Doctors ‘favour denying treatment to smokers and the obese’

A survey of NHS doctors has revealed that many support the idea of denying treatment to smokers and obese people whose health is poor due to lifestyle choices.

Of 1,096 medical professionals polled by Doctors.net.uk, a total of 593 – or 54 percent – said they believe the NHS should have the right to withhold treatment from these patients, as their unhealthy behaviour risks making procedures less likely to work.

Respondents highlighted in vitro fertilisation, liver transplants and breast reconstructions as procedures for which lifestyle changes should be expected if scarce resources are to be allocated to patients.

Dr Tim Ringrose, Doctors.net.uk's chief executive, told the Observer that the emerging trend is likely to be partly informed by the growing need for the NHS to make extensive budgetary savings.

"This might appear to be only a slim majority of doctors … but it represents a tectonic shift for a profession that has always sought to provide free healthcare from the cradle to the grave," he added.

Earlier this month, the government launched a consultation on plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes sold in the UK, as part of a wider campaign to dissuade people from smoking.