A woman who has struggled with her weight for more than 10 years says strict rules around specialist NHS help is driving many to consider travelling abroad for gastric band surgery.
Kerri Glover says she has spent the last three years pleading with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to provide her with specialist support after trying everything else.
However, she says this had been refused as she has been told the criteria means only those with certain pre-existing health conditions and a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 60 are eligible.
Kerri was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome at the age of 16 and decided to seek fertility advice from NHSGGC but says she was told to reduce her BMI first.
The 27-year-old, who formerly stayed in Renton, says the criteria is “ludicrous” and says she had been considering travelling to Turkey for gastric band surgery as a last resort but is nervous about the risks.
The tragic story of Shannon Bowe, 28, from Denny hit the headlines last week after she died in Turkey after undergoing gastric band surgery.
The Lennox Herald contacted NHSGGC about Kerri’s case this week and a day later she received a phone call to confirm she has now been accepted as an exception for the specialist weight management service, which will involve a multi-disciplinary NHS team working together to support Kerri.
Kerri told of her relief at the decision but said many others will be in the same situation and is calling for the system to be overhauled.
She said: “A referral was made for me to be considered as an exception and that decision wasn’t due to be made until the middle of the month.
“It’s taken me about three years to reach this point. I shouldn’t have had to have tried that hard for help.
“There are a lot of stories on the dangers of going to Turkey for bariatric surgery but it doesn’t address the reasons why many people are making the choice to go there.
“Many think people decide to do it on a whim but that is just not the case.
“It’s often because the NHS criteria is driving us to take matters into our own hands.
“Surgery for me is an absolute last resort. I don’t like the thought of surgery and I hate hospitals.
“I know there’s a lot of people who are scared to admit they are thinking about it because of the stories out there but what many don’t know is those making these choices are doing it because they have tried everything else and want a better quality of life.
“There are a lot of reasons why people make the choice to do it.
“For me, I want a family.
“I want to know that I’ve tried everything before I make that choice but the criteria for accessing specialist NHS services is ludicrous.”
Kerri says she was initially offered to join a community weight management service, which involved a 12 week membership with Weight Watchers.
However, Kerri had already tried the weight loss programme and it hadn’t worked for her.
She had been considering gastric band surgery in Turkey, explaining: “I was petrified to consider it as an option but at the same time had to recognise that I was running out of alternative options.
“We only hear the horror stories but I know a lot of people who had the surgery in Turkey and said the care is second to none. But after hearing about the specialist NHS support, I thought ‘this is it. I’m finally going to get the support I need’.
“My GP came back and said I needed to have a BMI of over 60, which is quite extreme.”
She told how her struggles with binge eating and being insulin resistant also makes it extremely difficult for her to lose weight.
She said: “I had done Slimming World, Juice Plus and had tried fasting and calorie counting.
“I would maybe lose a stone but no matter how dedicated I was I couldn’t go any further than that.
“I have hormonal imbalances which affect my ability to lose weight. I’m insulin resistant so my body doesn’t break down carbohydrates for energy as it should and then it’s more likely to be stored as fat.
“So I’m told that will make it harder for me to lose weight but then I’ve been asking for extra help and not getting it.
“It’s easy to be in the mindset of ‘it’s all my fault’ but I’ve been trying to do something about this for so long.
“I’m aware there will be negative comments, saying just get out more and eat less. I’ve had comments like that my entire life. It’s not as easy as that.”
Kerri now has new hope for the future having been accepted for specialist support but says there needs to be an overhaul of the current system.
She added: “It’s not just about me. I’m fighting for what I think is right and there will be others in the same position.
“There needs to be an active conversation about this and a change in the narrative over why so many people go to Turkey.
“For some it’s the first option but for a lot of people it is a last resort after trying everything else.”
A spokesperson for NHSGGC said: “For reasons of patient confidentiality, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde does not discuss individual cases.
“Our Weight Management Service offers support for patients who have a clinical need to lose weight. The majority of patients require a clinical referral to the service although patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease or have had a stroke can self-refer.
“This service is offered by both a community weight management service which operates in conjunction with a commercial partner and a specialist weight management service which is a multi-disciplinary NHS team.
“At all times, evidence-based clinical guidelines - including those related to an individual’s BMI and any pre-existing health conditions - are followed to inform where patients are directed to for the service and individual health circumstances and personal needs are considered alongside clinical guidance if requested in referral information.”
