£25 to see the Doctor?

grizzly1911

The_White_Horse wrote: »

why doesn't the govt pay doctors, chemists, pharmacists, researchers etc to design and make drugs, rather than be beholden to the likes of Glaxo etc. if the Govt actually makes drugs that work they could licence them abroad and that could pay for a large chunk of the NHS. Sort of like what the BBC does with Top Gear.

Isn't that what the communists did? What kind of results did that produce?

That said I believe the eastern bloc championed eye surgery, cutting a wedge out of the lens/cornea (?), improving the site of thousands in the third world, before all the laser techniques became vogue here.

tberry6686

I would back a charge for missed appointments. With my local surgery it's almost impossible to get an appointment within 10 days but they have numerous missed appointments every day. None of this don't have to pay if on benefits - miss an appointment then pay for it.

moneyistooshorttomention

...and I'm wondering just what the heck way there is to get doctor appointments back to what they used to be other than charging per appointment?

So, if anyone has any good suggestions as to how to return to "old style doctor appointments" some other way then I, for one, would be pleased to hear it.

I think we are in a "no easy options" place as a society where people should be able to see a doctor for free (and get an "old style doctor appointment" whilst there) if they genuinely need it on the one hand and people like myself are fed-up with wasting our time to go and see doctors for "modern style appointments" that are proving to be a total waste of time (as we cant get a single useful thing from our appointments and the doctor takes easy way out of not bothering to investigate the current problem at all) on the other hand. If I get one more doctor taking easy way out and just going "its your age" about some ailment or other (though I'm not old by anyone's definition) because they cant or wont do "old style doctor appointments" with a known doctor who is just "yours" I swear I'll be "having words" personally.

I also wonder how on earth people manage to get "old style" have a doctor out to your home type appointments any more if you really need them. It's certainly a worrying thought that I'm supposed to get myself into an A & E Department somehow if I need to see a doctor out of hours and then find that its quite likely clogged-up with drunks and I have to wait for them to be seen first before genuinely ill people get a look in. So maybe an element of charging would help reinstate the service as it used to be in that respect as well. Personally, I would pay £50 if I knew I could get an "old style doctor" out to my home in the middle of the night if I were in an emergency style situation - rather than having to get to A & E (whether I could or couldn't) and see drunks getting treated before me.

atush

Id support a 5-10 pound charge, but think 25 is too much esp for families with small children or pensioners who have to go more often.

I'd prefer a fee for missed appointments, but that would very hard and inefficient to collect, unless you collected it next time they turn up/call for an appt. Just getting them to pay a debt after the service has happened is always harder than getting upfront payment.

Errata

Personally, I would pay £50 if I knew I could get an "old style doctor" out to my home in the middle of the night if I were in an emergency style situation

There's little an old style, or new style, doctor can do in a middle of the night emergency call except phone for an ambulance. If it's an emergency - cut to the chase, cut out the middle man, and phone for an ambulance oneself.

Tony_Geo

I recall being told by my Gran of the pre-NHS era. They were poor. Not only did they resist going to the GP because of the cost, often they became worse before they eventually went. If my Grandfather needed the GP they had to pay because he was the breadwinner. Their child had an degenerative condition meaning they had to give that child priority over the child's brother. When one of them needed to go to the GP the whole family suffered though having less food.

I for one do not want such obscenities repeated although it will probably not bother Cameron a jot.

atush

I think that is unfair. Just because you and your family is comfortable doesn't mean you can't have empathy.

I grew up in a non NHS country, and suffered when I was working and still couldn't afford the doctor's fees.

But too many here abuse the system, and that means a charge is going to come- like it or not. reap what ye have sown.

grizzly1911

CLAPTON wrote: »

On the other hand people are dying unnecessarially now because doctors / A&E can't allocate sufficient time to genuine patients because their time is occupied by people seeking inappropriate attention.

Do people really die in A&E because doctors can't allocate sufficient time due to time wasters? I don't dispute that people do die in A&E - the name suggests they may.

There may not be enough resources to tackle all the real cases as the volumes grow in ever bigger centralised departments. If you take all the slack out the string often breaks.Something tells me time wasters will simply waste much of their own time as they get shunted to the back of the queue whilst real cases are given priority.

A lot of people may be inconvenienced and left to wait.

tberry6686

the last time I had to visit A&E the waiting room was crowded with people. I had a leg injury and the receptionist summoned a nurse with a wheelchair, I was then wheeled into a room and had a quick chat with the nurse who was prioritising patients. I was seen by a doctor within 10 mins and x-rayed, treated and ready to leave within 1 1/2 hrs. I couldn't fault the service and a nurse even came out to my car with me to make sure I didn't fall over using the crutches.

I did ask the nurse if it was always this busy and her reply was that they were, with patients that should be dealt with by a gp. This was at 9pm. getting rid of the no shows for gp appointments can only be a good thing and I can't see any other way except charging for missed appointments

atush

It is called triage and all A&Es do it. People will silly complaints wait for longer than those with serious injury.

Where costs impact death rates is thru the day of the week you are injured and if you need surgery/intensive care. As death rates are much higher at WE when resources are low than during the week