UK’s NHS Tells Old People To Go Blind

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So is it free health care, if there is no health care? Thousands in Britain left to go blind due to eye surgery rationing: Report.

The Times newspaper said a survey by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO) found tens of thousands of elderly people are left struggling to see because of an NHS cost-cutting drive that relies on them dying before they can qualify for cataract surgery.

The survey has found that the NHS has ignored instructions to end cataract treatment rationing in defiance of official guidance two years ago.

The NHS isn’t following its own guidelines because it is expensive. (Not really.)

The Telegraph has mostly disappeared behind a paywall, but their story Elderly go blind as NHS ignores eye surgery rationing advice has an interesting take on the costs.

The comments came after guidance that said removing cataracts was almost always a good use of resources, and could even save money by preventing older people from falling.

But if they save money on accidents that didn’t happen, they can’t count that in their annual performance review. Besides, if the managers of NHS didn’t stop surgeries and ration medicines, exactly what would they do to make themselves feel more important than the doctors?

Hat tip to The Pirate’s Cove and Weaselzippers.