THE NHS organisation that arranges care for much of Devon has made a U-turn on its plan not to offer routine surgery to smokers and the morbidly obese until they'd quit or shed weight.

The Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) said its 'new position', which differs from that it announced in October to cope with a £14.7 million overspend, was based on 'significant feedback from a wide range of stakeholders'.

Among those to criticise the measures was the Royal College of Surgeons.