese people as “tub-tubs” except if they have “inactive thyroid and the like”! For some people, overeating is like an addiction – smokers get help to quit smoking, drug users get rehab to help them get off drugs, drinkers get AA to help them stay off the booze but what do overweight people get? A big fat nothing except ridicule when in some cases, they HAVE tried to eat less, move more etc. For some it isn’t that simple, there are psychological reasons why people over (or under) eat and for some, these operations can be a matterof life or death. Smokers don’t NEED to have the odd ciggy to stay alive and healthy, alcoholics don’t NEED to drink the odd pint to stay alive and healthy but we do NEED to eat exactly the right sort and amount of food to do so! It’s not an exact science so helping some people is a good thing. I’m not in favour of this operation as a solution to the nation’s weight problems but if all other options have been tried and failed then sometimes it could help. I’d be more in favour of paying for the overweight to attend meetings such as Weightwatchers or Slimming World/Rosemary Conley to try and address the reasons they’re overweight.
moneyforwhat, York says...
1:53pm Wed 15 Dec 10
well the government seem to want everyone to tighten their belts - I should imagine that a visit to the doc will soon make it clear which people have a problem which is beyond unfortunate eating habits and who are in need of real help. Otherwise - quit with the bad eating habits.
Mullarkian, York says...
1:58pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I'd support surgery for those where it is a medical condition or hormone imbalance, but definitley not for those who just stuff themselves or drink themselves silly. People that do that don't seem to realise the hole where it goes in is far bigger than the hole where it goes out.
TheTruthHurts, York says...
2:18pm Wed 15 Dec 10
Of course surgery is the easy option. As opposed to having a disciplined eating and excercise regime for a few years?
One in four abused by parents, a quarter. just a non argument if you ask me. If the problems are pshycological then how would a stomach op help this?
Smokers get help quitting by counselling and medication. Have you been offered a gym membership or excersise classes on prescription?
Whistlejacket, York says...
2:28pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I can't believe some the self-pitying whining above.
Eat less, move more. It works. Strangely, you never see anyone with bad genes / dodgy thyroids / self-esteem issues in the third-world refugee camps on the telly.
anonyork, York says...
3:19pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I don't think I noticed any self-pity or whining just points of view that are not one-sided! Of course some people could easily lose a bit of weight if they really tried but there are those out there that HAVE tried and just can't (for whatever reason) do it! Before you accuse me of being a self-pitying whiner, I'd like to add that I'm the perfect weight for my height and have a healthy BMI but I did struggle for years with a few extra stones and believe me it is NOT easy to just "Eat less, move more". I ran 2 half marathons whilst about 2 stone overweight and I didn't lose a pound. When I finally did lose 4.5 stones it was through sheer hard work and determination but it was far from easy! Whistlejacket you are right, you don't see third world refugees being overweight but have you thought that that's because they don't have as much unhealthy food to hand as we do!
els, Haxby says...
6:09pm Wed 15 Dec 10
At the end of the day, most of us "fatties" as you so eliquently put it, actually work for a living and pay tax and national insurance just like you do. So I think we are entitled to healthcare the same as smokers, alcoholics, anorexics and drug users!!!!! Wind your neck in as I can guarantee you are far from perfect either!!!!
Yorkguy123, York says...
12:17am Thu 16 Dec 10
Question as per headline –
"Public asked for views on weight-loss surgery funding"
Answer -
"No" - End of......
Better ways to spend Tax Payers money
els, Haxby says...
12:12pm Thu 16 Dec 10
Im a tax payer and have been for a long time, so surely I have a right to say how my money is spent also. Tell that to all the smokers, alcoholics, anorexics and drug users out there, that they dont deserve help even though the majority of them have paid into the system!!!!!! Seriously need to get over yourself and not be so ignorant!!!!
chickpea, York says...
5:25pm Thu 16 Dec 10
Well I've submitted my views on the pct website. Now I'm waiting to be asked for my opinion on cancer treatments, care of the elderly and the availibility of false limbs for drunks who fall under buses.
I have a gcse in biology so I'm sure I'm qualified.
piaggio, york says...
