Public purse funding 'over medicalisation'

Former health boss backs UK medics' report

A former Island health chief says the health department could save substantial costs if it stopped carrying out 'unecessary treatments'.

Former Director of Public Health Dr Parameshwaran Kishore says he agrees with a report from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which cites 40 treatments routinely given, which have little or no benefit for patients.

It says women over 45 don't need a blood test to diagnose the menopause while X-rays are no real help for those with lower back pain.

Advice from experts in 11 different specialities includes using tap water not saline solution to bathe cuts and grazes, and stopping chemotherapy in some terminal cancer cases - as it cannot cure the disease and can add to patients' distress.

The report says 'over-medicalisation' has become rife in the NHS.

Speaking on Mandate, Dr Kishore said he's certain that's the case: