Another Waste Of Nhs Funds

[hc4361]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2383992/Violent-inmate-Alan-Baker-given-10-000-sex-change-NHS.html

It's just not right.

[emmie]

no it isn't, ridiculous waste of money.

[Boto]

How dare they waste NHS money on something like this. 'Prisoners have the same rights to the procedure as normal citizens' - why?

[emmie]

not to mention the sheer cost involved.

[factor-fiction]

I'm not sure. We wouldn't argue that prisoners shouldn't receive treatment for cancer, hip replacements, cataracts, etc etc.
If we accept that sex change ops are an acceptable use of funds for non-prisoners then I'm not sure why we'd deny it for prisoners. At what point do we say treatment/operations should be done for non-prisoners but not done for prisoners.
Of course some may feel sex change ops should not be done at NHS expense for anyone, but that's a separate issue .

[jim360]

This is just idle speculation, but supposing that the struggle to come to terms with his (now her) gender identity was in no small part responsible for his criminal activity? No evidence for this, but it's not impossible given the difficulties some trans-people have. Then the surgery would be worth it, no? £10k for the surgery, that may help to avoid the cost of another trial/ imprisonment -- but, of course, this argument depends upon her staying out of prison from now on, which remains to be seen.

[boxtops]

Oh dear - it can't just have been given to him without very serious funding considerations, the NHS doesn't just go ahead with these things, the funding has to come from the NHS organisation commissioning those operations. There must be very good background reason for applying for the funding for it.

On another point - does he now get moved to a women's prison?

[hc4361]

With the NHS in crisis as it is now sex change and cosmetic surgery procedures should be suspended.

I don't consider reconstructive plastic surgery after major trauma to be cosmetic, I am referring specifically to nose jobs, tummy tucks, breast implants, eye lifts etc that have no medical need at all.

[hc4361]

The report says he will, when the surgery is complete.

I would be tempted to crack a joke about some men being willing to do anything to get with women, but I won't.

[emmie]

boxtops, apparently he will once its done,

[emmie]

what a horrible waste of money. why doesn't he wait till comes out of jail and have it done, or is that the point, he would have to pay perhaps....

[factor-fiction]

Leaving it until he comes out of jail would save the NHS money in the short term but not really in the long run, unless he dies before he's released. If doing the op helps him overcome his issues and criminal behaviours it may be a net saving to the taxpayer compared with the expense of maintaining him in prison.

I think there are questions to be asked about which treatments NHS should fund in general but I can't see the logic of denying treatment to prisoners that would otherwise be given to non-prisoners

[emmie]

i don't believe any of these ops should be done on the NHS.

[Canary42]

It makes my blood boil to read this sort of thing, after my 98-year-old mother died due to lack of care from the money-oriented NHS.

NHS fifty years ago - WE SAVE LIVES
NHS today - WE SAVE MONEY

[jno]

I'm not sure sex changes should come under the NHS at all; but since they do, prisoners should have the same right to the procedure as anyone esle.

[emmie]

don't agree at all, pay for it themselves.