Doctors recommendations

These days the medical profession can hardly keep out of the news. A lot of this news is bad for the general population.

Doctors have changed their advice for middle aged people to take aspirin every day to reduce their chances of a heart attack. They now believe that the doubtful benefit of a reduced chance of a heart attack is more than offset by the dangers of internal bleeding in the stomach and brain. I never believed this advice and ignored it. All medical advice should be given based on sound evidence. It should also be given in light of the individual circumstances of the patient. No-one should be advised to take medication unless there is clear evidence that it will work and that the side effects are not dangerous. There is a lesson to be learnt here.

Some hospitals in Hertfordshire , England, have said that they will not perform operations on patients who smoke or who are grossly overweight. I was of the view that the medical profession is morally obliged to treat anyone who is ill despite their personal circumstances. We could be on the slippery slope here, with doctors refusing to treat people who injure themselves during risky pastimes. They might even refuse to treat children who fall out of trees. The whole of society contributes to the education and employment of doctors so, surely, every one is entitled to medical treatment in an emergency. There should be no room for this sort of arrogance from some elements of the medical profession.

The situation regarding breast implants or breast augmentation is egregious. I do not doubt the need for breast implants for women who have had breasts removed because of cancer. Some women are genuinely psychologically disturbed by the appearance of their breasts and should be treated with an implant. Unfortunately, most women who have had breast implants have done so for purely cosmetic or vanity reasons. This latter category have been misadvised and should not have been operated on in the first place. It is my view that doctors should not perform unnecessary operations as it is simply a waste of resources combined with the risk to the "patient". From some of my conversations with friends, there seems to be very little sympathy for women who paid for breast operations for cosmetic reasons. These women deserve to be treated, however, and should have their bodies restored to an acceptable and healthy condition. They should not be left untreated if they cannot afford restorative treatment. The cosmetic surgery industry and their insurance companies should pay for this and where this is not possible the NHS should pay.

In conclusion, no one under any circumstances should be denied health care. Some people now are suffering from internal bleeding as they have foolishly followed the advice and taken aspirin on a long term basis. Some people cannot avoid being grossly overweight despite the blandishments of the authorities to eat less and exercise more. Some alcoholics and smokers are simply addicted and find their addiction extremely hard to control. Should they be denied health care? The worst case is the breast implant problem, as many of these operations were performed purely for profit and without concern for the mental and physical health of the clients. You are entitled to health care even if you have been foolish. You are even more entitled to sound advice regarding the dangers of all forms of cosmetic surgery. Where a cosmetic treatment is unnecessary the medical profession should be obliged not to treat you.