10:37pm Thu 16 Dec 10
when you see all the ming mongs in acomb chuping on their cooplands pie.s/pastties/cheese straws !!!and beleive me ! they are FAT! AN THEY WONDER WHY
York Press ~ 15th December 2010 ~ Nicola Fifield, Senior reporter
PEOPLE in York are being asked for their views on whether taxpayers should fund weight-loss surgery for obese patients.
Yorkshire and the Humber Specialised Commissioning Group is inviting members of the public to take part in an online questionnaire.
One of the questions asks whether the NHS should fund gastric band or gastric bypass surgery for anyone who is morbidly obese, people that have already tried to lose weight, or people who are morbidly obese and have other illnesses such as diabetes that could improve after successful surgery.
A spokesman for the commissioning group said all answers would be taken into consideration by the region’s primary care trusts, including NHS North Yorkshire and York, when they review their criteria for funding bariatric surgery.
At present, NHS North Yorkshire and York will only consider funding this type of surgery if the patient has a body mass index (BMI) of 50 or over.
This is despite guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) that recommend surgery as a treatment option for people with a BMI of 40 or more.
Meanwhile, obese patients who also have conditions such as diabetes, ischaemic heart disease and sleep apnoea will only be considered for surgery by NHS North Yorkshire and York if they have a BMI of 45 to 50. The bar set by NICE for this category of patients is a BMI of between 35 and 40.
A spokesman for Yorkshire and the Humber Specialised Commissioning Group said: “The primary care trusts in this region are currently reviewing the criteria for funding surgery for individuals who are morbidly obese.
“We want to understand your views on NHS-funded surgery for people who are considered morbidly obese. As such we are working with patients, carers, members of the public, health care professionals and a number of organisations to understand these views.
“Responses to this questionnaire will be used to shape recommendations on how morbid obesity surgical services should be commissioned.”
To complete the questionnaire, log on to nyypct.nhs.uk
Your Say YourPress
lis0r, York says...
11:13am Wed 15 Dec 10
Since when has the public been suitably educated on the subject of medicine, and it's ethics and other complexities? I find it absolutely disgusting for them to rely on the prejudices of the public to excuse cutting the funding of such operations, when medicine won't provide them with one. The sooner they abolish these corrupt PCT organisations, the better.
TheTruthHurts, York says...
11:20am Wed 15 Dec 10
Filled in the questionnaire. Get them to pay for it themselves.
pedalling paul , York says...
11:29am Wed 15 Dec 10
Buy them all bikes........
york_chap, York says...
12:03pm Wed 15 Dec 10
The only circumstances under which this treatment should be publicly funded are when the obesity has been caused by something beyond the patient's control - inactive thyroid and the like.
As for the majority of tub-tubs who become obese through scoffing too many pies, chocolates and crisps, they should pay for a gym subscription like the rest of us have to.
Whistlejacket, York says...
12:12pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I'm willing to contribute to the cost of their surgery if they let me use their loyalty card at the kebab shop.
els, Haxby says...
12:31pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I can't believe the small minded people on this site who comment about something they dont have full facts on. Do we make alcoholics pay for a liver transplant, do we make smokers pay for help giving up smoking/cancer treatment. Just because the obesity issue is something that cannot be hidden unlike smoking and drinking, people are so quick to judge. There are strict guidelines on getting funding for this sort of surgery and if you dont meet the strict guidelines, you dont get funding. They dont just offer anyone the surgery. Im sure you all arent perfect so dont judge other people until you have full facts!
chickpea, York says...
12:35pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I was denied funding for this op and am now applying for it again as I weigh even more. This is a very risky surgery with a 1 in 200 mortality rate. It's far from the easy way out and requires life long commitment to a new way of eating. Having attended the bariatric support group at the hospital, I have seen how it can change the lives of people who are frequently ridiculed, discriminated against and misunderstood. Being morbidly obese is not the same as just being fat. Did you know for example that 1 in 4 of the patients requesting surgery have a history of abusive childhoods? Overeating is often a symptom of a mental illness. Unfortunately this pct doesn't have a dedicated weight management programme for us fatties, whereas it will provide funds for treating anorexia.
anonyork, York says...
