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Savage Tory cuts to the NHS have led to a surge in the number of lifeline services being rationed by hospitals.

The Sunday Mirror can reveal that life-saving drugs and operations along with specialist nursing care – all freely available two years ago – are being cut back or scrapped altogether.

Cancer patients, disabled children and elderly people are among the victims of the scandalous cut-backs, which are due to PM David Cameron’s drive to slash £20billion from the NHS budget.

Our probe has uncovered a catalogue of cases where people have cruelly become victims of a service which many doctors are privately calling the ­National Health Shortage.

This week a report from the Royal College of Physicians warned that care in hospitals is “on the brink of collapse”.

Routine operations such as the removal of tonsils, knee replacements, cataract treatments and nursing care for people with diabetes are also being scaled back.

Couples struggling to have children are being denied IVF treatment.

Today, writing in the Sunday Mirror, Britain’s top nurse Peter Carter, who is the ­general secretary of the Royal ­College of ­Nursing, tells of his fears for the stricken service.

He says: “With winter around the corner and pressure on the NHS set to soar we really do fear the worst if these reckless cuts to jobs, wards, beds and services continue.”

Shadow health secretary, Labour’s Andy Burnham, said: “When the Government chose to reorganise the NHS at a time of financial stress we warned that it would lead to a postcode lottery running riot. That is exactly what is now ­happening, with increasingly crude cost-cutting across the system. The Tories are ­removing the N from NHS – treatments allowed in some areas now shamelessly denied in others.”

Services across the UK are being ­rationed by NHS trusts in a slash-and-burn drive causing misery for hundreds of thousands of people. Since Mr ­Cameron took office in May 2010, 125 NHS services that were free have been cut back or severely rationed.

The elderly are among the worst hit. In office Labour ploughed hundreds of millions into ending the scandal of people waiting for years for cataract surgery to restore their sight.

But last year the number of operations on the Health Service fell by more than a quarter in some areas.

Campaigners say elderly people are increasingly having to wait untiltheir eyesight deteriorates to the point where they cannot drive before cataracts are treated, or only have one of their eyes treated.

Meanwhile bosses at the Royal Free Hospital in North London have introduced a weekly “golden hour” when private patients are given priority for appointment, ­potentially forcing cancer patients to wait longer to be seen.

Nearby Imperial NHS Trust breast nursing service has axed a specialist nurse meaning breast cancer patients could face longer waits. And in many parts of the country hip replacement operations and laser surgery to remove scars are being ­rationed.

Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool is also cutting spending on ­treatment for children with mental health ­problems.

Thousands of disabled people say they have seen staff including ­physios and occupational therapists cut.

Patients needing varicose vein surgery are also increasingly being denied the operation despite many needing it for medical as well as aesthetic reasons.

Services for new mothers across the UK are increasingly being rationed. An annual national week promoting breastfeeding has been abolished and a Department of Health advisory ­committee on breast feeding no longer meets.

Young people with the life-threatening lung disorder cystic fibrosis are losing services, which many parents fear is affecting children’s health and even life expectancy. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust said: “The life expectancy of patients has gone up with better care. Now these ­improvements could be sacrificed.”

Last week Dr Mark Porter, the new chairman of council at the British Medical Association, said the problem of rationing in the NHS is now so severe it is likely to cost the Government the next election.

Sunday Mirror cutswatch

Tell us how the cuts affecting NHS services in your area. Call us free on 0800 289 441 or email scoops@sundaymirror.co.uk