The ideal of an NHS free at the point of need was dealt a serious blow today, as a survey of family doctors revealed unprecedented levels of support for charging patients for routine appointments.
For the first time in recent memory, more than half of GPs believe patients should pay fees to see their doctor. The majority of those in favour said that charges should be between £5 and £25 per appointment.
Er, what do these people think the thousands upon thousands we have paid in taxes are? Fucking free money? I have already paid multiple times over for my GP appointments. I’ll be damned if I should pay twice. If that’s the case, let me stop paying the state and take out my own insurance. Given my risk factor, I stand to save a small bloody fortune. I might also get some value for my money as well.
Free at point of service means free as in no money changes hands at the point of service – because – and I repeat – we have already paid for the service through hefty taxation.
51% of one survey said that they favoured upfront charges. It sounds like a rogue survey to me. I very much doubt that most GPs favour upfront charging, as they know that the down stream costs of not detecting illnesses quickly enough would outweigh any putative cost savings from charging. As it is, the survival rates for bowel cancer are poor because people don’t like to come to their GP to discuss their poop. Charging will only make matters worse. Apart from the human cost, there is also a financial cost to the NHS in not detecting cancers in a timely fashion.
It is a bad idea all around and has already been rejected.
I agree with you what a bloody disgrace this is!
I did not see my GP for 10 years, then when I did it was for depression because I had NO MONEY and had lost my job, so being charges a fee to see him would have really helped me…NOT.
I recently had to see a Nurse because I had an ear infection, but because i am never ill i assumed it would go away on it’s own, after 2 weeks when i felt like my ear drum was about to explode i was pushed into ringing my GP to be told no Doctors appointments but I could see a nurse.
I duly presented myself at which point the nurse gave me a right ticking off for not going sooner, as she said “I am amazed you are even upright! i have never seen such a bad ear infection” my response ” well I didn’t think it was serious and I don’t like to waste your time when you have really sick people to see”
So how would charging me for an appointment have helped.
I paid tax why should I have to pay again!
As you say if they introduce this then stop NI contributions and let us all get private healthcare, after all lets face it that works SO well in the US especially for the poor and disadvantaged! (that’s sarcasm for the uninitiated)
“As you say if they introduce this then stop NI contributions and let us all get private healthcare, after all lets face it that works SO well in the US especially for the poor and disadvantaged! (that’s sarcasm for the uninitiated)”
60-65% of healthcare spending in the U.S. is by the government, hardly a “private” system.
And why is it usually the only offered alternative?
Have the vermin on the left done such a good brainwashing job that people think there are only two ways to provide healthcare?
The basic economic principles that apply to goods and services also apply to healthcare (and education, law, defence, etc.).
The French system is pretty good. Having been on the receiving end of it, I have experienced customer choice, efficient service and extremely rapid response. The system is partially state funded and partially private insurance funded. However, various providers compete in the marketplace.
It ain’t cheap, though…
“It ain’t cheap, though…”
Indeed. It costs the French nearly 25% more than the NHS costs, to serve a similar sized population.
“Have the vermin on the left done such a good brainwashing job that people think there are only two ways to provide healthcare?”
Why are the vermin of the right obsessed about getting rid of the NHS, when there is absolutely no democratic mandate for such a move? Do they see it as a money making opportunity for their spiv and criminal friends to make a quick buck out of it? Wonga Medical Insurance perchance?
“Why are the vermin of the right obsessed about getting rid of the NHS, when there is absolutely no democratic mandate for such a move?”
if they’re obsessed about it, they’re not doing a very good job.
Markets provide democracy, monopolies don’t.
“if they’re obsessed about it, they’re not doing a very good job”
They are not doing a good job because the vast majority wish to keep the NHS.
“Markets provide democracy, monopolies don’t.”
No, a system in which people vote for parties and policies is democracy. And the NHS is not a “monopoly”. You may pay for private medical care if you want to.
“They are not doing a good job because the vast majority wish to keep the NHS.”
If the vast majority want something then you don’t need to use force to provide it.
“No, a system in which people vote for parties and policies is democracy.”
A democracy is where you vote for what you want. Voting with your wallet in a market provides that far better than any political system.
“And the NHS is not a “monopoly”. You may pay for private medical care if you want to.”
It’s as good as because you’re forced to pay for it whether you want it or not.
When I can opt out of NI charges, then the NHS will no longer be a monopoly. Yeah, sure, we can go elsewhere, but we have to pay twice for doing so. Under the French system, I could pay the eye-watering social charges or the more reasonable private insurance. As it was, because I was paying tax and NI in the UK, I used an E106.
“…a system in which people vote for parties and policies is democracy…”
Not when the parties are effectively clones (or clowns) with a bit of different window dressing; and the policies for which you thought you’d voted disappear post-election.
We are fobbed off with a sham illusion of democracy, but the majority swallow the illusion…
We had similar here.
€10 per quarter.
They gave it up because it cost more to adminster as what they got. PLUS the reception staff got fed up of being accussed of gathering “Coffee money.”
What would help, would be a £10 fee to MAKE an appointment, refunded in full if you turn up.
You’d be amazed the number of people who don’t bother.
Well actually you probably wouldn’t be amazed, given the zero negative impact of any sort on them, why should they bother?
And btw I don’t think the French system is 25% more expensive. Since the Blair/Brown blast of cash, the hopeless NHS is not only the worst system in the developed world, but well up there with the more expensive ones too. Happy to eat humble pie if you’ve got references.