ArticleJournal of health services research & policy2026
Persistent use of body mass index policies as a barrier to surgery: Prevalence and analysis of policies across England in 2025.
Article in Journal of health services research & policy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Reassessing BMI-based access to joint replacement surgery.PLoS medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BackgroundIntegrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England are responsible for commissioning healthcare services and setting access policies for procedures such as hip and knee replacement surgery. While the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises against body mass index (BMI)-based restrictions, many ICBs impose such criteria. This study examines the prevalence and content of these policies to understand their impact on equitable healthcare access.MethodsA qualitative content analysis was conducted to systematically evaluate the policies set by all 42 ICBs in England regarding access to hip and knee replacement surgery for patients living with obesity. Policies were collected from official ICB websites and Google searches, completed in February 2025, and categorised as: no policy, restrictive policy, and non-restrictive policy. The alignment of these policies with clinical guidance was assessed, focusing on their potential impact on equitable healthcare access.ResultsPolicy documents were identified for 41 ICBs: 26 included weight management guidance and 15 imposed BMI-based restrictions on joint replacement referral eligibility. Policies varied in naming, terminology, and specificity, risking inconsistencies in interpretation and implementation. Some ICBs (
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Registered trials
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