Forum Topic

Lifestyle diseases and NHS

Should lifestyle illnesses caused by smoking, over-eating and drinking in excess and living in the fast lane be treated free by the NHS?  How should we minimise lifestyle diseases?

Gerry Tan ● 4875d16 Comments

Re  We all know where that can lead.      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  there are possible victims Keith to the first of your examples and there have been cases where their " love partner " has been prosecuted for knowingly passing on a virus. The victims should not be prejudiced. If you then switch to male with male sex, no different  considerations can apply or  the question of discrimination arises. If someone lays themselves open to all and sundry willy nilly could be a different matter but difficult to prove?.

Tony Price ● 4873d

Good question Tony.  Why are my family and I paying for our dental care? It used to be free! Grrrrh!  The government is taking me for a ride!

Gerry Tan ● 4873d

Also, given that smokers usually die younger than they otherwise would, we should take into account the money saved in their pensions and benefits.

Susan Kelly ● 4873d

I do think the idea of making smoking progressively illegal has some merit to it.Just as long as they don't get any ideas and / or engage in the usual mission creep and work their way up to my favourite vice of course.When I was younger I used to be in favour of denying care to smokers for lung cancer and so forth, but I now realise that this is a ludicrous idea.In fact, all I really want to do is to stop smokers breathing out!  The stink that they visit upon my hair and clothing uninvited is most disagreeable.  Beyond this, I don't really disagree with people smoking (provided they don't make me breath in their smoke afterwards) or with smokers being treated on the NHS as a result of a smoking-related desease anymore.Of course, there is the practicial difficulty of the fact that the tax contribution from smokers far exceeds their cost to the NHS (if recent figures published on the BBC news web site are to be believed).OTOH, prohibition has a most unhappy history of, mostly, failure.We do already have a precedent for charging for treatment - the NHS can claim back the costs of treating RTA victims from insurance companies, but I don't see this being extended to individuals anytime soon.  And of course we have dental charges...

Tony Colliver ● 4873d

This issue can me a real can of worms if opened...what about having unprotected promiscuous sex or using second hand needles to self inject heroin? We all know where that can lead.Is that a life style choice disease? Should people be charged for treatment?

Keith Iddon ● 4873d

This is the suggestion of one solitary MP and the government has already distanced itself from it, so I wouldn't get too outraged if I were you.

Susan Kelly ● 4874d

Re    perhaps the cyclist has been jumping           xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        operative word  = perhaps. I don't think we will agree on what could or should constitute conditions the N H S could exclude, or why.  Sorry to disagree but there we are.

Tony Price ● 4874d

It's exactly the same, perhaps the cyclist has been jumping a red light for "ages", every time gambling with their life.  Just that one time, they end up needing treatment.  By the same logic, they should be shown the door as it is a self inflicted injury, the red light was there for a reason, but they chose to ignore it.They should be tipped out of the hospital bed and made to limp home.  So should any fitness nut with any kind of sprain, break or other aches and pain.  All are self inflicted injuries and if there is any kind of ban on treatment it should include these.But it won't because it's a daft idea.

Bernadette Clover ● 4874d

Re  best not to fall for it.          xxxxxxxxxxxxxx    Bernadette, there is no comparison between an accident or isolated incident and  self abuse that has gone on for ages, the dangers of which are well known to all, including the person concerned. I am surprised you did not mention alcoholics but there the situation is more  difficult. It is a registerable disease and there are some who are prone to it due to their genes

Tony Price ● 4874d

Applying the same logic though, there is no need for cyclists to cycle in London, there is public transport available and many don't obey the warnings in the highway code, so perhaps they too should be except from treatment on the NHS?  At least smokers and drinkers have paid a dollop of tax.This story comes up every so often and is just a way for the powers that be to keep more for themselves, best not to fall for it.

Bernadette Clover ● 4874d

Re  'How could we minimise lifestyle choice diseases'            xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      I should imagine the N H S have in mind  the excessive smokers,  drug abusers and the seriously overweight  where it is due to over eating. Other than those, I don't see how any " ban " could be implimented. There is a certain amount of logic to their thinking and in these times when  the N H S  budgets are  under fear of breaking, there is a good chance of some  action being taken, after due warning  in writing of course.

Tony Price ● 4874d

'How could we minimise lifestyle choice diseases'  Well I don't believe in taking people's rights away from them, however 99% of smokers, that I know, wish they had never started, even though they can't seem to give up. So I think you could  take the date from today that for anyone under 18 it's illegal to smoke/buy cigarettes  all over 18's carry on, if you wish, and every year the age is increased. So next year you would have to be 19, the next 20 etc. So basically it will always be illegal to get cigarettes if you were under 18 when the ban started. Don't know if  it could work but think it would drastically reduce smoking after the first 10yrs. I am not an 'anti smoker'. I did not agree with the total smoking ban that we have now. But I do think something should be done to stop people starting in the first place. I gave up smoking 15yrs ago. I wish I had never started but I was very young when I did. About 14 or 15.

Marie Shelny ● 4875d

Everyone deserves to be treated by the NHS there shouldn't be discrimination because of lifestyle choices, nobody is perfect. Where would this mindset end? No treatment if you put salt on your dinner, sugar in your tea, don't eat your 5 a day? Where could the line be drawn?

Marie Shelny ● 4875d

That was going to be my next question, people who have heart attacks whilst running marathons, joggers who need joints replaced, cricket ball in the face damaging teeth or a nose.  Falling off a horse (even a talking one) and ending up in a wheelchair.  All lifestyle choices?

Bernadette Clover ● 4875d

Does this include people who have sports injuries,or who fall off a mountain or who may injure themselves doing some kind of leisure pursuit.They're all a lifestyle choices are't they?

Keith Iddon ● 4875d

Well if you buy cigarettes and alcohol then you would have paid into the system so why not take out?

Bernadette Clover ● 4875d