It wouldn’t be a bad idea if we paid for GP appointments?

Why was it sustainable before, and what has changed?

Exactly this i don't think I've ever been correctly diagnosed first time.

So we could have a prepayment card like we do for prescriptions.
If you need multiple appointments you pay £10 a month.
I'd also make those currently on free prescriptions pay for the prescription one.
Time to start cutting out the freebies to all sectors of society and hopefully the culture of entitlement will start to wane.

This would be similar to Medicare in Australia. You pay a certain amount and then claim the majority back, therefore being out of pocket by a nominal fee. It means you get to see a doctor much quicker and those on low income wouldn't have to pay.

I do feel that the eligibility criteria needs to be widened if using the low income model though. Low income means extremely low income and there will be people above this who still wouldn't be able to afford a nominal £5/£10 fee.

What about the treatments? For example, my husband needed at least five GP appointments for an ear problem before they realised it was an infection and referred him to a consultant. All this misdiagnosis, going back and forth, and having to pay for it will lead negligence cases.
We need to ask GPs if they want this.😅

Yes, people need to pay. The NHS was nice while it lasted, but it's not sustainable anymore.

I don't know about Australia, but you are right about Europe. However, the medical care, especially where I come from, is superior compared to that in the UK.

Why do you think that so many people can afford to homeschool? Many people need the kids at school so that they can work and keep a roof over their heads.

In Australia it costs $50 to visit a GP. There are still some GP’s that bulk bill anyone that shows up but there are some that only bulk bill people with a special govt health card (only the poor get those). Some GP‘s don’t charge for consults with children.

I can choose which GP I see. I can travel to other suburbs if I want to see a GP there. I can often get a same day appointment by booking online. I don’t have to justify my symptoms to a receptionist (like I hear happens in the UK). Occasionally I have shown up to my GP’s office when there has been something urgent.

I think that the NHS is completely broken. I had a friend years who lived in London would need to make multiple appointments if she had more than one thing wrong with her. In my country you can book online and request a longer appointment.

I’m concerned Australia becoming like the UK or the US in terms of healthcare.

In my opinion Doctor’s are absolutely entitled to earn well and to charge for their services. My concern is that Australia become like the US where insurance companies practice medicine - or the UK where GP’s won’t order blood tests because the NHS can’t afford to pay for it.

I prefer going to private hospitals for treatment. I’ve received excellent care in private and public hospitals - but I’ve also received terrible care from a public hospital wherein they scheduled me for emergency surgery on my pancreas when there was nothing wrong with my pancreas. Thankfully I was cognisant enough to challenge the surgeon as to why surgery on my pancreas (without a genuine reason) was not necessary. Turns out he had the wrong organ.

This has been discussed for years, remember it being a talking point when I was on MAT leave about 12 years ago on The Wright Stuff.

It’s a bad idea because some people don’t have £5 or £10 going spare so would put off going to see the GP until they got paid meaning they may get worse. Also to some people, this money means fuck all so they wouldn’t care about losing it.

I will never support a policy like this.

DH and I have never claimed income related benefits because he earns too much, however we have disabled children who I care for which means that I am unable to work. As a result of my lost career and the massive costs of accomodating disabilities (equipment, therapy that the council won't pay for etc), we have frequently struggled financially.

There are definitely times when I've been to the GP, where a £5 charge would have made me think "oh forget it, it's probably nothing anyway". Because it's hard enough to find the time to go, let alone the money to pay. One of these times in particular, it would have had potentially very disastrous consequences for my family.

As for charging for no shows, I also don't agree with that. It would disproportionately affect disabled people, single parents and carers (and therefore women).

Instead of quick fixes and a punitive response, we need to look at why people are missing appointments and then address the root cause.

This. But a Govt has to have the courage to do it AND the money is not to go to a private/for profit company or investment group as has happened with veterinary services. But the huffing/outrage there will be will keep MN going for years

That is because they habe an insurance based healthcare systems not feee at the point of service which is the basis of the NHS

i personally think we need to move over to this type of system as the NHS is broken but we keep being told that it’s great having a free at the point of service healthcare system. It’s not greet it’s shockingly poor service we should expect better and deserve better

but it will mean we shall pay more and the problem is at the moment is so many people just can’t pay more and those who can feel all they are doing is paying more of their money to the government

I think it should be free BUT if there was a scheme where you had to pay it should be :

1. very low cost
2. similar to prescription where you can buy a yearly prepayment certificate that saves you money
3. GP surgeries all open 7 days a week

Won’t happen because people would just choose to homeschool.

Have you seen birth rates? Schools are closing or merging due to lack of numbers because young people are not having dc. Previous generations were the ones who had them regardless whether they could afford them!

It would be disastrous.

I've spent this week acknowledging one of my department will be late/finishing early / shifting their lunch because they are on a 2 week cancer diagnostic route. It's looking like not cancer, but should they really be paying for appointment after appointment?
I'm also negotiating another person pulling forward some of next years leave because 2 weeks off plus a string of prescriptions has left them totally skint.

Criticising? All I said was where did you get your information for this.

Absolutely! I'm asthmatic and unfortunately more likely to not only get everyone's just a cold but for those to affect my asthma and develop into a chest infection which in turns niggles the asthma.

Last Tues night I had a mild attack randomly out the blue. Saw GP on Wednesday as im supposed to. All good thought was a one off as nothing flagging. Had another that night so again seen again Thursday and started steroids. Friday night on phone to 111 as another one. Seen early Saturday and I did have a chest infection flagged so got antibiotics. Wednesday called GPs as didn't think they were fully working and was seen again. I was correct and got different antibiotics.

Now ive got a med review to see if current treatment/inhalers is working for me (normal after an attack) on Monday.

If i had to pay £5 per GP visit it would cost me £25 just to breathe post asthma attack/chest infection.

I have to do that then maybe people can wear a mask when they have germs and stopping being grotty and passing them on. Ahh didn't think so

Absolutely. Id love to pay only £5 for the doctor. In Ireland we pay €60 for every appointment, maybe even €70 now. Very low income earners can get a GP visit card but im on the lower end of a normal income so I cant get one and the fee is quite prohibitive. I would like to see a lower fee but I do think a small fee is a good idea.

Why should your husband and kids be exempt?
Everyone uses the service everyone pays no exceptions. Should be like that for everything

Hello Rachel.

I am in favour of paying something, as is seen in many other countries. I would go so far as paying this sum at the time the appointment is made. If you cancel 24 hours ahead it’s reimbursed, but if you miss an appointment - tough.

There’s little point or economy in trying to collect from no-shows after the fact.

Children should always be free, but given the volume of elderly at my surgery, I think they should pay too, and get a refund if they are on low income.

Yes, seems a good idea, also I think parents should pay an annual service charge for the state school their kids attend, duplicated for each child. This would help people moderate the number of kids they can afford, too many take from the state and don’t contribute sufficiently.

I’d like to back up the posters you’re criticising. I’ve got elderly relatives that are constantly up the surgery or the hospital for things like a ‘pain in the knee’ and ‘had a funny turn after eating a boiled egg’. Some even manage to get MRIs, various scans, blood tests. It must cost the NHS a bomb. Each time they get a non-diagnosis of ‘You’re old’. It’s like ‘being a patient’ is their MO. They love the way the family rallies round each time there’s a scare. Tbh it gets tiresome.