An increase in unhealthy lifestyles could force the NHS to cut back on free medical treatments over the next decade, a report has warned.

Friends Provident and the Future Foundation have also predicted that similar legislation to the smoking ban could be used to penalise people who refuse to change their habits.

The consequences of less exercise, eating unhealthily and excessive alcohol intake despite Government health initiatives have been outlined in the Visions of Britain 2020 report. Experts told the researchers they predicted treatments including IVF and fertility treatment, dental treatment, obesity surgery and drugs, dementia treatment and complementary therapies will no longer be free in 2020.

A poll for the report found Suffolk residents had the unhealthiest lifestyles, exercising the least compared with 10 other regions in the UK. They were also least likely to take notice of their calorie intake and the least likely to follow recommended alcohol guidelines, according to the survey of 1,000 consumers.

Dr Sarah Brewer, a GP and medical journalist who was consulted for the report, said: "We all know that we should follow a healthy low-fat diet, eat at least five (portions of fruit and vegetables) a day etc. But how many actually do anything about it? Unless an unhealthy diet and lifestyle is penalised in some way no-one will change."

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2010

NHS trusts may be forced to cut services in order to make efficiency savings if they have hospital building contracts with private firms, a report has warned.

A study from the National Audit Office (NAO) suggested that trusts which have private finance initiative (PFI) contract offers may have to make savings elsewhere.

The measures have come as part of a cost-cutting scheme, with ministers asking the NHS to find up to £20 billion in efficiency savings.

The report said: "It is likely that trusts will be expected to make efficiency savings over the next few years, but their ability to make savings from their PFI contracts is very limited." It added that trusts may find it difficult to make savings without cutting services because they pay an index-linked fixed sum.

The report continued: "Contractors who secure economies of scale through managing multiple PFI contracts are rarely required to share these efficiency gains with trusts. Trusts need to ensure that any decision to reduce services is informed of the long-term consequences to costs and the impact on patients."

PFI contracts involve private firms building and maintaining hospital buildings. The contractor often also provides other services, including cleaning, catering and portering.

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2010

A union claims planned NHS cuts could lead to "baby factories" and other large "impersonal" care centres.

Units dedicated to emergencies, maternity or children`s care could disappear, along with entire hospitals, as services are "centralised", says the Royal College of Midwives.

Patients will often have to travel further distances to receive care at "mega-centres" instead, it is claimed.

Cathy Warwick, for the RCM, said the union does not oppose shake-ups of health services in principle, but it fears centres could be created in which 10,000 babies are born each year.

"The danger is that we`ll get what I call baby factories: large and impersonal places where high numbers of women walk through the front door of a place that`s not welcoming and not friendly because it`s just too big. The size detracts from the ability to give individualised, personalised care," she said.

"Women will be less satisfied, midwives will not want to work there, and you`ll get a vicious circle and lower quality of care in those units."

"Women find larger maternity units impersonal and alienating, and they can get lost in the shuffle. Heads of midwifery who are in charge of very large services are starting to find it harder to recruit midwives because [many prefer to work in] smaller maternity units."

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2010

Labour cannot match the Tories` promise of a real-terms NHS budget increase in every year of the next Parliament, the shadow health secretary has claimed.

Andrew Lansley said the Conservatives would go further than the Government in health service spending and criticised plans by Labour to introduce cuts of "10% or more" in staff numbers.

Replying to the allegation during Commons question time, health minister Mike O`Brien claimed funding for primary care trusts (PCTs) would rise by 5.5% in 2009-10 and 5.5% in 2010-11, with rises "locked in" until 2013.

"In addition, the NHS is looking for savings of £15-20 billion, which will be reinvested in NHS budgets," he said.

Mr Lansley replied: "The House will note that you have merely said what ministers have said before, which is flat real-terms (increases) in 2011-12 and 2012-13. You can`t match the commitment that I made.

"But how can you reconcile your answer with plans from strategic health authorities across the country that are including 10% or more cuts in staffing in hospitals?"

Mr O`Brien said: "We are going to see an increase in those budgets and we are also in a position where we have seen substantial increases in staffing."

Copyright ⌐ Press Association 2010