The Royal College of Surgeons say that growing numbers of obese people and smokers are being denied operations as they become “soft targets” for an NHS which has become desperate to save money. According to evidence, they found that patients were being refused hip and knee replacements and a range of other procedures in more and more parts of England. They found that 34 per cent of the 200 health commissioners have one or more policies on body mass index (BMI) level or smoking status which prevent overweight patients or smokers being referred for routine surgery. The surgeons said that such restrictions were wrong, goes against official guidance and can prolong patient pain and distress. The Guardian reports: “Blanket bans that deny or delay patients’ access to surgery are wrong. NHS surgical treatment should be based on clinical guidance and patients should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis,” said Clare Marx, the college’s president. Some patients with joint problems might need surgery in order to enable them to exercise and lose weight, Marx pointed out. “While it is difficult to categorically prove such policies are aimed at saving money, it is unlikely to be a coincidence that many financially [...]