17.01.14
More eligible for bariatric surgery than predicted
There are two million people in England who could be eligible for weight loss surgery, new research has found.
Published in the open access companion publication to the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) and conducted by researchers at the Imperial College London, this number is far higher than previous estimates of eligibility.
The people most likely to fulfil the national criteria for surgery were retired women with fewer educational qualifications and lower socioeconomic status.
Bariatric surgery can greatly reduce the likelihood of death from obesity-related diseases, and although operation rates have risen year-on-year, they are still “significantly below” the level needed to support all those who could potentially benefit.
Dr Sonia Saxena of Imperial College London said: “Despite clear guidelines outlining who can undergo such surgery with the NHS, and evidence that these procedures are cost-effective in the long run, less than one per cent of those eligible have weight loss surgery each year. This raises questions about why more procedures are not currently being carried out.
“At the patient level, this study could be consistent with an inverse care law whereby those most in need of bariatric surgery are in socioeconomic groups who tend to make less use of healthcare services. Another barrier might be patient awareness of bariatric surgery and commitment to complete lifestyle intervention programmes prior to surgery.
“Since those eligible are more likely to be of a lower social class and have lower qualifications, resources would need careful allocation to ensure equitable access on the basis of need.”
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]