To think the difficulty in seeing a GP is a plan to erode NHS treatment by stealth

[DuckyMcDuck]

It is still impossible to get an appointment at our GPs so over the last couple of weeks we have had to pay for appointment to a) check my ears for ear wax and b) to pay a podiatrist to sort out of DS's ingrowing toenail (as he was in a lot of pain and they said it would be at least a months wait for a referral)

Both cost us over £100, now we are lucky we can pay for it but AIBU to think these are treatments that should have been sorted by a GPs visit.

@Intercity225

In addition, GPs are now catching up with serious illness such as cancer...but you want your ears checked for earwax so I just can't understand why the GP didn't prioritise you over possible cancer cases???

Apparently, I have a tiny canal in my left ear, and it is now getting completely blocked by ear wax every 3 months. When it is blocked, I suffer tinnitus, hearing loss and a feeling of pressure in my ear - it drives me bonkers, and really affects the quality of my life! It may not be as serious as cancer, but GPs don't just deal with cancer all day; and I believe I should be able to get treatment for my blocked ear on the NHS, rather than having to pay for 2 sessions of micro suctioning every 3 months.

If not, we would like a rebate on the tax DH pays (and DH has been a higher rate tax payer for over 30 years), so we can pay for private health care.

Oooh a higher rate tax payer!

So am I and yet I have zero issues paying my taxes

IF all the... Just higher rate taxpayers? Rebates on the whole amount that goes to NHS? Or just for the cost of the ear thing?

Some people don't use NHS services much at all. Should they all get rebates?

That's mainly younger people- so maybe only older people and those who have chronic conditions/ have had babies etc should pay?

That's massively less funding. And setting up and running the rebate system you propose would take a good chunk of it, very complex.

Your DH is self employed? He could get private healthcare for the family. Shame doesn't work for a decent company- loads have it as a standard benefit now.

And you want all of this done because of your ear, just for that reason. For you. And DH. As you WANT the whole system completely overhauled at vast expense.

You really see that as totally reasonable?!

Some data from ONS. Us v Europe

Note the level of tax in some countries known to have good accessible healthcare.

'Main points
In 2017, the UK spent £2,989 per person on healthcare, which was around the median for members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: OECD (£2,913 per person).

However, of the G7 group of large, developed economies, UK healthcare spending per person was the second-lowest, with the highest spenders being France (£3,737), Germany (£4,432) and the United States (£7,736).

As a percentage of GDP, UK healthcare spending fell from 9.8% in 2013 to 9.6% in 2017, while healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP rose for four of the remaining six G7 countries.

The UK’s publicly funded NHS-based health system contributes to the UK having one of the highest shares of publicly funded healthcare (79%) in the OECD.

In 2017, the UK spent the equivalent of £560 per person on health-related long-term care, which was less than most other northern or western European countries, but a similar amount to France (£569) and Canada (£556).'

Sorry g7 maybe.

USA system no fucking way thanks.

Harvard-

'The study confirmed that the U.S. has substantially higher spending, worse population health outcomes, and worse access to care than other wealthy countries. For example, in 2016, the U.S. spent 17.8 percent of its gross domestic product on health care, while other countries ranged from 9.6 percent (Australia) to 12.4 percent (Switzerland). Life expectancy in the U.S. was the lowest of all 11 countries in the study, at 78.8 years; the range for other countries was 80.7 to 83.9 years. The proportion of the U.S. population with health insurance was 90 percent, lower than all the other countries, which ranged from 99 to 100 percent coverage.'

Gps are still seeing patients if necessary. My 20 year old child had abdominal pain and was seen promptly the same day and advised to attend a&e.

Both your concerns did not have to be done with the Gp. Some areas have self referral for things like podiatry appointments and for checking for ear wax. In most practices it’s the nurses who do this. If the wax needs syringing it’s would be the treatment room nurse.
This can also be done via self referral in many a few areas now or buying over the counter olive oil ear drops from the chemist. These are neither things that the GP needs to urgently see you for

No wonder people can't get doctors appointments if they're being taken up by people wanting the dr to check their ears for ear wax...

What is wrong with the OP wanting treatment for her ears? I agree, see in nurse would have been fine but beyond than don't see the problem. Likewise her feet. Neither of these problems might have needed a doctor but I have absolutely no problem with NHS treatment for them.

The bigger issue is lack of accountability for our own health. How many people exercise regularly, eat 7 lots of fruit and veg, only drink alcohol on occasion and have a healthy BMI? So many issues are preventable.

Re the ingrowing toenail. DD had one. It really kicked off when she was about 13/14. Dr prescribed AB's. I took dd to a podiatrist/chiropodist privately - NHS referral was not possible. Podiatrist did a bit of snipping but the nail bed was very wide and splayed and it wasn't enough and she referred DD for minor surgery with a general surgeon with an interest in children. A specialist paediatric nurse had to be brought into the hospital for it. It needed doing but it wouldn't have been done on the NHS and that was 10 years ago.

If we hadn't paid privately dd would have been left to let it flare up once a year or more and then treated for the flare up rather than the problem.

@bakedbeans at my surgery, while they still did ear syringing, you weren't allowed to book the appointment with the nurse unless the Dr had looked at your ears and said it was necessary.

My GP already operates what is effectively a two tier system. For those whom he knows are well off, and/or with private medical, everything is done by phone and on line, and specific medical issues are advised to book privately including: ears, eyes, moles, physio, mental health, etc etc. And of course we pay full prescription price on any prescription medication.

Essentially I don't have a problem with this. We can afford to pay, we should, it frees NHS up for others who can't.

We have on occasion also gone to private GP's for chronic issues, which NHS GP's just don't have the time for, specifically mental health and Lyme.

@Katefoster

No wonder people can't get doctors appointments if they're being taken up by people wanting the dr to check their ears for ear wax...

This is a really stupid statement. Impacted ear wax can be miserable. What do you suggest people do if they've tried drops and are still struggling to hear? 🤔