New Year, NHS rationing, should drunks be charged for admissions?

Strikes me as a silly idea.
The idea could be extended to anything where an error of judgement led to an incident.
"You chose to use a step ladder when redecorating your front room. Here's your £500 bill."

I can imagine all sorts of odd consequences of it.

It also ignores all sorts of other things. I pay all my tax. I hardly use any of the services available. So I'm cheap most of the time. If I fall over on ice after a few beers, for one thing how can they show that I wouldn't have fallen over anyway, and, secondly I'm already in credit.

StevieJ wrote: »

Maybe we should charge people who want to have a baby or elective surgery :rolleyes:

Actually, I do think that some elective surgery should be paid for...a have friends who have ''blagged'' ears being pinned back and breast enlargements, I dn't think they are of the same benefit to the well being of the nation as say, better treatment for dementia, or returns to the more extensve screening for cervical cancer.

Babies...well I don't know: after all, for some people there was litle ''elective'' about falling pregnant...but I do think that as individuals we fail to acknowledge the value of the ''free servies'' we receive.

Vaiva, I'm undecided as to your initial proposition. I don't think one can single out the ''undesirable'' optional behaviour from optional desiarbel behaviour as simply. After all the answer might be to be teetotal, or perhaps not, now we know that small amounts of drinking are in many ways beneficial for health. And the point about sports is good too...joggng, keep weight of and CV fitness, !!!!!!s joints, and one of my doctors assures me is contributory to female ''laughter'' incontinance :eek:. Mountain climbing...good for the soul, and fitness, and laudable....but costly when search and esue required (so sad about the avalanche deaths...but as well as sad, expensive for the recovery).

lostinrates wrote: »

Actually, I do think that some elective surgery should be paid for...a have friends who have ''blagged'' ears being pinned back and breast enlargements,

Absolutely no way should elective surgery be free.
Most breast enlargements are private aren't they?

YES - in a word.

Fair enough thats a high charge too.

These drunks are sitting there expecting free treatment for their self-inflicted injuries - when there isnt enough "money in the pot" for genuine health problems - so without a doubt - charge them through the nose and then some. Personally - I'd hand them a bill for £1,000 on the spot and say "no pay = no get" - even if all they required was a few sticking plasters. They are also "blocking the way" for people with genuine health problems and causing them to have to wait unnecessarily for treatment. I wouldnt even "turn a hair" if they ended up sitting there literally dying right in front of me from their self-inflicted injuries - I would treat the person who came before them in the queue at Casualty (even if it was for a minor ailment - but one that they hadnt caused themselves) and take the view that the "drunk" had caused their own death - so why should I have any feelings about it? - and I wouldnt in all honesty.

After all - if they carry on boozing for England/Scotland/Wales/ireland - then they will eventually have other health problems because of it and WE will be expected to pay out to bail them out by providing the healthcare they wouldnt need in the first place if they had lived a healthier/more responsible lifestyle.:mad:

treliac wrote: »

If you need more than one prescription per month, it makes sense to consider a pre-payment scheme.

Either 3 month Pre Pay which costs £28.25 or 12 month Pre Pay which costs £104.00.

You can then budget for this and have no worries about how many scripts you need.

Why do the binge drinkers who bring it on themselves pay nothing when genuinely ill people have to pay at least £104pa.?