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Public supports charges for patients who smoke

Behaviour change

The public would support charges for NHS patients who require treatment as a result of 'inappropriate' lifestyle choices, such as smoking or obesity, according to research from independent health charity The King's Fund and Ipsos Mori.

The res

The public would support charges for NHS patients who require treatment as a result of 'inappropriate' lifestyle choices, such as smoking or obesity, according to research from independent health charity The King's Fund and Ipsos Mori.

The research, which focused on a series of focus groups with members of the public, also revealed support for charges for patients that miss GP appointments.

Director of policy at The King's Fund Anna Dixon said: 'With pressures to spend more on health care growing and the public finances likely to be under considerable strain for the foreseeable future, it is time for an informed public debate about how much we should spend on the NHS and how this should be funded.'