In UK survey, doctors support denying treatment to smokers, the obese

[DaveS]

A majority of doctors in a United Kingdom survey supported measures to deny non-emergency medical services to smokers and the obese, The Observer newspaper reported Sunday.


more @:
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/0...obese?lite


Always intrigued at how rationale is tweaked when confronted with reality.

[cbelt3]

Um... The concepts covered are already part of most country's medical ethics decision making. It discusses IVF and liver transplant for people who are not suitable for the procedures FOR MEDICAL REASONS. They have a high risk of failure in those cases.

I think you can put the hysteria on something else. Look at the proposed cyber security law, for example. And how private companies are authorized to record anything people do on the web, and share it. Bye bye privacy.

[August West]

Always intrigued at how rationale is tweaked when confronted with reality.

Irony at its finest.

[Spock]

Doctors.net.uk, a professional networking site, found that 593 (54%) of the 1,096 doctors who took part in the self-selecting survey answered yes when asked: "Should the NHS be allowed to refuse non-emergency treatments to patients unless they lose weight or stop smoking?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/a...kers-obese

Don't get too excited by a self selected survey.

[Black]

Where can I find all this hysteria, irony, and excitement? I sure don't see any here . . .

[hal]

Some 54% of doctors who took part said the NHS should have the right to withhold non-emergency treatment from patients who do not lose weight or stop smoking. Some medics believe unhealthy behaviour can make procedures less likely to work...

My mom's doctor refused to do surgery until she lost 30lbs. He said that her blood flow needed to be better in order for the healing to be successful - makes sense to me...

[Pops]

hal wrote:
Some 54% of doctors who took part said the NHS should have the right to withhold non-emergency treatment from patients who do not lose weight or stop smoking. Some medics believe unhealthy behaviour can make procedures less likely to work...

My mom's doctor refused to do surgery until she lost 30lbs. He said that her blood flow needed to be better in order for the healing to be successful - makes sense to me...

"Non-emergency" is the crucial issue here. These are medical decisions, not social or political ones. They are intended to SAVE lives, not end them.

[RgrF]

Finally an explanation of the $5,000 discrepancy between the US and UK. In the UK, the Brits spend about $3,500 per person on health care, the US around $8,500 per person.

[beagledave]

RgrF wrote:
Finally an explanation of the $5,000 discrepancy between the US and UK. In the UK, the Brits spend about $3,500 per person on health care, the US around $8,500 per person.

Well the Brits just avoid the cost of dental care, so that adds up the savings also.






I'll be here all week folks, try the veal.