Research reveals that individuals who undergo weight-loss surgery abroad and then require urgent medical care upon returning to the UK cost the NHS more than the surgery itself.
A study covering five London hospitals documented 35 cases of complications from gastric surgery abroad in 2022, leading to severe health issues such as malnutrition, vomiting, and sepsis.
The NHS expenses for interventions on these patients amounted to £560,234 in total, exceeding the cost of around 110 bariatric surgeries in the UK. Most patients had surgeries in Turkey, with 60% being women. The study suggests a need to reevaluate NHS policies regarding bariatric tourism.