Unions Oppose NHS "Rationing"

2 October 2018, 07:18 | Updated: 2 October 2018, 07:28

Unions in Lancashire are against the NHS cutting access to 17 medical procedures.

It's about to get a lot harder to have things like breast reductions or to get grommets for children with glue ear.

Unions says the NHS shouldn't be rationed; and doctors can be trusted not to give out treatments needlessly.

LATUC Secretary, Peter Billington said, “We are opposed to the fact that NHS England is going to severely restrict access to 17 procedures on the NHS. Its aim is to save £200m per year – less than 0.2% of the NHS budget – and plans to build on this with numerous future restrictions to NHS care.

"The proposals would force doctors to make 'Individual Funding Requests' for a range of treatments, rather than using their clinical judgment as to whether a patient needed them or not.

"The treatments include gynaecology, orthopaedics, dermatology, ENT (ears, nose and throat) and general surgery.

"This policy formalises rationing that has been in operation since at least 2012.”

List of 17 interventions being restricted:

Four interventions that ‘should not be routinely commissioned, with patients only able to access such treatments where they successfully make an Individual Funding Request’

1. Snoring Surgery (in the absence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)
2. Dilatation and curettage (D&C) for heavy menstrual bleeding in women
3. Knee arthroscopy for patients with osteoarthritis
4. Injections for nonspecific low back pain without sciatica

Thirteen interventions that ‘should only be commissioned or performed when specific criteria are met’

5. Breast reduction
6. Removal of benign skin lesions
7. Grommets for Glue Ear in Children
8. Tonsillectomy for Recurrent Tonsillitis
9. Haemorrhoid surgery
10.Hysterectomy for heavy menstrual bleeding
11.Chalazia removal
12.Arthroscopic shoulder decompression for subacromial shoulder pain
13.Carpal tunnel syndrome release
14.Dupuytren’s contracture release
15.Ganglion excision
16.Trigger finger release
17.Varicose vein surgery