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Post by Toreador on Jan 9, 2023 16:29:53 GMT
The only solution is to means test patients. Charge patients £5 to £10 to see a GP. One thing I have noticed is that propietary medication (Cough medication, allergy treatments etc.) have rocketed in price. Paracetamol was 29p now 62p. As usual, someone somewhere is making a fortune out of the public. In France 10 years ago it was 20euros to see a doctor, the NHS subsidised part of that for expats. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2023 16:34:45 GMT
If we started charging people to see a GP, millions of struggling poorer people wouldnt go. Some would die as a result of things like cancers not being caught early enough. I would go along with charging people for missing appointments though. Poverty is no excuse for screwing the system around. If you cannot keep an appointment, at least cancel in good time so that the slot is not wasted. The talk is of making the better off pay modest charges. But how well off do you have to be to be eligible to be charged? It would most likely end up being applied to most people not on means tested benefits. And who decides what a modest charge is? The powers that be on their high salaries might regard a tenner as a modest charge but it really isn't to anyone on the breadline or not far above it. It's a bit of a grey area.
I'd probably be a bit uncomfortable with it, because even high earners are probably living beyond their means, they might look good on paper, asset rich cash poor, maybe if it was on a voluntary basis those that can afford it give what they can, and those who can't give what they can.
Obviously those donations would have to go directly in to the NHS support fund, and not syphoned off in to woke snowflake diversity nonsense.
There is also the fact that if people found themselves having to pay to see a doctor - something that flies in the face of the founding principles of the NHS - there would likely be a growing political backlash against whichever government introduced it. The politicians probably know this so will be fearful of taking such a step unless they can persuade the public to be on board in advance. If polling reveals the people as a whole to be against such charges, they won't happen. |
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Post by The Squeezed Middle on Jan 9, 2023 18:13:39 GMT
...The consultant being paid to do whatever privately is the same one who sets aside his NHS patients. No he doesn't - the NHS only pays for a certain number of the consultants hours per week. He's effectively part time in the NHS and the rest is his own time. ...The consultant who sees you for your first consultation next week for £200 for 15 minutes gets you leap frogged over the NHS patients who can’t pay that or don’t know they coukd. No he doesn't - you're paying for a service. ...A system in which consultants are allowed to practice in both sectors is preordained to screw the nhs patients over. Possibly, but only because that system doesn't wish to pay the consultant full time. |
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Post by Pacifico on Jan 9, 2023 18:17:08 GMT
There's no denying we do have hypochondriacs taking up and wasting valuable GP and NHS time.
I suppose charging people would root out the time wasters, but it's like the old saying about the boy who cried wolf, no telling when any of these hypochondriacs on low incomes could become seriously ill and die, then Labour would say they died because they couldn't afford to see a GP ... their double standard hypocrisy would come shining through.
If we started charging people to see a GP, millions of struggling poorer people wouldnt go. Some would die as a result of things like cancers not being caught early enough. I would go along with charging people for missing appointments though. Poverty is no excuse for screwing the system around. If you cannot keep an appointment, at least cancel in good time so that the slot is not wasted. I'm fine with that as long as it is a 2-way street - the NHS compensates me for cancelled or delayed appointments. |
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Post by Red Rackham on Jan 9, 2023 18:23:58 GMT
Anyone who has a decent job has private healthcare - Sunak was a prat for not simply admitting this. Most private healthcare schemes associated with work do not give access to a private GP They do if you're a millionaire prime minister who's married to a billionaire wife. |
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Post by Red Rackham on Jan 9, 2023 18:40:18 GMT
Having read through this thread I see some of you think charging people for missed appointments might be a good idea. On the face of it, it may be a good idea, I'm not particularly for or against. But where such a scheme may fail is when someone cant or wont pay a £10 fine or fee for missing an appointment. What happens then? Are they banned from seeing a GP until they cough up? Can you imagine the political fallout from such a policy? Fining people for missed appointments is a none starter. I doubt any government will introduce it.
