AN NHS group who declared they would deny smokers and the morbidly obese routine surgery has made a sudden U-turn.
Last week the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group defended the 'urgent and necessary' measures to deny patients surgery until they quit smoking or lost weight.
But the NEW Devon CCG has now announced that it will not require patients to undergo weight loss, or stop smoking, ahead of surgery.
Patients will now be offered evidence-based guidance on the benefits of weight loss and smoking cessation as part of their healthcare.
This new position follows significant feedback from a wide range of stakeholders across health, social care and professional bodies on the proposed measures.
People with a high BMI and those who smoke will continue to be invited by their GP to quit smoking or lose weight before undergoing surgery but will not be required to do so.
A spokesman for the CCG said: 'We announced a series of measures to improve health outcomes in October.
'This produced a helpful public debate which we have followed with interest.
'We have therefore decided to further promote smoking cessation and weight loss services to improve outcomes for patients.'
Clinicians on the governing body remain of the view that encouraging smokers and those with a high BMI to stop smoking or lose weight will give them a better outcome for any procedure and, more importantly, better health outcomes for the rest of their lives.
GP clinicians say they need patients to join with them to get the best return on the money people spend on the NHS.
Measures that will continue as previously planned include plans to reduce emergency admissions and A&E attendance and changing from using some branded drugs to more generic drugs. Proposals including the value of second hearing aids and second cataract operations will be subject to consultation, while a set of measures including the management of hernias and suspension of some treatments such as ultrasound guided injections remain under consideration. Measures will be subject to rigorous assessment and consultation, if appropriate, and prior to any consultation the CCG will seek assurance that the proposed measures do not discriminate or exacerbate health inequalities and comply with statutory requirements.