If we elevate this principle from the individual patient to all patients in the NHS, knowing the sacrifices to be made, by deciding to undertake a specific surgical intervention, is crucial to ensure the fair and equitable allocation of healthcare resources.
Health economic evaluation provides a vehicle for understanding these opportunity costs and weighing them up against the benefits to be generated for the health of all citizens.
While we cannot expect surgeons to perform a health economic evaluation every time, having an understanding of the consequences of their professional choices will contribute to better decision making and knowing when not to operate.
