It’s a myth that this happens a lot. The amount of money spent on cosmetic surgery by the NHS is just a fraction. It’s hardly anything.
In comparison, the NHS spends almost £4.5bn on <management consultancy> services. We spend a lot more money on agency locums. We spend a lot more money on various other things to do with unnecessary bureaucracy.
Cosmetic procedures here and there are fine. What I have always advocated is that at times, cosmetic procedures are an essential to your well being and your health. But that decision will always be clinically decided. It’s as simple as that.
Perhaps a person has some kind of distortion in their bodies, like severely lopsided breasts for example, or a deformity on their face, or they need a rhinoplasty because they’re having trouble breathing. You have to do those cosmetic procedures for psychological or other health reasons.
People don’t just get cosmetic surgery on the NHS because they want it. There has to be a clinical need. And if there’s a clinical need then I have no problem with it. The NHS isn’t spending a huge amount on these procedures compared to the money we’re wasting elsewhere.