Should the NHS pay?
We receive many many emails from listeners every day as you can imagine, but one in particular caught our eye. It was from Jackie Thorn, mum of 23-year-old Paul who's recently lost 17 stone after having a gastric bypass operation (stomach stapling).
Jackie wanted to tell us that rather than Paul being delighted with the weight loss, he's actually very depressed about the way he looks. She told us his body looks like that of a 70 year old man. You'd never know by looking at him - he looks healthy and well - but the amount of excess skin that has been left after losing the weight means he's very insecure.
So we went to meet him at his home in High Wycombe. Here's the film we made....
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Listen to Paul and Jackie on the programme:
In two years time the NHS would pay for an op to remove the excess skin: it will cost £22,000 - the reason they leave it for 24 months is to make sure his BMI (body mass index) is stable. His mum wants to pay to go private and get it done now but can only raise some of the cost. So should the NHS pay now?
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For goodness sake.
No. They shouldn't pay.
No. No brainer.
No. This isn't a bit interesting.
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If hes working and paying taxes like the rest of us, the NHS should help him - I know most will disagree, but this is how I feel about it.
Anthony
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This guy needs some empathy... and then some support to help sort out his condition. The state has to share some of the blame for his use of steroids and initiating his weight gain...sure he's responsible for eating too much unhealthy food, but that started when he was a kid. The NHS will have also known that he would have excess skin, as is always the case when such an amount of body mass is lost. Are the NHS only looking to sort out his physical health, forgetting his mental health. He has already shown his desire to change by having the operation and loosing a massive 17 stone, and at 23 has a life infront of him. Let him complete is metamorphosis, so that he can hopefully live as normal a life as possible. Good luck!
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I find it difficult to feel sympathy for people like Paul as the cost of his original operation and the pending cost of the follow up, if necessary, is money wasted.
I am in a bad financial state due to this recession and the Governemnt is not offering to help me with tax payer's money.
Paul took the easy option and is now paying the price and nothing has been said about the build up to his skin condition. Surely he must have seen it coming and could have sought advice?
BTW, I was fat for the first eighteen years of my life and solved the problem by working hard at it.
Having said all that, I think Paul now needs help and the NHS should pay to put things right, providing he does not put all that weight back on, as he may do (hence the 12 months wait). If he does, he should pay the cost back to the tax payer.
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I think both NHS and Paul should take responsibility. I'm not sure I agree with the original operation but as it has been done, Paul can't be left as he is. Having said that, many students leave university with about £22k of debt so that they can get an education, surely Paul can pay towards the operation seen as he contributed to the condition.
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EMPATHY.
How would YOU feel if you had to look like that?
He has payed his taxes like everyone else
I'm sure not one person can say they've never eaten junk food.
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I'm split; on the one hand, he has eaten his way to obesity and taken the easier route to weight loss. If the weight was lost in conjunction with exercise, it would have been more gradual and allowed the skin to shrink at a similar rate.
On the flip side, there are enough people that have smoked or drunk themselves to ill health; the NHS will be paying for their treatment.
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EMPATHY? WHY? he just said on the radio that he gave up on weight watchers diet because he got "bored" even though he had lost 4 stone. If he had continued with the diet and lost the weight gradually would the excess skin be as bad as it is?
The NHS refuse to do the operation for 2 years for a very good reason and perhaps he should listen to the doctors and stop whining?
It sounds to me like he needs counselling more than anything else....
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This isn't news for Gods sake. The NHS are going to pay just wait the two years. I think his mother needs to take a long hard look at herself. Some mumbled pathetic response to Vic's question about how her son got so big a rambling reply blaming the child minder. Shameful.
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Im offended, having listened to this lad he got himself into that mess with his own unhealthy lifestyle. He's talking as if hes done a favour for the nhs by having the op and is winging because the nhs isnt jumping and spending £22000 because he feels a little down. I like many other ex servicemen have been injured on active service have to take our chances with the nhs when we are discharged going through the same process of having ops cancelled at the last moment and the long waiting lists. why should he get special treatment when there are others in far greater need. The lads coming back from the sandbox now should be treated and cared for before this COSMETIC op.
Tony
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I do not think that the NHS should pay for this OP. If he wants to fund part of the cost then fine he should go for it.
I think that people need to wake up and realise that thier body is a temple? They must treat it with respect.
I have been through a lot in my life but that did not mean that I started eating comfort food.
I train a lot to keep in shape, I do not let myself get out of control.
Its the normal issue of people not accepting what they have or get they always want more.
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i applaud Paul for losing the weight
but like others have said, the NHS doesnt have infinite funds, and this is not life threatening. When people are waiting for operations and drugs that they will die without, i am afraid this has to come way down the list of priorities
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he is alive and healthy, so spending money on cosmetic surgery would be a waste of valuable resources.
the money spent on his cosmetic surgery could be used to save a persons life.
