Criticism over obese surgery call

Jo Thompson suffers daily with heartburn and indigestion

An obesity expert has criticised NHS Sheffield after it told a woman she was "too big" for a hernia operation but not fat enough for gastric surgery.

Dr Matt Capehorn, of the National Obesity Forum, said the care trust was "short-sighted" in refusing to help 37-year-old Jo Thompson.

Ms Thompson, from Parson Cross, Sheffield, weighs almost 18 stone (114kg) and has a hiatus hernia.

NHS Sheffield said it must "prioritise those in greatest need of surgery."

Ms Thompson's hernia has pushed part of her stomach up through her diaphragm causing her to suffer from heartburn and indigestion.

'State of limbo'

She said she was referred to a specialist, at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, but he told her she was "too big" for the hernia operation.

She was recommended for gastric bypass surgery, as her attempts at dieting were unsuccessful and because it could help her hernia treatment, Ms Thompson said.

But the NHS said she was not heavy enough to justify the bypass surgery.

Under Sheffield NHS guidelines patients must have a body mass index (BMI) of 50 or above to qualify for the procedure, but Ms Thompson's BMI at the time was 46.

Dr Capehorn says surgery is the best option for some patients

Dr Capehorn pointed out that under National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, patients who have unsuccessfully tried other weight loss methods should be considered for surgery if their BMI is above 40.

He said: "Sheffield NHS have been very short-sighted in their view of the funding for this operation.

"This surgery will pay for itself within three years.

"They are not following NICE guidelines and are therefore leaving this woman in a state of limbo."

In a statement NHS Sheffield confirmed it had turned down Ms Thompson for the operation.

It said its criteria for allowing gastric bypass surgery were set by the Yorkshire and Humber Specialised Commissioning group.

It added: "Sheffield's position on gastric surgery is in line with the rest of Yorkshire".