THE jury is still out on Gordon Brown's message to us all to take care of ourselves or risk not getting the hospital treatment we need.

But it may well be that such drastic action is needed to encourage people to take responsibility for their own health.

Hospitals already refuse certain treatments for people who are obese because of the risk associated with undertaking a surgical procedure.

The fear now is that with the Prime Minister's blessing such treatments may be turned down on financial grounds and critics fear that this will mean the loss of one of the founding principles of the NHS, free treatment for all.

However, in our view it is time that individuals realised the consequence of their actions.

Experience has shown that despite all the money thrown at health advice campaigns on smoking, diet and exercise the message has in many cases gone unheeded.

Maybe this threat will give us all the impetus we need.