The Human Stomach

Obese ex-policeman continues fight to make NHS pay for stomach bypass

A "morbidly obese" former policeman will continue to try to force the NHS to pay for stomach surgery, after two courts dismissed his claims that his human rights had been denied.

Lawyers for Tom Condliff, 62, who is 1.88m (6ft 2in) tall and weighs 140kg (22st), are preparing to pursue his action in what may prove a test case on the way health officials determine funding priorities.

The grandfather, of Talke, Staffordshire, says he may have less than a year to live because his local primary care trust will not pay for the operation. Condliff, who has diabetes and associated illnesses, argued that he needed a gastric bypass operation. His lawyers said the trust had applied a funding policy that was legally flawed and breached his human rights.

But while judges at the appeal court in London on Wednesday expressed sympathy for Condliff's "desperate" situation, they dismissed his attempt to overturn a high court decision in April in the trust's favour. They also refused him permission to take the case to the supreme court, though his lawyers are to challenge that.

The North Staffordshire NHS primary care trust, which had refused to fund the operation, welcomed the ruling and the "court's acceptance of the fact that we, along with other NHS bodies, have to make difficult choices about which patients can be treated from a limited budget".

The appeal judges – Lord Justice Maurice Kay, Lady Justice Hallett and Lord Justice Toulson – ruled that the funding policy did not breach human rights laws, although Toulson added: "Anyone in his situation would feel desperate."

Richard Clayton QC, for Condliff, had said his health was deteriorating and doctors feared he could have less than a year to live. He had a "severe needle phobia" and, over a number of years, insulin had not been delivered as effectively as it might have been. Condliff had developed a "gross appetite" and had started to "gorge himself" following a course of insulin. His weight had increased and his health problems multiplied. Clayton told a previous hearing: "He tried all other relevant, non-surgical interventions, including dietary and lifestyle and drug interventions, for his gain in weight, but was not successful."

The funding policy of the trust breached Condliff's right to respect for his private and family life under article 8 of the European convention on human rights, Clayton argued.

But David Lock QC, for the trust, said the case involved difficult decisions about healthcare funding priorities, and the trust was entitled to make such decisions without taking into account non-clinical and social factors.

Olive Oil, Fuel For Our Heart

Researchers from the Bordeaux, France, National Health Center, claim that the permanent use of olive oil in salads and even for frying foods can help in reducing the heart attack risk and other cardiovascular conditions by 41%.

Based on a study created on more than 8000 people from Italy, Greece, Spain, United Kingdom and France, they noticed a high heart attack incidence in United Kingdom residents.

Scientists explained this saying that UK residents prefer animal fats, while people from other countries proved to be healthier because they prefer to use olive oil for cooking.

Experts say that olive oil contains a big quantity of healthy Omega-6 fats which can prevent the blood vessels inflammation and can contribute in keeping the arterial blood pressure within normal limits, which has a positive impact on the entire cardiovascular system. Furthermore, the human stomach absorbs the olive oil easier than animal fats.

Journal of the Chemical Society

Outlines of physiology, both comparative and human, in which are described the mechanical, animal, vital, and sensorial organs, and functions ... as they exist in the different orders of animals, from the sponge to man : also the application of these principles to muscular exercise, and female fashions, and deformities : illustrated by numerous engravings : intended for the use of schools and heads of families

The Function and Control of the Human Stomach

The discourses and letters of Louis Cornaro on a sober and temperate life, with a biography of the author

The London medical repository and review