THE Government has been asked to intervene over an “operation ban” affecting obese people and smokers in York.

Patients who smoke or have a body-mass index (BMI) of more than 30 face new rules which mean if they don’t quit or lose weight, they face lengthy delays for non-life threatening operations.

MP Rachael Maskell has spoken in Parliament to criticise the move by Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and has said she will meet with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to call for the policy to be removed.

Ms Maskell said: “I called for this debate as I have already heard of a number of cases where cuts to services are compromising people’s health. Any policy that denies a patient’s surgery without clinical judgement is directly discriminatory, clinically contraindicated and financially perverse.”

She said the priority should be in investing money into public health to help people lose weight and stop smoking.

However, in York the council have cut smoking cessation services funding altogether and have also cut the ‘health walks’ programme to help people people lose weight.

“The passive approach of the CCG is setting patients up for failure,” Ms Maskell said, “As a result of the debate, I will now be meeting with the Minister as the earliest opportunity. At the meeting I will be calling on the Government to step in now and agree that this policy needs to be reviewed and removed as a matter of urgency.”

Following the debate she said the situation in York amounts to “diktats from bureaucrats”, “without the agreement, or even consent, of the patient, or clinical evidence”.

GPs in York are now unable to refer patients for a surgical assessment if they smoke or are overweight, and instead people are sent a standard letter telling them to stop smoking or to lose weight.

Under the rules obese, people are being denied non life threatening operations for up to a year unless they reduce their BMI to less than 30, or lose ten per cent of their body weight. Smokers are being delayed for up to six months unless they stop smoking for at least two months.

The Royal College of Surgeons has said “introducing blanket bans that delay patients’ access to what can be life-changing surgery for up to a year is wrong.”

Vale of York CCG said the new rules do not amount to a ban and are in the interests of patients and their health. There is a list of exemptions including surgery in the case of diabetes.

A spokesperson said: “Smokers and people who are overweight that need routine surgery but do not wish to access the support services or fail to meet the request to lose weight or stop smoking, will not be denied surgery. It may mean they have to wait longer than they otherwise would have done.”

- If you are affected by the new rules and have been told you will have to wait for an operation, please contact The Press by emailing newsdesk@thepress.co.uk