Abstract

Are you responsible enough for free healthcare?

Kicking off our lecture series for 2008, The Triple Helix Cambridge (www.camtriplehelix.com) presents: “Rationing Off The NHS ”.

In 2005, the government health agency NICE published a report which said doctors could refuse treatment to patients if they believed that their lifestyle made the operation unlikely to be successful or cost-effective. Today, many healthcare trusts now restrict non-emergency operations on the basis of smoking, obesity or both, and at the start of this year, Gordon Brown warned of an NHS “constitution”, setting out for the first time the rights and responsibilities associated with entitlement to NHS care. Is this unethical or pragmatic? Is this a good move or discrimination?

Join us for the first of our exciting interactive panel events to explore the motivations – consequences – behind such contentious thinking. Come ready to challenge our distinguished panel of speakers, who will be representing all sides of the debate and include:

• Dr. Ash Paul (Medical Director of Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust)
• Mr. Michael Summers (Chairman of the Patients Association)
• Mr. Francis Wells (Cardio-thoracic Surgeon, Papworth Hospital)
• Mr. Faizal Farook (Public Services Researcher, Demos Think Tank)

We look forward to hearing your views!