12:39pm Wed 15 Dec 10
York-chap it’s a blatant generalisation and cruel to class all overweight/obese people as “tub-tubs” except if they have “inactive thyroid and the like”! For some people, overeating is like an addiction – smokers get help to quit smoking, drug users get rehab to help them get off drugs, drinkers get AA to help them stay off the booze but what do overweight people get? A big fat nothing except ridicule when in some cases, they HAVE tried to eat less, move more etc. For some it isn’t that simple, there are psychological reasons why people over (or under) eat and for some, these operations can be a matterof life or death. Smokers don’t NEED to have the odd ciggy to stay alive and healthy, alcoholics don’t NEED to drink the odd pint to stay alive and healthy but we do NEED to eat exactly the right sort and amount of food to do so! It’s not an exact science so helping some people is a good thing. I’m not in favour of this operation as a solution to the nation’s weight problems but if all other options have been tried and failed then sometimes it could help. I’d be more in favour of paying for the overweight to attend meetings such as Weightwatchers or Slimming World/Rosemary Conley to try and address the reasons they’re overweight.
moneyforwhat, York says...
1:53pm Wed 15 Dec 10
well the government seem to want everyone to tighten their belts - I should imagine that a visit to the doc will soon make it clear which people have a problem which is beyond unfortunate eating habits and who are in need of real help. Otherwise - quit with the bad eating habits.
Mullarkian, York says...
1:58pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I'd support surgery for those where it is a medical condition or hormone imbalance, but definitley not for those who just stuff themselves or drink themselves silly. People that do that don't seem to realise the hole where it goes in is far bigger than the hole where it goes out.
TheTruthHurts, York says...
2:18pm Wed 15 Dec 10
Of course surgery is the easy option. As opposed to having a disciplined eating and excercise regime for a few years?
One in four abused by parents, a quarter. just a non argument if you ask me. If the problems are pshycological then how would a stomach op help this?
Smokers get help quitting by counselling and medication. Have you been offered a gym membership or excersise classes on prescription?
Whistlejacket, York says...
2:28pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I can't believe some the self-pitying whining above.
Eat less, move more. It works. Strangely, you never see anyone with bad genes / dodgy thyroids / self-esteem issues in the third-world refugee camps on the telly.
anonyork, York says...
3:19pm Wed 15 Dec 10
I don't think I noticed any self-pity or whining just points of view that are not one-sided! Of course some people could easily lose a bit of weight if they really tried but there are those out there that HAVE tried and just can't (for whatever reason) do it! Before you accuse me of being a self-pitying whiner, I'd like to add that I'm the perfect weight for my height and have a healthy BMI but I did struggle for years with a few extra stones and believe me it is NOT easy to just "Eat less, move more". I ran 2 half marathons whilst about 2 stone overweight and I didn't lose a pound. When I finally did lose 4.5 stones it was through sheer hard work and determination but it was far from easy! Whistlejacket you are right, you don't see third world refugees being overweight but have you thought that that's because they don't have as much unhealthy food to hand as we do!
els, Haxby says...
6:09pm Wed 15 Dec 10
At the end of the day, most of us "fatties" as you so eliquently put it, actually work for a living and pay tax and national insurance just like you do. So I think we are entitled to healthcare the same as smokers, alcoholics, anorexics and drug users!!!!! Wind your neck in as I can guarantee you are far from perfect either!!!!
Yorkguy123, York says...
12:17am Thu 16 Dec 10
Question as per headline –
"Public asked for views on weight-loss surgery funding"
Answer -
"No" - End of......
Better ways to spend Tax Payers money
els, Haxby says...
12:12pm Thu 16 Dec 10
Im a tax payer and have been for a long time, so surely I have a right to say how my money is spent also. Tell that to all the smokers, alcoholics, anorexics and drug users out there, that they dont deserve help even though the majority of them have paid into the system!!!!!! Seriously need to get over yourself and not be so ignorant!!!!
chickpea, York says...
5:25pm Thu 16 Dec 10
Well I've submitted my views on the pct website. Now I'm waiting to be asked for my opinion on cancer treatments, care of the elderly and the availibility of false limbs for drunks who fall under buses.
I have a gcse in biology so I'm sure I'm qualified.
piaggio, york says...
10:37pm Thu 16 Dec 10
when you see all the ming mongs in acomb chuping on their cooplands pie.s/pastties/cheese straws !!!and beleive me ! they are FAT! AN THEY WONDER WHY
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