Would you pay to see the doctor?

[justasking111]

The IMF has said that the government will need to raise taxes. One way is NHS charges. This will be means tested I should add. It's being covered in the financial times, telegraph and others but hidden behind a pay wall. I don't know how to archive, if anyone else does please do.

I don't know which one I would choose, it's a thorny problem.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/07/25/raise-taxes-working-people-charge-for-nhs-imf/

The appointment letters thing is mad. The NHS must waste so much money sending letters. I am currently having private physio sessions and I sat down yesterday with my physio and he booked the appointments in his tablet and it immediately sent me email invites that went in to my diary. I also get auto text reminders of the appointment or any changes 2 days before.

My dentist, manicurist and hairdresssr use similar systems.

Why the NHS can't use systems that most small businesses adopted several years ago astounds me.

We already do. It became extremely difficult to get a GP appointment here so we now use a private GP. Obviously the cost is a drawback, but we get to see a GP the same day, without spending an hour and a half in a phone queue which we often got cut off from and then more often than not being told no appointments, call tomorrow, from a receptionist with a poor attitude. We have private health insurance to cover other things. If paying for NHS appointments meant the service was good, and was cheaper, yes, I’d do it. I don’t think it’s a good thing overall though, it may mean that some people don’t see a doctor when very much needed. I already know people who don’t use the dentist due to costs and it could be a disaster if that happened with doctors. Friends in the NHS all agree that the issue isn’t lack of money, but mismanagement.

But i wouldn't call someone having a stroke as mobile but yes category 2 aswell.

My mum had a stroke & was mobile. I'm glad you agree though

Absolutely i would of sued the nhs multiple times if I was directly paying for the service and wasnt getting refunds when they fucked up.

People waiting hours for ambulances dont need ambulances.

Very different to your previous statement to only call an ambulance if you are near death (not breathing) & immobile. Plus I have read about elderly people who have fallen & are immobile but have waited hours for ambulances..

Really i didn't know that with strokes I assumed it would effect balance and movement. But absolutely stroke patients should get ambulances.

I do pay, haven't been to my GP in ages as it was much easier to pay £35.00 every six months and get my contraception with a quick consultation with an online pharmacy. I could do my blood pressure at home.

Id rather not pay as someone who gets paid a pittance to be school support staff.

However, Like easyjet and ryanair I’d happily pay a premium of £10 to get an early morning appointment before 10am or one after 4pm. Working in a schools is a nightmare for getting time off term time and when I get one of those elusive appointments the place is packed with elderly pensioners. So have X number of free, Y number of premium time. If Y appointments not all booked by 9am they become free emergency on the day appointments.

Surely it would be everyone would pay other than those with exemptions so no one should be getting a priority appointment.

But they wouldn't have to wait hours if people including 111 didn't misuse ambulances. When I was offered an ambulance last week it was because I hurt my arm that is beyond ridiculous I got a taxi and I was in and out under 6 hours I would if still been waiting for that ambulance in that time frame and rightly so as it wasnt needed

The point is the system could afford to provide better service if we all paid.

Really i didn't know that with strokes I assumed it would effect balance and movement. But absolutely stroke patients should get ambulances.

It can affect movement, it doesn't necessarily mean immobile though.

This is the issue i dont see how the nhs would be any different if we paid because I dont think gp surgeries are gatekeeping appointments to be arseholes. Paying a tenner when everyone is paying a tenner would make no difference. And drs arent all of a sudden going to become significantly better at their Jobs and suddenly be capable of listening.

I think if you miss an appointment you should pay a small amount.

I’m also on the fence. I can see how it sounds like a good idea and in some ways I wouldn’t object to paying providing it was a fairly minimal amount eg £10-15. But the problem arises when you need to see the GP regularly for more serious conditions… should that person have to pay for every visit? It seems rather unfair then. And would a phone call from a GP also be charged for? I definitely don’t think we should pay for hospital appointments/ treatments that really would be a slippery slope into prioritising the health of the wealthy.

But they wouldn't have to wait hours if people including 111 didn't misuse ambulances.

I have called a few ambulances & fortunately never waited long as they were genuine emergencies. I haven't argued that some people don't call out ambulances unnecessarily. I just made the point that you don't need to be immobile and not breathing to need an ambulance...

My GPs sometimes run pretty late but it’s because the appointments are not long enough for some things. I’m incredibly grateful as it included me once attending to say my MH wasn’t good to a listening GP getting me to explain I was suicidal.

If the next patient was paying and behind me would they get a refund- the delay could mean they are late for work or even leave without being seen to pick up the children. I’d feel even more guilty then I did passing the others waiting on my way out

I presumed means testing took account of those things. I agree with you that sizeable assets ought to be included as taxable.

They have plenty of money. Its like a money pit. The problem is they waste a significant amount because its badly run

Yea but I would want more than 5 minutes and 1 problem per consultation

The new Winter Fuel Allowance rules will be purely based on income.

I presumed means testing took account of those things

means testing doesn't usually account for things like house value.

If your not waiting hours for an ambulance you are using the service correctly. But your still not answering in what situation where you breathing and mobile that you would need an ambulance

The new Winter Fuel Allowance rules will be purely based on income.

and a household can earn up to 69k and be eligible I think.

@youalright I answered that, scroll back.