The NHS in Warrington has taken the decision to ban non-urgent procedures such as thread vein removal and face lifts from its hospitals.

The decision was made as pressure mounts to cut costs and free up budgets for medical rather than cosmetic procedures. A spokesperson for the region’s health service explained that the changes are about prioritising the most serious cases.

“If the PCT funds cosmetic surgery for example, money will be diverted from patients with greater clinical need and people do have the right to appeal”, the spokesperson said.

Liposuction, weight loss surgery, and breast reduction surgery are also on the list of procedures no longer being offered by the NHS in Warrington. Decisions were made on which procedures to remove from the list after consultations with healthcare professionals and by working in line with the principles of the Cheshire and Merseyside PCT’s Prior Approval and Procedures of Limited Clinical Priority policy.