Despite the call last week from the Royal College of Surgeons to stop the postcode lottery in PCT funding of Obesity Surgery, cash-strapped PCTs are making it even harder for patients to get the surgery they need.
Oxfordshire has raised the entry criteria for bariatric surgery to people with a BMI of more than 50.
The move to raise the criteria in the couty was agreed at a board meeting of NHS Gloucestershire. Shona Arora, director of public health, said: “This will help strike the right balance between early intervention and care for those who are morbidly obese and helping to meet demand. We are continuing to deliver a programme to support people in community settings to become more physically active and to eat more healthily.”
Dr Helen Miller, professional executive committee chairwoman, said: “Just because a BMI is 40 or even 50 it doesn’t mean you can’t lose weight.
Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix. It’s about saying to people it’s an absolute last resort. We know if people lose a stone or two they improve their risks of developing diabetes or heart disease.”

In Oxfordshire the county’s PCT has decided to fund surgery only for those with a BMI over 50 who also have a serious weight-related illness.
The trust said it could not afford to carry out more operations. Last year they received 64 requests for surgery but only approved 25 cases.

Nick Maynard, a surgeon at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, called for a rethink.
He said: “There is proof that this treatment works. Up to 10,000 Oxfordshire people could benefit.”

According to the NHS Constitution published in 2009, morbidly obese patients have a legal right to be properly assessed for weight-loss surgery under guidelines set out by NICE. However, although some PCTs adhere to the guidelines, others are only referring the most extremely ill patients for surgery.
The Royal College of Surgeons says there is no clinical evidence to support the practice of only operating on the most overweight patients. In fact, evidence suggests that not only do these patients have less to gain from surgery, they are far more likely to suffer serious complications.
Facts: 240,000 of the 1million people who meet NICE criteria want surgery
Only 4,300 weight-loss operations were done by the NHS in 2009
The only avenue open to patients hoping for surgery but unable to get their local health authority to fund it is to pay privately.
For detailed information on the different forms of weight loss surgery available and how to prepare to ensure surgery is both safe and successful see details: http://www.cosmeticbliss.co.uk/p/weight-loss-surgery