Selfish/thoughtless NHS users

JReacher1

agrinnall wrote: »

No, its a wider comment on proposals to cut services that would also, if your conclusion is extended, be "electoral suicide". I just wondered what you though of it, and if you're happy with this then I can't see why a GP charge would be considered any worse.

The difference is that the link you've posted is another NHS reorganisation plan that in the grand scheme of things will only effect a small number of people. It will annoy those people in the areas affected but probably not a great deal as you have to directly need one of these services in one of these places to be affected by it.

On the otherhand charging every NHS patient £10 when they visit a GP will impact every member of the electorate and is fundamentally against the NHS's principle of free at the point of use health care for anyone. That will have a far greater impact and any government that proposed it would lose the next election in a landslide.

moneyistooshorttomention

I dont agree personally.

I hate the idea personally (and cant really afford it....) of charging £10 per GP visit - but it does make sense to deter people from going along for things like antibiotic prescriptions (when it's not the type of illness to be treated with antibiotics anyway) for instance.

There would need to be safeguards, eg unemployed people not being charged and employees not being charged if the patient just needs to be "signed off work as ill" for the employers benefit (ie either the employER gets charged or the charge gets waived).

If it's an unpalatable choice between someone that genuinely needs a GP appointment being able to get one quickly/having an A & E Department available (rather than it being closed as a cost-cutting measure) then it's down to picking the "least worst option". Personally I regard a charge of £10 per GP visit (with those safeguards built in) as the "least worst option".

Whatyagonna do instead otherwise? - well lying to old people and telling them they don't need a 2nd cataract operation for instance OR giving them an "off the peg" hip or knee replacement rather than one custom-made for them personally sounds far worse to me. NB: Bearing in mind that I presume the NHS was expecting patients to put up with "off the peg" replacement parts anyway before ever the cuts started - as I was shocked to find out the other day.

Waterlily24

photome wrote: »

would probably need to be much more than that to pay for the admin costs.

charging everyone who has diabetes, rather than them having free scripts would help

and yes, dont issue any for off the shelf painkillers that can cost as little as 1p to2p a tablet

What a horrible thing to say, I am diabetic (type 1) through no fault of my own. I've lived with it since I was 11, it's not a very nice illness, if you'd ever had a bad hypo you would know what it's like.............................


I was so ill at the beginning because my doctor said it was just nerves through starting a new school and didn't do anything about it. When my Mum called him to come and see me a few days later he actually said she's all eyes and teeth, there wasn't much left of me and I was rushed to hospital with all bells ringing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GwylimT

photome wrote: »

would probably need to be much more than that to pay for the admin costs.

charging everyone who has diabetes, rather than them having free scripts would help

and yes, dont issue any for off the shelf painkillers that can cost as little as 1p to2p a tablet

Would you remove all free prescriptions that are illness based, or just those suffering with diabetes?

missbiggles1

GwylimT wrote: »

Would you remove all free prescriptions that are illness based, or just those suffering with diabetes?

I don't see any point whatsoever in having illness based free prescriptions given that those on low incomes pay nothing anyway and the rest of us need pay less than £9pcm for everything.

Soworried

I have been in hospital in the last few days for an operation. I was very surprised that on discharge I was just handed my prescription already filled.
I asked how and when I paid for it and was told I didn't have too.
This must waste a small fortune over the year that could be much better spent elsewhere.

LilElvis

Waterlily24 wrote: »

What a horrible thing to say, I am diabetic (type 1) through no fault of my own. I've lived with it since I was 11, it's not a very nice illness, if you'd ever had a bad hypo you would know what it's like.............................


I was so ill at the beginning because my doctor said it was just nerves through starting a new school and didn't do anything about it. When my Mum called him to come and see me a few days later he actually said she's all eyes and teeth, there wasn't much left of me and I was rushed to hospital with all bells ringing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are more life-threatening conditions where prescriptions have to be paid for than ones where medication is provided free for all. My husband has a condition which means that he cannot eat unless he takes his medication, but he has to pay for his whilst yours is free. How is that fair?

teddysmum

I am eligible for free prescriptions as I am a pensioner,have diabetes (but need no prescription drugs) and hypothyroidism, but always wondered why those who have the two conditions mentioned have all prescription items free, even if not related to the condition.

Waterlily24

LilElvis wrote: »

There are more life-threatening conditions where prescriptions have to be paid for than ones where medication is provided free for all. My husband has a condition which means that he cannot eat unless he takes his medication, but he has to pay for his whilst yours is free. How is that fair?

Of course that isn't fair, I would also die without my medication My diabetes is life threatening without my medication I would be dead quite quickly. In fact I nearly died because my doctor didn't recognise it.


I do recognise that there are lots of illnesses that don't get free medication but should it really isn't fair. I'm really sorry that your hubby doesn't get free prescriptions.

[Deleted User]

How do they decide which chronic conditions warrant free meds and which don't?