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Cataracts, hips, knees and tonsils: NHS begins rationing operations



Almost two-thirds of trusts affected as cuts bite

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Anne Ball, 71, a retired business consultant: 'I have bilateral cataracts and under the original NHS criteria I was entitled to have at least one of mine treated - but then the West Sussex health authorities decided to change the threshold level to save money'

Hip replacements, cataract surgery and tonsil removal are among operations now being rationed in a bid to save the NHS money.


Two-thirds of health trusts in England are rationing treatments for "non-urgent" conditions as part of the drive to reduce costs in the NHS by £20bn over the next four years. One in three primary-care trusts (PCTs) has expanded the list of procedures it will restrict funding to in the past 12 months.xamples of the rationing now being used include:


* Hip and knee replacements only being allowed where patients are in severe pain. Overweight patients will be made to lose weight before being considered for an operation.

* Cataract operations being withheld from patients until their sight problems "substantially" affect their ability to work.

* Patients with varicose veins only being operated on if they are suffering "chronic continuous pain", ulceration or bleeding.

* Tonsillectomy (removing tonsils) only to be carried out in children if they have had seven bouts of tonsillitis in the previous year.

* Grommets to improve hearing in children only being inserted in "exceptional circumstances" and after monitoring for six months.

* Funding has also been cut in some areas for IVF treatment on the NHS.

The alarming figures emerged from a survey of 111 PCTs by the health-service magazine GP, using the Freedom of Information Act.


Doctors are known to be concerned about how the new rationing is working – and how it will affect their relationships with patients.

Birmingham is looking at reducing operations in gastroenterology, gynaecology, dermatology and orthopaedics. Parts of east London were among the first to introduce rationing, where some patients are being referred for homeopathic treatments instead of conventional treatment.

Full article here

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ORIGINAL: Owner59

When did they NOT ration?

Troll

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ORIGINAL: Owner59

When did they NOT ration?

Troll

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ORIGINAL: Owner59

So then trolls exploit fear and lack of knowledge to scare folks.

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ORIGINAL: willbeurdaddy

Time for the standard bullshit liberal replies.

"Private care is available"
"Health care is rationed by insurance companies"

Pick your own favorite.

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ORIGINAL: Owner59

And private insurance companies cancel policies as soon as people get sick,right at the time they need the help most.

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ORIGINAL: defiantbadgirl

How about health care is rationed by both NHS and insurance companies, the main difference being NHS rations non urgent treatment while insurance companies deliberately ration in cases of life threatening illness.

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

you are too afraid to even try it you sorry paranoid know nothing, its down to mismanagement, thats a middle class issue isnt it? management?? too many chiefs and not enough frontline workers.
Socialised healthcare has been working for years, and the whole world is going thru upheavals, look at your country and you dont have socialised healthcare, whats your excuse? oh yeah its all obama.. no, its not,now if you would like to pay your debt to the UK and Canada, they may well be able to run for decades more.


Arrogance that your system is better, because its got more greed and more people who do not have an idea of the reality of healthcare, Is truly pathetic.

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

Laughing at you isnt exciting
so you are going to shut up then huh?

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ORIGINAL: Sanity


Do you mean quit posting? No.

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

Laughing at you isnt exciting
so you are going to shut up then huh?