Should We Pay For..

[ck1]

Following on from the threads about whether taxpayers should fund treatments for overweight people / smokers etc, not sure whether self harm and suicide (unsuccessful) treatments should or had been included in the list of exclusions, or whether they would be OK to treat without question?

[AB Editor]

Little late to the party I know :-)

But what about the question of support after treatment. Picking just one example in the OP (and one already covered here):

If someone goes to hospital for treatment for self harming, what happens then? Should they just be sent out onto the streets to do it again? Or to save money in the long run should they be sent to therapy of some sort.

They say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Perhaps once one has been treated in hospital for one of these emotive problems then a bit of money should be spent on treating the cause and not the symptoms?

[ummmm]

Very unlikely a self harmer will be sent away without arrangements for some sort of on-going treatment.

[ummmm]

Trouble is the time length from referral to start of treatment.

[ck1]

The referral times are actually pretty quick depending on the severity of the self harm.

Just to add, I think treatment should be provided FOC for all of these but have an issue with the obesity, smoking and intoxication injuries (especially fights!) being funded

[ummmm]

Yes, can be a couple of weeks from referral to appointment.

Some drugs to treat mental health issues make you pile on the weight.

What if that smoker, fat person, has paid tax and NI all their lives?

[tamborine]

Those who dont have NI numbers should pay for treatment

[ck1]

Well the NHS is like an insurance, so like drivers, if you aren't cautious with how you look after your car, where you keep it, having an MOT etc the premiums will vary and if you decide to drive into a wall because you had an urge for a thrill the insurers would probably be very reluctant to pay out even if you had paid your premiums. Everybody pays their tax and NI but this shouldn't give you unlimited entitlement to services that are due to not taking care of yourself. There could be a standard cover for medical issues, but get wasted on a Saturday night and fall over yourself breaking your arm, you pay