XPost: alt.history.british, alt.politics.british, alt.talk.royalty   
   XPost: soc.genealogy.medieval, soc.history.medieval   
   From: panther@excelsior.com   
      
   Tories want a Stricter Nanny for Brits.   
      
   Deeeeelightful!   
      
   Black The Red, grossly overweight, and Pogue Reboul, a heavy smoker and   
   drinker would no doubt be heavily penalized.   
      
   But will the Tories ever be elected to implement said plan -- or persuade   
   Labour to do it?   
      
   DSH   
      
   Lux et Veritas et Libertas   
   -------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   'NHS should not treat those with unhealthy lifestyles' say Tories   
      
   04.09.07   
      
   The Evening Standard   
      
   David Cameron is considering NHS Health Miles Cards to reward clean living   
      
   Failing to follow a healthy lifestyle could lead to free NHS treatment being   
   denied under the Tory plans.   
      
   Patients would be handed "NHS Health Miles Cards" allowing them to earn   
   reward points for losing weight, giving up smoking, receiving immunisations   
   or attending regular health screenings.   
      
   Like a supermarket loyalty card, the points could be redeemed as discounts   
   on gym membership and fresh fruit and vegetables, or even give priority for   
   other public services - such as jumping the queue for council housing.   
      
   But heavy smokers, the obese and binge drinkers who were a drain on the NHS   
   could be denied some routine treatments such as hip replacements until they   
   cleaned up their act.   
      
   Those who abused the system - by calling an ambulance when a trip to the GP   
   would be sufficient, or telephoning out of hours with needless queries -   
   could also be penalised.   
      
   The report calls for a greater emphasis on the "citizen's responsibility" to   
   be healthy and says no one should expect taxpayers to fund their unhealthy   
   lifestyles.   
      
   Yet while the Health Miles Card would award points for giving up smoking and   
   losing weight, it could penalise those who are already fit and well because   
   they would receive no benefits under the scheme.   
      
   Also, the NHS already demands that obese patients lose weight before   
   receiving hip replacements.   
      
   And any moves to impose compulsory cards on patients would provoke a   
   backlash from civil liberties groups.   
      
   The Dorrell report also calls for a consultation on raising the smoking age   
   to 18 and for shops to be stripped of their licences if they sell tobacco   
   and alcohol to minors.   
      
   It proposes a fully-trained nurse to be made available to every school to   
   offer advice on sexual health - but Tory officials stressed they would not   
   be offering children contraceptives.   
      
   Ministers should divert more attention and funding to public health   
   epidemics which are costing the NHS billions a year, the report says.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)