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Post by Handyman on Jan 9, 2023 18:56:56 GMT
The only solution is to means test patients. Charge patients £5 to £10 to see a GP. One thing I have noticed is that propietary medication (Cough medication, allergy treatments etc.) have rocketed in price. Paracetamol was 29p now 62p. As usual, someone somewhere is making a fortune out of the public. I thought that old fool Clarke had gone tits up years ago. Middle-class families could face 'modest' charges to see GP and have routine ops under plans put forward by veteran Tory Ken Clarke to save the NHS Tory Ken Clarke says NHS may soon need to start charging wealthier Britons Such charges could include a flat fee to see a GP or for some routine procedures Comes as NHS is in crisis with A&E wait times soaring amid a surge in demand But Rishi Sunak insists he hasn't left it too late to help alleviate NHS pressures www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11614055/Middle-class-face-modest-charges-use-GPs-minor-ops-plans-save-NHS.htmlIMHO there is no quick fix for the NHS, it will take sweeping changes of how it is run which will take time , how much time will be dictated if people working in the NHS and politicians object to changes and current working practises |
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Post by Handyman on Jan 9, 2023 19:04:16 GMT
Most private healthcare schemes associated with work do not give access to a private GP They do if you're a millionaire prime minister who's married to a billionaire wife. You don't need to access a Private GP , you simply ask the GP you are registered with for a " Referral Letter " for the Health Care Provider you are a member of its a simple as that |
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Post by Red Rackham on Jan 9, 2023 19:15:51 GMT
They do if you're a millionaire prime minister who's married to a billionaire wife. You don't need to access a Private GP , you simply ask the GP you are registered with for a " Referral Letter " for the Health Care Provider you are a member of its a simple as that Handyman, I have no idea. But I'd be surprised if the average millionaire/billionaire phones the local surgery to get an appointment in two weeks time if he wants to see a doctor. |
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Post by Handyman on Jan 9, 2023 19:22:26 GMT
You don't need to access a Private GP , you simply ask the GP you are registered with for a " Referral Letter " for the Health Care Provider you are a member of its a simple as that Handyman, I have no idea. But I'd be surprised if the average millionaire/billionaire phones the local surgery to get an appointment in two weeks time if he wants to see a doctor. If I had the money the Sunak's have you don't even need to have Private Medical Insurance , you just ring the Private Hospital of your choice and book an appointment with a Consultant and get the problem resolved in days if urgent and pay the bill |
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Post by Steve on Jan 9, 2023 21:18:23 GMT
Most private healthcare schemes associated with work do not give access to a private GP They do if you're a millionaire prime minister who's married to a billionaire wife. But Pacifico's false point I challenged wasn't about such rarities was it. Sunak won't be in some private healthcare scheme anyway, he'll just get out his Coutts credit card every time he needs to see his GP |
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Post by Red Rackham on Jan 9, 2023 22:03:36 GMT
They do if you're a millionaire prime minister who's married to a billionaire wife. But Pacifico's false point I challenged wasn't about such rarities was it. Sunak won't be in some private healthcare scheme anyway, he'll just get out his Coutts credit card every time he needs to see his GP You think Sunak has a 'GP'. |
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Post by Pacifico on Jan 9, 2023 22:15:02 GMT
Most private healthcare schemes associated with work do not give access to a private GP They do if you're a millionaire prime minister who's married to a billionaire wife. Anyone can access a private GP whether they have private health insurance or not. If your insurance does not cover GP consultations (which many do) then you can just pay on the day for the appointment. |
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Post by Red Rackham on Jan 9, 2023 22:19:46 GMT
They do if you're a millionaire prime minister who's married to a billionaire wife. Anyone can access a private GP whether they have private health insurance or not. If your insurance does not cover GP consultations (which many do) then you can just pay on the day for the appointment. I suspect you're correct. I also suspect that someone as wealthy as Sunak doesn't worry about such piffling trivialities as seeing a doctor. |
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Post by Pacifico on Jan 9, 2023 22:28:48 GMT
Most decent health insurance plans include GP appointments - I would suspect that Sunak has one of the best plans through one of his families companies.
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