Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Wednesday, 6 June 2007.

NHS: Denial of Treatment

Question: My Lords, is the Minister saying that if someone indulges in an activity that is damaging their health and may make the treatment less effective, there is a possibility that they will notbe treated, but only in those circumstances and onan individual basis? Is that the full extent of the guidance?

Answer: My Lords, that is certainly my understanding. The noble Lord put the point very well. However, this is not an agreed policy by the PCT. I refer him to evidence from the London Health Observatory, which showed that if smokers stop smoking before surgery, there are short-term benefits: a reduction in lung and heart complications, faster wound healing, faster bone fusion time and a reduced length of stay in hospital. It does not seem unreasonable for the PCT concerned to ensure that clinicians, using their clinical judgment, are able to offer smoking cessation services to those patients. In the end, it has to be an individual clinical judgment.

Secondary information