Wasting NHS resources

Perhaps we should have a priority list, taking into account that it is not illogical to draw an arbitrary line.

It's a false equivalancy to claim that choosing cosmetic enhancements is the same as choosing to play sports.

I would definitely prefer my taxes to go on treating a broken leg (sports injury) than correcting botched botox.

Paying a little also makes the patient a little more respectful of appointments, and less inclined to kick off in A&E, and puts them less in a position of grateful recipient and more inclined to be motivated and able to question and be an active participant in their own health care.

A lot of the time the ones who are going to kick off in A&E, not care about missing appointments will be the ones who won't earn enough to have to pay.

But if everyone who can contributed something, the NHS would be in a much better state, I don’t understand how some Londoners for example who earn way above £500k a year can go to A&E and access all of the services for free.

They could be paying 250k in tax a year & you think they shouldn't be entitled to "free" healthcare?! 😆

It could be made that part of the licencing of these kinds of cosmetic treatment clinics would be that they would need insurance that would repay the costs of fixing their mistakes back to the NHS. I know that won't help when people go abroad for cosmetic treatment though.

Medics are meant to treat illness and injury without judgement. The Hippocratic Oath emphasises that care should be provided based on clinical need, not moral judgment.
This means that if there’s a terrorist attack, they will treat both the victims and the attacker based on severity of injury, not whether they think the person ‘deserves’ it or not. If a sex attacker arrives at hospital from a prison, they are treated. If a drunk driver arrives at a hospital they are treated.

It must be the hardest job in the world to separate your feelings from your job, but that’s what makes frontline medics great.

So no, regardless of how a person got their injuries, I don’t want personal values/judgements to influence medicine and whether a person gets treatment or not.

I’m definitely up for a system like France where everyone has obligatory not-for-profit health insurance and you pay a subsidised amount to see the doctor or visit A&E, part of which is then reimbursed according to your means, and those under a certain line don’t pay anything and are subsidised by the rest.

It’s madness in the uk where people are prepared to pay hundreds of pounds to their vets and won’t put even £5 towards a gp visit.

Paying a little also makes the patient a little more respectful of appointments, and less inclined to kick off in A&E, and puts them less in a position of grateful recipient and more inclined to be motivated and able to question and be an active participant in their own health care.

The problem with issues like Botox correction is where do you draw the line (no pun intended)? Lots of people do foolish things to themselves. Lots of people drink to excess. I ride horses which puts me at high risk of injury.

But if everyone who can contributed something, the NHS would be in a much better state, I don’t understand how some Londoners for example who earn way above £500k a year can go to A&E and access all of the services for free.

There are ways to cut wastage in the NHS without refusing people treatment. Missed appointments, unnecessary repeat prescriptions, equipment discarded when it could be reused….

And a big part of the problem with things like addiction, obesity. depression etc is socioeconomic factors.

the difference is those scenarios are not as a result of botched private cosmetic procedures

That isn't what happened. What about addicts who drink shit they shouldn't?

Some cancers can be hereditary, same for things like high blood pressure. Should some parents not reproduce?

This wasn't botched. The botox used on them was illegal and they weren't to know.

When a referral is made,a person has to put down a deposit before the referral is accepted.

I very much agree. Or a 'charge' is put on someone's card, like when toy go to some hotels and they put a hold on a specific amount of money on your account in case if any danage, and then it's not processed unless there is an issue. I would include both non attendance and abusive behaviour towards staff under this

I work in paediatrics and the amount of wasted appointments is ridiculous. We send letters, text reminders, and even have an admin doing phone calls for some of our most pressured clinics, but people still 'forget'. It's a waste of our time and resources and most importantly makes other children wait longer.

Yes definitely this!

I agree. Whoever did the procedure in the first place should be made to pay.

And in the case of seeking cheap private treatment abroad, people should be made to take out extra insurance. So costs can be recovered if things go wrong.

I think there needs to be a line between normal activities like sports and illness like addiction in comparison to getting surgery done voluntary.

Let’s refuse drunks and fat people healthcare then.

How will you charge for the missed appointments when they can’t even bother to turn up?

All those scenarios are the result of some risk taking. With the exception of obesity which is a more complicated condition resulting from everyday life. So either everyone has private medical insurance - the opposite of having an NHS - or we continue as we are.

Me too

the difference is those scenarios are not as a result of botched private cosmetic procedures

I used to think like this, but where do we draw the line?
Horse riders breaking limbs? They chose to get on a horse, after all. Same with skiers, bike riders, football injuries…
A lot of us do things by choice that are inherently risky.

^^ this.

As others have said though where is the line drawn? People make choices every day that come with a risk - I will get into my car later and drive but I don’t think anyone would argue I shouldn’t be treated if in a crash?

I have private medical insurance and I go to the gym three times a week. Will the NHS give me a cheque each year for the money I’m potentially saving the system? Of course it won’t! That’s not how it works. It’s there for everyone. All of us are going to get ill at some stage and need medical help - because we all suffer wear and tear. In the case of the beauty treatment it was still an accident. She didn’t have it meaning to get ill.

From kids with saucepans stuck on their heads to men with shampoo bottles stuck up their arses.
Judgement is an added layer of beaurocracy that A&E triage staff could probably do without.