Breast implants on the NHS, would i be entitled ?

[Littlemissnutmeg]

I'm 38, 39 next month and was told about a year ago that i'm in the early stages of menopause. I'm shocked as i feel that this is quite young and iv'e been feeling very down about it and have an anxiety disorder. I have always suffered from low self confidence and this menopause diagnosis has meant that my confidence has taken even more of a battering. I guess it's to do with the menopause, my breasts seem to have got smaller and saggier and it's really making me feel low. My husband loves ladies with large breasts so with my boobs shrinking i don't feel good enough for him. Also, since puberty, i have always had one breast a whole cup size larger than the other which i have always felt conscious of. Even with my pregnancies my breasts never evened out. As this is making me feel rather down i was wondering if my doctor would refer me to have breast enhancement on the NHS ? Has anyone been able to do this ? There is no way i can afford to go private.

AFAIK you can only have cosmetic surgery on the NHS for a medical need rather than psychological.
Funding has to be approved by your loyal CCG and its rather like getting blood from a stone

Sorry to be blunt but no.

your issues are purely cosmetic. having a husband that prefers bigger breasts is not a reason to get implants on the nhs.

implants on the nhs are for people severely disfigured following other surgeries/treatments such as cancer etc.

There are instances of people being granted it for anxiety/self esteem related issues, but its very rare you would have to have a really good case and at your age I'm not sure they would, also maybe don't tell them the bit about your partners preference :)

I know how you feel about the menopause I'm 30 and have gone into early menopause and suffering with anxiety, maybe see your GP about a referral to a counsellor for anxiety issues, CBT may help?

I think if to really want something you find the money, we couldnt afford ivf but if we had to we would of scrimped on everything possible and not spent a penny on anything else until we got enough

Lauren

Oh well - as your DH likes women with large breasts.....

Do you really live in cloud cuckoo land. The NHS is for people who are ill.

If its really that upsetting perhaps you need to think of a way of saving for it as oppposed to expecting others to fund!

Sorry to be harsh but really are you serious?

No purely cosmetic.

Can you imagine what even worse state the country would be in if we had to pay for 'perter breasts' for every woman who's partner thought they had gone a 'bit south'.

I doubt this is the solution to your issues tbh , even assuming your PCT would prioritise it over spending for medical need Feeling "rather down" is unlikely to be strong enough psychological reason for referral.

I bloody hope not! They're talking about cutting treatment for older people cut to costs. Giving you a boob job partly because your husband likes big boobs, even taking into account your anxiety, would be a shocking waste of resources.

But people do persuade the NHS to do them dont they? I couldnt get anything for my hair loss and my DS's severe acne was not treated because it was seen as 'cosmetic'! Went private in the end. And dont get me started on speech defects. I was told we would have to wait 9 months to 1 year for an assement due to the therapist being off long term sick.... When it happened to my second child there was a different excuse... Also went private.

I'm not sure you would. I had one implant on the NHS because their were 6 cup sizes difference between mine.

That wasn't for psychological reasons though, the weigh difference was giving me back problems

Severe acne is treated on the NHS and saying it's "cosmetic" is bloody ridiculous. It's a skin condition. Sagging little tits is not. Go private like everyone else.

You wouldn't normally get implants on the NHS unless there is more than 2 cup sizes discrepancy sorry (breast surgeon). But different PCTs have different criteria so you could go and chat to your GP and see if they're prepared to put an exceptional case forward but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

And to those slagging the OP off, when she has said she has anxiety issues, shame on you. Of course the NHS has limited funding and has to prioritise this but it is possible to say this to someone who has admitted they're struggling in a more sensitive manner ffs!

Everyone knows there is limited funding. Unless of course you would like to fund her boobs Yellow?

OP, you sound distressed (and have probably had a bit of an unnecessary battering here ).

It's really easy to fixate on something specific (which can seem odd/trivial to other people) when you've got problems with anxiety. It's not uncommon for this to be something appearance-based, and for this to cause genuine and real distress. When you're going through something like early menopause, with your hormones all over the place, and you're having to come to terms with lots of changes to your self image too, it doesn't sound surprising that you're finding things tough.

As previous posters have said, perhaps focusing on your psychological health might be more useful at the moment (I hope this isn't irritating to hear when you've posted about a physical attribute issue). Also, I'm wondering how communication is generally with your DH if you're worrying about his perception of your breasts? And are you taking any steps to feel less low about yourself in other ways, and to deal with the anxiety?

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Hear hear, Yellow.

Oh please, enough of the good use of money/bad use of money. It is so subjective and thank goodness our codes of conduct tell us not to judge.

If you really want to go there having more than one child on the NHS might seem an indulgent use of other peoples tax and national insurance. Along with sports injuries, DIY injuries, driving accidents yada yada. There are many many ways that all of you (and me included) have had money spent on us that many others would deem frivolous.

Did a cosmetic surgeon amputate your ability to construct a proper post?

I'll address my anxiety issues. Wow, some of you are a bitchy lot!

Iv'e tried CBT Lauren to try and overcome my anxiety problems. Kind of helped, but the real issue here i think is my early menopause. Think i need to accept and come to terms with that, maybe some counselling would help. Wow, 30 i very young for menopause, my heart goes out to you, bless you x

Sarcastic witch!

A little harsh granted but to be fair OP given the current health care crisis going on in this country for example:

People left to die in hospital beds covered in their on urine and without clean bedding or drinking water.

The elderly and disabled receiving minimum care in there own homes.

Cancer patients refused treatment due to cost.

These are but a few.

Can you see why when you are asking if our already stretched NHS will pay for your cosmetic surgery so your husband fancies you more you got a few harsh comments?

I think even if you had tits like Pammy Andersons your issues would remain. Go to your GP and seek support for your anxiety. The affect will be greater and longer lasting than a boob job.

My comments were aimed at greta not you OP.

why don't you start a little savings pot OP.. give yourself 5 years to save and maybe you'll not want surgery in the end. In the mean time invest in some really nice underwear and whatnot... have an experiment with yourself.

make it your something to look forward to.

Apologies Mignonette. Couldn't read what Greta posted as it's been removed, didn't realise it was her.

Might just do that Gamerchick, have been thinking about it anyway. At the moment i wear those bras which boost the bust by up to 2 cup sizes. Just have to add a bit of stuffing in the left side.