British healthcare may be rationed
Doctors in Britain are revealing for the first time that many health treatments will need to be rationed in the future.
The Observer reported on the move, which is expected to embarrass the government. The reason for rationing treatments, doctors have said, is that the National Health System cannot cope with skyrocketing demands from patients.
In a forthcoming report, the British Medical Association is predicting rations on fertility treatments, migraine headache treatments, plastic surgery operations for varicose veins and treatments for minor childhood ailments, among other treatments and procedures.
James Johnson, the BMA chairman, said patients may face trouble in the future, increasingly being denied treatments.
Health Minister Andy Burnham defended the NHS, saying that despite certain troubles, the system is a model for providing care to a national population.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
