Overweight patients will soon be asked to lose pounds before they are allowed non-urgent surgery.
It is hoped the new policy will result in patients being in a better state to recover following procedures such as hip or knee replacement, tonsil removal or cataract surgery.
The announcement will be made today by the Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, a consortium of GPs which will take over responsibility for buying health services when the country's Primary Care Trusts are scrapped in 2013.
Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group covers around half of the county, and will be responsible for Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere, as well as St Albans, Harpenden and Dacorum.
Check the Watford Observer website later for more details.
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