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I am 12.5 stone and 5foot 11inch. I can eat what I like and don't put weight on. Some people just have to look at food and pile the weight on. I wish Paul all the luck in the world.
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Tragic story about Susan Smiths young son. But he was a soldier and he knew when he signed up that he would be going into dangerous - life threatening - situations. The situation regarding the armor is crazy. Surely the stronger the vehicles we send in the bigger the road side bomb the insurgents will develop. I can see in the future real problems for the forces with regard to safety in a war zone. To the point where the govt will have to really way up the cost of potential litigation before sending the armed forces into dangerous war situations. Mind you if it stops wars happening then fair enough.
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I used to weigh 21st 7lb, I took my time, changed my lifestyle and lost 6 stone. It wasn't particularly hard, it just requires a change in thinking.
In fairness I've lost nowhere near as much weight, but I still consider gastric bypass the easy way out. Paul had the choice: gastric bypass or the long hard slog. He chose the fast track option and saggy skin is the price he has to pay in my opinion.
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Absolutely not. He's not ill or injured and so he should either go private and pay for it himself or wait the 2 years.
Whether the NHS should do it at all, even after the 2 years, I think is questionable.
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What a wimp.
He wants a girlfriend but it's a positive attitude that matters, not constant making excuses.
Also, I've hear the removal of the excess skin will leave an unsightly scar/s which will continue to affect his self esteem.
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I am so on the fence as to whether the opperation should have taken place on the NHS that i have splinters in my butt. However, as the NHS Trust desided it would carry out the opperation, it is their duty to finish the job off. He looks worse now than before the opp.
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Perhaps some of the ignoramuses on this thread would care to watch the video - or read the rather more sensible comments on the next blog post down. This is a guy in his early 20s, who has the physical appearance of someone in his 70s. Positive attitude, stuarttheprinter? You try being in his shoes sometime.
Paul was a kid when he over-ate to such excess. Quite why we expect children to behave with the responsibility of adults, or to punish them for their parents' negligence, I have no idea. Now he's learnt the hard way - so are we going to punish him for the rest of his life?
Oh, and incidentally: it wasn't just the surgery which caused this. Between 2000 and 2002, I lost almost ten stone off my own steam, just by diet and exercise. I ended up in much the same position as Paul. You can't swim. You can't sunbathe. That's probably most holidays taken by those who've chosen to pour scorn on him ruled out immediately. You can't shower in a public place like a gym; it's even excrutiatingly embarrassing just to take a shower at a friend's house.
And as for sex... My skin became so rubbery and elastic that it literally fell out when I leant over: anyone reckon that's attractive? Your confidence is destroyed; the psychological impact is just appalling. The idea that a "positive attitude" can somehow override all this is absolutely risible.
It's quite amazing. We're so much more aware of how important mental health is nowadays, but the ignorance surrounding psychological wellbeing remains just as great as ever. If I were to say to anyone on this thread that, in your early 20s, despite making huge changes and losing huge amounts of weight, your chances of finding a life partner had already been rendered virtually null and void, how would you react?
In my case, the NHS initially accepted me for surgery - but the procedure is so invasive that I concluded I wasn't ready for it, so decided to wait until I was. It seemed like a sensible, emotionally mature thing to do at the time. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready, the NHS had made significant cutbacks and I was rejected thanks to the postcode lottery. I've had a graduate degree to finish, and debts to pay: eventually I'll be able to afford to have it done privately, but it'll probably be some years yet.
When it comes to significant weight loss, the NHS don't warn anyone about the possibility of what Paul's endured happening, and I don't see why he should be punished for that. I wish him well, and hope for his sake that he's accepted in two years time - though given my experiences, certainly have my doubts.
One final point. It's ironic: those who think the NHS shouldn't pay probably regard Paul as part of the "me, me, me" culture so many rail against. But actually, it's THEY who are guilty of this. THEY who complain about THEIR taxes going towards this, even though we all contribute, and their taxes won't change to pay for one operation. I can hardly think of anything more selfish, and the lack of empathy many continually demonstrate on issues such as this utterly bewilders me.
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Victoria:
I think that NHS should pay for the Plastic Surgery....
~Dennis Junior~
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For all the people saying that the NHS shouldn't pay for this surgery because Paul " chose" to over eat and made a life style choice to be obese presumably wouldn't fund treatment for HIV patients who contracted it via the sexual transmission route or drug use, unprotected sex is a " lifestyle choice" or anyone who has smoking related cancers they'll have to be allowed to die if they cant afford treatment for their disease caused by their " life style choice ".
What about free contraception, sex is a lifestyle choice so that has to go as well presumably.
Footballers, Skiers Rugby player indeed anyone who CHOOSE to play a dangerous or contact sport who get injured would of course have to fund their own treatment because of course the tax payer shouldn't have to pay for their lifestyle choices.
This will be brilliant once we get shut of all the things that are brought about by life style choices the NHS will be a 10th of its size and cost and we can fund some more nukes maybe.
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