NHS Spend Seven Times More On Obesity
NHS are forking out on special beds for obese patients
High demand for stomach surgery for obese patients as well as the cost of specialist equipment - such as larger examination couches - means the costs to primary care trusts (PCTs) have shot up. The new statistics come after official figures published in February revealed that weight-loss stomach surgery for obesity has risen 40% in a year. The data, from the NHS information centre, showed there were 2,724 hospital admissions in 2007/08 for bariatric surgery, which includes stomach stapling and gastric bypass.
Junk food blamed for rise
Overall, hospital admissions for obesity also increased, reaching 5,018 in 2007/08, a 30% rise on 2006/07 and almost a seven-fold increase on 1996/97. The new data, obtained from 60 PCTs by GP newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act , showed 48% were now treating more patients for obesity than three years ago. Around one in six (16%) PCTs had increased its obesity budget seven-fold in the last three years. And the same number (16%) had purchased primary care equipment specially designed for obese patients.This includes bariatric examination and treatment couches, scales and oversized blood pressure cuffs. The data also showed that 25% of PCTs have refused requests for bariatric surgery. However, many said they were committed to tackling obesity as a priority.
Among those PCTs with budget increases is Halton and St Helens , whose budget for 2007/08 was £800,000, rising to around £3m in 2009/10. Oxfordshire PCT said its budget in 2007/08 was £88,000, rising to £245,000 in 2008/2009 and £695,000 in 2009/10. Tam Fry, chairman of the Child Growth Foundation and member of the National Obesity Forum, said: "Obesity is now so great that this level of PCT spending is necessary just to make inroads into the problem.
"But this kind of spending cannot be sustained and could go on to cripple the NHS."
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