Early-retirement wannabe
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Marine_life wrote: »We currently pay around €950 per month for (compulsory) private cover on which we receive around a €250 rebate so net around €700 or €8,400 p.a. on top of that we have to incur around €250 each before before we can claim anything.
Its expensive but I have never waited more than two weeks to see a specialist.
I have private health cover about 2k per annum. Private hospital A+E on the spot 100 up front. Worth it. If admitted all costs covered including the upfront 100 payment.
Consultant appointment on a private basis within 48hours. Half the cost covered.
I figure there is no point in paying through the nose on an annual basis for something that MIGHT happen, better to pay half on the spot if needed.
Same goes for private room. My cover is for a two bed hospital room private hospital, but I can pay 75 a night extra if I want my own room. The premium is less because I can add on if I want myself.
I know UK people love their NHS and the care is exemplary. I am not knocking that at all. Just to mention!0 -
Public opinion and media are part of the problem.
you cant have a great service if you arent willing to pay for it. And we should pay a small, token amount.
So do you think you will have a great service for a token amount ?The word "dilemma" comes from Greek where "di" means two and "lemma" means premise. Refers usually to difficult choice between two undesirable options.
Often people seem to use this word mistakenly where "quandary" would fit better.0 -
So do you think you will have a great service for a token amount ?
Not necessarily but it would regulate demand to some extent.
The majority of the population are stupid enough to think because soemthing is put charged for its free, someone is paying at the end of the day. In the view of the unwashed masses this is 'the government' eventhough the government actually has no money and just mangoes, or not, the taxes and sums it raises.
So explaining that there is a cost to everything, charging a nominal amount, means that it becomes clearer that wasting time or missing appointments does actually cost money and makes the system less efficient.0 -
And whose determination of "token" would that be?you cant have a great service if you arent willing to pay for it. And we should pay a small, token amount.
This is fine for people who can always afford this (which will be a large percentage of posters here) but what about those who genuinely cannot afford the "token" amount?
I believe it is not unknown in the USA for people to people to put off visits to doctors, hospitals, medications etc because the cannot afford the payments. Presumably this will get worse again if Trump succeeds in reversing the Affordable Care Act?0 -
greenglide wrote: »And whose determination of "token" would that be?
This is fine for people who can always afford this (which will be a large percentage of posters here) but what about those who genuinely cannot afford the "token" amount?
I believe it is not unknown in the USA for people to people to put off visits to doctors, hospitals, medications etc because the cannot afford the payments. Presumably this will get worse again if Trump succeeds in reversing the Affordable Care Act?
Token as in 5-10 quid.
People on benefits would not have to pay (but could have benefits docked if they abuse the system and dont turn up)
Yes, people in the USA do this. but if you actually read my OP, you would see that it would be means tested so would not prevent anyone from seeing a doctor/getting treatment.
France and other EU countries work this way, and serve all their population.0 -
I'd happily pay £5 or £10 for a GP appointment, or be prepared to pay a similar amount by way of a "fine" for not keeping the appointment.
One of the biggest problems with the NHS is, IMO, that it's free. If something is free, people tend to regard it as having no value - and the more irresponsible members of society do not consider ringing to cancel an appointment if the piffling reason for the appointment gets better of its own accord. A dent in their fag or booze money might concentrate their minds on what is important.
With due consideration to adequate provision to the genuinely needy and unwell, the NHS really should be considering a fee-based system, if only to make people appreciate what a marvellous service it is/used to be/could be.
So far this year my surgery has counted 724 missed appointments. By my calculation, that's 120 hours of expensive GP time wasted. Utter madness. :mad:
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To start.
All Surgerys and Hospitals take cash or credit card.
Charge £2x for an appointment at the GP. Charge £x for A&E.
Lots and lots of exceptions perhaps up to 90% of the population.
Result everyone knows that it costs £2x or £x. Even if you are exempt records will show if you MISS an appointment without proper cause (long, long list) easily reported, you will owe £2x or £x next time you show up.
Very rough and ready but a marathon starts with the first step.There will be no Brexit dividend for Britain.0 -
DancingBadger wrote: »I'd happily pay £5 or £10 for a GP appointment, or be prepared to pay a similar amount by way of a "fine" for not keeping the appointment.
One of the biggest problems with the NHS is, IMO, that it's free. If something is free, people tend to regard it as having no value - and the more irresponsible members of society do not consider ringing to cancel an appointment if the piffling reason for the appointment gets better of its own accord. A dent in their fag or booze money might concentrate their minds on what is important.
With due consideration to adequate provision to the genuinely needy and unwell, the NHS really should be considering a fee-based system, if only to make people appreciate what a marvellous service it is/used to be/could be.
So far this year my surgery has counted 724 missed appointments. By my calculation, that's 120 hours of expensive GP time wasted. Utter madness. :mad:
There is no correlation between missing an appointment and smoking a fag or drinking booze. I am sure there are plenty of people from all walks of life missing appointments.There will be no Brexit dividend for Britain.0 -
One of the biggest problems with the NHS is, IMO, that it's free. If something is free, people tend to regard it as having no value
Sadly, that's always been the case. My Gran died over 30 years ago, but I can remember her saying ' if bread were on the NHS, the streets would be knee deep in butties'.
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There is no correlation between missing an appointment and smoking a fag or drinking booze. I am sure there are plenty of people from all walks of life missing appointments.
Maybe not, and I have no wish denigrate anybody who indulges in cigarettes and alcohol, but a relative of mine who is a GP and has conducted her own (unofficial) survey of patients who miss appointments would say there is a correlation. Missed appointments are becoming a real problem in some areas of the country where recruitment and retention of GPs is a challenge.
Back on topic, I believe the Government needs to re-think its approach to the NHS and consider ways for patients to part-fund primary treatment, rather than relying solely on tax and NI to fund the service. I'm not talking about wholesale privatisation as they did with the dental service; just making people question whether they really need to see a GP (or, for that matter, trot along to A&E of a weekend after a hard night on the tiles. :cool:)0
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