PROPOSALS to ration hip and knee replacement operations have been questioned by a national health body.

The director of NHS RightCare, an organisation which focuses on getting good value in the health service, emailed regional directors about the rationing plans.

Professor Matthew Cripps wrote that hip and knee replacements are cost-effective in his email, which was co-signed by a consultant hip and knee surgeon.

The email was sent on Wednesday, 22 February 2017, after the three Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Worcestershire decided to reduce the number of people eligible for replacement operations.

The tightened criteria would mean that only those in the most severe pain would be eligible for surgery and obese people could be forced to lose weight.

Professor Cripps wrote: "There is strong evidence that hip and knee replacements are extremely cost-effective interventions when warranted by clinical need and patient preference."

His email also outlined the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines relating to joint surgery, one of which notes that surgery should not be restricted because of obesity.

Simon Adams, of Healthwatch Worcestershire, said: "We understand that NHS England has written to all CCGs telling them to stop restricting access to hip and knee surgery.

"We are following this up with NHS England and understand Worcestershire’s CCGs are considering the implications of the letter for hip and knee replacement surgery in Worcestershire.

"We understand we are going to get a national policy on hip and knee replacement surgery which is at least a step away from the current postcode lottery that is developing."

Healthwatch Worcestershire will question the consultation and rationale behind the cut at Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG's governing body meeting.

Worcestershire CCGs hope to reduce the number of people eligible for hip replacements by 12 per cent and 19 per cent for knee replacements, in a bid to save £2m a year.

A spokesman for the Worcestershire CCGs defended the proposals by claiming that some patients may not need hip or knee replacements if they lose weight.

They added that being overweight can increase surgery risks and that losing weight helps shorten a patient's recovery time and boosts the benefits of the operation.

The spokesman added that the CCGs took NICE guidelines into consideration when forming the policy.