Saving the NHS money

[Big an Bouncy]

When you look at the amount of weight related illness we have on Minis,between us alone,and multiply that by the general population,the amount of money that could be saved by giving weightloss surgery would be quite fantastic.Drugs for hypertension,diabetes,colesterol,reflux,pain.It goes on and on.

 

[bungle1999]

Yep I agree and that is why my PCT has WLS as their top priority, according to my GP. XX

 

[margaretmc]

Hi B N B
Your right I get a shopping bag full of tablets each month , you should see how people look at the bag then me . God only knows what they are thinking . But hopefully not for long now hun . Take care .
Margaret xx
PS
They have stopped funding altogether now in N.Ireland so God help the people now .

 

[Boblatina]

Absolutely true - the cost/benefit analysis for diabetics alone must be huge. It is something we should be shouting from the rooftops.

Wasn't someone posting on here recently about how s/he was going to quote figures at the PCT showing how it was much cheaper to fund surgery rather than paying for years of medication? I wonder how they got on.

Yep I agree and that is why my PCT has WLS as their top priority, according to my GP. XX

Glad to see that bungle1999 lives in an area with a more enlightened PCT than many of us. (Actually, my PCT is quite good though and I have to say I didn't realise how smooth a journey I was having until I came on here and saw other people's stories :cry

love

TillyBob

 

[salski]

Yeah - I thinks my surgery was as a prevention rather than a cure. I was referred for surgery from a surgeon rather than my doc and I think with my age, they saw mine as prevention.
Makes sense what your saying though...would probably save billions a year for 11k surgery.

 

[Roch]

Def agree with you there, they would def be saving money on me alone if they funded my op.
I 2 have a whole bag of meds each month, thank god at the mo my probs are not life threatening but if i dont get surgery then who knows how my health will be in a few yrs time.
They have plenty money to help peeps stop smoking and stop drinking and help people addicted to drugs how bout putting some well deserved resources into helping us addicted to food.
Drugs, cigarettes and booze we can live without but food is something we need to survive.
My pct only started granting funding for wls in 2009 and in the past 2 yrs their has only been 44 cases up for funding, i think i must live in a borough where there are very few fat people !!
Spending 10 grand on a bypass for me now will def save money on all nhs
resources for me in the long run, why cant all pct`s see that !!

 

[Mazza]

Hi

Agree 100%, I Just wish all PCT's followed the NICE guidlines. My OH has been a type 2 diabetic since his late 20's and he is now 34. He manges to lose a bit gain a bit etc like a lot of us on here. Unfortunatly our PCT will only fund WLS with a BMI over 45 with type 2 diabetes or BMI over 50 with comorbidities which are likely to be improved with weight loss or BMI over 65 without comorbidities. Patients must have failed to achieve or maintain weight loss after one years intensive management in a specialist obesity clinic setting. His BMI is 41 at the moment and he is at least going to try speaking to our GP about a referrel. He has an underactive thyroid and has just started a course of anti depressents too.

My BMI was under 40 when I decided the band was for me, I would not have stood a chance getting funded but luckily my mum helped out and I was able to go private. I definately saw the surgery as prevention, no doubt with my family history I would have continued to gain weight and in the next few years I would become diabetic etc.

Good luck to everyone waiting for funding!

Maz x

 

[babyflower]

I read somehwere that just to treat diabetes costs about £6k per year, so over a life time with other meds the cost must be so much more than band/bypass operation. Lots of pct's/hospital's seem to be turning away from the band due to it's lower success rate/problems etc, but I hope this doesn't mean they will turn away from wls all together as the bypass is more expensive.

Prevention is better than cure, and the more people allowed wls who need it the better. However, I do think that a pre-requisite for wls has to include psych help/support of some kind - and not just an assessment, but intense help and support to deal with the head issues. Just my opinion...

 

[Roast_Potato]

Thats right, I heard Shaw Somers say something like that on Fat Doctor and he knows what he's talking about!!

 

[leedsjeff]

i agree i have £300 of insulin in fridge whch is a months supply which i no longer take after waight loss opp mulyply that over 27 years

 

[fairyringuk]

Absolutely right the cost of obesity is huge, which is why surgeons prefer to bypass, as long term it seems to more successful at cutting bills than banding, this is what the bariatric nurse and dietician told us at our last support group meeting.
I can understand that as it is more 'final', although am not taking away the success rates of some banders.
Also agree that more PCTS should free more money for obesity surgery, although this seems to be a battle that will probably just get worse as more and more people apply for funding.
Lets hope common sense prevails and something more radical is done financially to budget for more bariatric surgery.

Jay xx

 

[Snowcrystal]

Well these obstinate PCT's need to employ some good mathmeticians......

(((hugs)))

 

[Big an Bouncy]

Wow Leedsjeff 97k!one persons insulin treatment for 27 years.

 

[swizzlestick]

Interesting thread

I would like to add something, that whilst diabeties and other conditions increase with obesity, obesity is not the only cause.
There will be some people who have wls and still be diabetic, as with other illnesses. also, often, individuals become obese as a result of another illness and wls is not a 'cure all'. Likewise, not all obese people have co morbidities.

As nice as the thought of saving the NHS money is, I am sure deep down, most people who need surgery of any kind, be it wls or hip replacement, don't really care how much it is costing the NHS, they dont go for surgery thiinking 'ooh look how much money I am saving the NHS by doing this', they are doing it to fulfil a personal need whether that be medical or emotional.

It is the same for those who pay privately, very few do it altruistically to save the NHS money, they do it either because they do not meet criteria to have it funded, or they cannot wait the lengths of time expected on the NHS.

I do agree though that if the NHS done its math, there would be longer term savings to be made. The problem with that is that like governments, they don't want to save money in the future, they want to be seen to be saving money now, the future is someone else's problem, not theirs.

Ok I'm taking my semi serious cap off now :brainfart:...Let 'blondeness' resume