People who abuse their health should not be treated on the NHS?

This is a wide ranging debate with people taking many different stances on the statement; I am going to focus on two of the main things people class as others abusing their own health:

1. Obesity

2. Smoking

According to the department of health, obesity can have a severe impact on people’s health, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers, plus heart and liver disease. At the present time the cost on the NHS due to obesity is estimated to be £4.2 billion. It is also believed that the risks of operating on obese patients are higher and the treatment may be less effective. In the UK around 43% of men and 33% of women are overweight, and a further 22% of men and 23% of women fall into the obese category.

In my opinion it depends on why a person is obese, some people have illnesses that mean they are obese e.g. they had an accident which causes them not to be able to exercise, In this case I think someone who for example has a heart attack should be able to have treatment or a heart transplant.

On the other hand people who are obese and do not make any effort what so ever to lose weight, before needing a heart operation or a transplant should have support to lose weight, but if they do not try to better their life even with the support I believe they should pay for their treatment. I think this because there are many other people who are in real need for a transplant who look after themselves, also their procedure will have a higher success rate, than someone who stubbornly carries on in their old ways not making any effort to lose weight.

The other problem is the NHS is stretched already with lack of money and thus causing a lack of staff and if it will cost £4.2 billion for treatment and operations for obese people then this will increase the strain while increasing the waiting time for other people in desperate need of help at no fault of their own. I don’t feel this should be the case as a result of an alarmingly large proportion of people who seemingly do not care about their own health, but expect the NHS to come to their aid when they feel the consequences of their own self-abuse.

Moving onto smoking.  Smokers make a reasoned & adult choice to smoke in the full knowledge of the numerous health risks associated with their habit. This is made clear by the warnings which appear so vividly on cigarette packets.  Smoking is the largest cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK. It kills 106,000people every year. It causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive lung diseases

I initially thought smokers shouldn’t be treated for smoking related illnesses if they show no desire to quit, but after doing research I found that smoking generates over £7 billion of duty per year for the country whereas the cost of treating smoking related illnesses to the NHS is approximately £1.2 billion per year. I then realised that they essentially pay for their own treatment five times over. Looking at it in another way smokers also die on average 5 years earlier, therefore there is another saving to the government in pensions or benefits.

I generally agree that people who abuse their own health should not be treated on the NHS, but this is from a purely selfish view as I know I live a relatively healthy lifestyle, but the same cannot be said for all of my family and friends. If it was ruled that my granddad who smokes would not be treated by the National Health Service, I would rightly feel abandoned by the government that runs this country. So I have come to the conclusion that due to the point of the NHS being universal healthcare that is free at the point of use. Nothing should alienate that core principle not even perceived self-abuse. Especially not for a reason that seems to have the general idea of trying to teach them a lesson by letting them suffer.