“Each missed appointment costs the NHS £152”

[TronIsAnAwesomeCatName]

Ok. I normally steer clear of AIBU, and am prepared to be flamed here because many people seem to treat criticising the NHS as blasphemy. But AIBU to think that £152 for 10 mins with your GP is just extortionate? How the flip does it cost the NHS that much for the GP to sit there and talk to me, maybe examine me (rarely seems to happen tbh) type a few notes on their computer? A private GP offers 15 min appointments for £55.
How is the NHS spending £152???

It's an average, you might spend 10 mins but often I have blood tests, injections, referrals to other parts of the NHS.

From April to the end of May I have had / will have 3 hospital appointments, 2 consultant appointments and at least one physio appointment, three phone appointments and an online CBT course.

All these have been arranged by my GP. That's not just a few lines typed by the GP.

Reception staff do more than just click people in and answer to their queries. And, sorry, just because staff are human and having a chat is not the reason the NHS is in this state. Add together all those 'wasted' minutes, how much faster would the queue go? Honestly, you're focusing on the wrong thing IMO.

Reception staff do a lot more than click people in and out; but they still only cost about £1.30 per ten minutes. So I'm still not sure how admin costs add up to £152 for each missed appointment.

I would advise managers to try and visit departments, incognito, and just sit and watch.

Some of us do...

But one reason for having multiple receptionists is often because the IT systems may not be able to switch between clinic lists quickly (one hospital I know has only just switched off a DOS system and moved to a system optimised for Windows XP). Also, different medical specialties fall into different divisions, so although they may all appear to be just general receptionists, the one booking the patients in for ENT appointments may be employed by a different division to the one booking in the orthopaedic patients etc. and may not have access to the same clinic lists on their computer.

But let's face it, if there were fewer receptionists and the queue moved slower there would be just as many complaints, if not more. A mix of several receptionists and automated check in systems is the way to go imo.

If I want to see a specialist consultant outside of my insurance where i am its about £50 and theres no waot. A GP is £20. I.wouldnt ever depend on the NHS after living in other countries tries, including Bangladesh and Africa. Dental is affordable too. I don't really understand why people shouldn't be able to control their own health with their own money. The UK is a crappy model

Ok, fair enough. It just seems that the system could be paired down and run more efficiently.

I don't for 1 minute want the the NHS privatised but I do think the private sector is better at streamlining than public service organisations.

Things that just wouldn't be tolerated in business seem to be widespread in the public sector.

I've been involved in managing budgets in schools and the idea of getting value for money was just a foreign concept even a couple of years ago. These might seem like small savings but if you could make efficiencies in reception staff and could cut 30 receptionists to 29 (so just losing 1 post) that would save maybe £30,000 with on costs (not saying they earn £30,000 but including NI and pension contributions). Then multiply that across the NHS and then repeat with other efficiencies too. There has to be wastage in such a big organisation.

I think they say it in those terms because sadly, these days, they are the only terms people understand.

If they say : You missing an appointment and not bothering to let us know you aren't coming in time to offer it to someone else is selfish because it is denying the appointment to another patient and wasting everyone's time , then unfortunately many people's attitude will be a shrug of the shoulders and an "Am I bovvered?"

It's the same mindset that stops people finishing a course of antibiotics, or accepting a prescription for aspirin, the NHS is seen as a big free bowl of sweeties, help yourself, there's plenty more where that came from.

If the system is to survive in any semblance of its present state then there needs to be a huge shift in public perception of just what it is we have, what we risk losing, and how it is appropriate to pay for it. As a pp has said, the French system with a basic and adequate universal health system topped up by private insurance seems to have some merit.

And I bet there are far fewer missed appointments in Eire where they are charged for.