Should NHS treatment be given to people who willingly lead an unhealthy lifestyle?

Question

Everyone is advised about the health risks of smoking, excessive drinking, drug abuse and obesity.

Should people who ignore this advice be denied NHS treatment ?

Your views please.

Answer 1

Yes.

The NHS is supposed to treat people who are unhealthy!

Answer 2

People should get treatment regardless of how they live thier life. Where is the line because i don't even think a line exists anymore. I see the future and its complete control over all aspects of our lives!

Answer 3

The NHS is over stretched as it is....When a patient twice the normal size is admitted then you see the unfairness....Twice the labour getting these people around the hospital wards etc....Imagine the complaints when lunch is served!!....Bloody riot for sure....

Answer 4

if you went into a pub and the barman said   'i'm not serving you because you might get drunk'  would you say ' ok but here's my money anyway' ?

i've been buying n.h.s treatment for over 40 years

  ps. my son lives an unhealthy lifestyle.. he's a soldier in afganistan

Answer 5

it would be a good way to start a civil war

LO @ Filyas answer

Answer 6

an interesting question posed

it would be hard to say yes, and not see that as the thin end of the wedge as who decides what is unhealthy - people living in urban areas are exposed to greater degrees of air pollutants so is that deemed unhealthy - also a lot of people living in areas of cornwall and devon have increased radon gas in their homes which could also cause cancer

as someone who has had chemo on the NHS, I am eternally grateful to the system that has provided this - something that I could never afford privately, and having been given the push - i do make the effort to live more healthily -  i feel that the NHS is a fantastic system - but it was created in an age which no longer exists - reports seem to indicate that the uk population has skyrocketed and it will get worse, and everyone thinks that they pay their NI and that should give them automatic entitlement

that is bollocks in my opinion - i pay about 150.00 a year as a self employed stamp, and i take far more out of the pot than i will ever put in

take the example of leslie ash - who contracted MRSA whilst getting NHS treatment and then sued them - citing loss of earnings for the huge sum she was supposedly missing out on (although i would wager with those big fish lips she was dreaming) - if she was earning so much - she should have gone private and the NHS should be for people who genuinely need it - but putting rules like that in place would cause problems also.

I think that the future is that some kind of private scheme based on earnings - top ups - is required, and also a system to prevent non-citizens taking advantage of a system that is free at the point of service

Answer 7

No one should be excluded we all need quality healthcare when you are ill, you are ill and need help.

Or at least only deny people their rights to healthcare if they are given all their National Insurance contributions back, with interest for the years they have accumulated it..

The NHS belongs to the people not the government and as such  should be utilised at all times for the people who pay for it.

Anyway, who would decide how unhealthy a person's lifestyle is?  Fat, unhealthy, greedy politicians???

They may not do the actual selecting but they most certainly would be the ones to issue the governmental guidelines and we all know what a nonsense they are!!!

Answer 8

yes,they should be treated from the NHS.or,it wouldnt be britain.my grandson,,robbie,,21 yrs old,,in the army,goes to Afghanistan soon.what about the miners,working underground,they smoke x drink.my view is yes to the NHS treatment..mary.c.

Answer 9

Well considering most of them pay their taxes which fund the NHS then yes.

Answer 10

It's a tricky one. Realistically the point of the NHS is that everyone gets treated so from that point of view they should. Smokers and excessive drinkers also pay a significant amount of extra tax due to their habits and most of the people in all of those categories pay tax to fund the NHS so logically they should get treatment. As for obesity, it isn't always a result of a lifestyle choice and can be genetic or due to an illness (although this provides a convenient excuse for people who are just lazy and eat too much). The problem is how to distinguish who is ignoring the advice and who has a genuine problem.

So I think that, yes NHS treatment should be available to these people. However I do believe that there should be restrictions (I think there already are to some extent) on things such as organ transplants, someone who destroys their liver through drinking should not get another in preference to someone who was unlucky.

Answer 11

Only if they also do not have to pay national insurance contributions. As a smoker I pay in tobacco tax enough to treat 3 people.

Answer 12

It's the law.

I understand what you're saying, but the big problem is who would decide on what is unhealthy. Smokers? Drinkers? Druggies? Fatties? People who keep getting injured doing sports?

How would you decide?

"Sorry, mate, you'll have to die because we won't pump your stomach out". I don't think so.

Answer 13

Yes because we all do unhealthy things. A footballer might get injured even if he never smokes or drinks. If we drive our cars we pollute, so everyone should get treatment according to what they need.

Answer 14

nope everyone should be entitled to

medical treatment, if you see a fat person

get run over by a bus do you phone

an ambulance or the rac?

Answer 15

Could they get a refund on their taxes then, so they could go private?

Anyway, women who have s*x (babies, contraception, std's Aids), sportsmen and women, people wh drive cars, etc etc all add to the cost on the NHS.  

Anyway, those who eat too much,d rink too much, etc etc probably die younger and so be less of a burden in the long run.

Answer 16

i agree and i don't. I feel if they PAY taxes then they should get the treatment. But however, if they don't like some of extremely obese people who like benefits for disability and stuff then h**l no espiecially when they are for things like a gastric band like a lot of obese people get.

Answer 17

I'm thinking something like 'no', because really the assessment and appeals procedure for something like this would cost far more than any savings to the health service.  You'd have appeals like 'I only smoke 5 a week' and 'I'm only 2lbs heavier than my neighbour and he got the treatment'.  It could be a good idea in theory but I think in practice to decide where the limits are drawn would just be too costly.

Answer 18

Absolutely.

It may be hard to comprehend for some people but usually if a person is abusing their bodies by whichever reason it is due to inescapable stress. I admit that phrase is a bit of a catch all comment but it is true.

The key is prevention by helping people to feel self-worth and HOPE .NOT education. Like you say everyone knows the effects of smoking , overeating whatever.

The majority of the people affected have  low incomes going back generations.Although that is not to say people from all walks of life don't have 'issues' .

Unfortunately 'scapegoat-ism' makes people feel good about themselves . They can gain a small thrill by crowing well at least I don't smoke/drink/overeat/take drugs.

It is that attitude that is the cancer in society the very thing that is bleeding in dry. Not the poor sods suffering whom would mostly give their left arm to be free from their addictions.

Answer 19

All those who have paid NI contributions should be entitled to treatment.

Answer 20

...Of course....  most illnesses are self inflicted!...its like saying if you cross the road you know theres a chance you could be ran over! so should we treat them?

PS you didnt say what you think!