I am actually in floods over PoW news

[LindaPen]

But not the way you think.

DH was diagnosed with kidney cancer during lockdown. Had the kidney removed and there was talk of preventative chemotherapy. They decided he didn't need it. A year later he was dead.

I have often wondered (but tried not to think too hard about it) whether that decision would have been different if he'd been someone important, or treated privately and somehow this news has "proved" that. I should have fought for him.

Obviously wish PoW well, but this is hard 😪

GP’s pay a referral fee when they refer patients to other services.

I didn't know this !
Is it a lot of money ?

I can’t remember, I think it’s under a £100 and referrals can be rejected by that dept if they think it’s an inappropriate ref/not enough info.

Do you really think that about the Creator or are you jeering? From where have you learned your information about the Creator?

@LindaPen I am so, so sorry for your loss and I totally understand what you are saying. It really does seem so unfair. A very dear friend was diagnosed with a brain tumour some months back. The care he has received from the NHS has been truly shocking, in addition there has been so many extra delays in treatment due to strikes. On top of all of that, his work have now stopped paying him, adding yet more stress to an already difficult situation. I feel sorry for PoW, just as I would with anyone diagnosed with cancer, but she will never have to negotiate the horrors of the NHS or worry about how she will pay her mortgage, unlike my dear friend.

I think this is wrong but if not, hopefully someone will be along to correct me. The way l understand it is that GP surgeries are private businesses mostly run by GP Partners, contracted and paid by the NHS to provide primary care services to patients and to refer on to appropriate secondary care where necessary. Therefore, If GP’s were charged by the NHS for referring

patients it would have a negative effect on their business.

It’s not that GP practices themselves are charged fees for referrals to secondary care, but that those referrals obviously result in additional patient costs for the NHS. Second line clinicians can and do reject GP referrals, so GP’s have to consider whether a patients’ condition is outside the scope of primary care and make the most appropriate referral. I remember a news story a while back involving an NHS trust allegedly paying GP’s not to refer patients on, while systematically rejecting the referrals that were made.

Wonder where this is headed ?

That’s exactly the point of why they don’t refer on till your stage 4 though, They do pay for referrals, My GP said the hospital was trying to charge them twice when they “lost” my ref and I had to ring the consultants secretary saying my GP would not refer again & they sent me an appt.

Gp surgeries get paid a set amount by the nhs for your care. My understanding from my own work is that they get paid extra for minor surgery we used to do and screening we used to do as well (which is why they suddenly got very interested in keeping these things in house), then more for things like asthma checks, blood pressure monitoring, putting people on statins for the reduction in heart attacks/strokes, cervical smears.

When dh was first on antidepressants he saw his gp monthly as the dose took a while to get right, CPN had discharged him, the gp wasn’t earning for those appts though so one day she put he’d had an asthma check as well, that his asthma was well controlled with the symbicourt and ventolin. All lies and I was there with him but it earnt a bit of money for the practice. I could see it on his patient notes on system one. It looked good on their QOF too.

To a lot of us that would be fraud but to our GP it’s just another day a work.

GP’s aren’t directly charged for referring on - the cost of referral means the cost to the NHS of the secondary, consultant led treatment provided as a result of that referral. Not sure what you mean by stage 4 - l assume you’re referring to cancer. If so, that would mean the referral wouldn’t take place until the cancer had spread, which contradicts the arrangement for fast track referrals as soon as cancer is suspected.

I promise u that doesn't come into it. When I did a gp job earlier in training I was referring half of my case load in many shifts it isn't a factor in the decision, it's what we need to do

The problem with gp patients (which is why I could never be one and am in awe) is that its a balance of probabilities... most people visit for something that is totally nothing and won't ever become nothing. But a tiny of those portion that present non specifically with vague symptoms not barn door for anything sinister will have something bad unfortunately

Hence why safety netting is super important, when are told we think it's xyz but if anything changes/gets worse/doesn't improve u need to come back again

People need to start taking responsibility for their own health instead of blaming the free healthcare they get on the NHS. If they want top notch treatment, they can pay for it themselves. No didn't think so. I can imagine there would be a lot less negligence if the NHS wasn't so overworked and underfunded. Either pay for private healthcare or stop whining @dreamfield