We need to start charging for NHS services

[Fragmentedbrain]

£15 for the GP
£20 for A&E
NHS routes to paid-for fast track treatment
Options to pay for nicer rooms

We need to stop putting working people on disability benefits for want of a functioning health service it's barbaric

Why should people on benefits or a low wage get it for free, I am absolutley sick of paying for things that these people get for free. What makes you think we can afford it ?

If you end up in A and E with an injury, isnt that what A and E is for. Speaking from a nurses point of view 🤔

We’ve afforded it for 80 years because we live in a civilised society. We need to maintain the best health possible on a societal level and that means those of us with the most money pay our share towards it.

I get the full state pension and nothing else, so I get the same as a pensioner topped up by Pension Credit. In your scenario, I would have to pay. Is that fair?

If you are going to pick on people consuming too much alcohol, are you also going to apply this to people overdosing on illegal drugs? Are you then going to extend this idea to smokers and people who do dangerous sports?

Ha! I have a chronic condition and even I can’t get a bloody appointment - when I finally get through I have to wait 3 bloody weeks by which time my meds will have run out.

if I was paying I would expect a bloody service!

I wonder if the admin costs would outweigh any savings though.

They would. People coming up with these “bright ideas” are woefully ignorant.

Not strictly true. Many working people get the enhanced rate of PIP mobility, so are eligible for a Motability vehicle.

The NHS needs to change (I was referred to colorectal last September and my first appointment with them isn’t until this November!) but charging for access isn’t the way to go. Just to cover the admin of charging you would need to charge far more than you are suggesting - and you would need an exemption scheme for those on a low income which would cost even more to administer.

What is actually need is better funding of preventive care and a reduction in waiting times - to stop conditions worsening and stacking up while people are on waiting lists.

Give up work and claim benefits then. The you can have the freebies too.

I work as an ANP in a GP walk in centre and I assure you that a lot of what we see every day is mild self limiting illness. They dont say it is for a cough or cold or splinter when they ring 111 to get an appointment, they say things like they have a chest infection or are struggling with their breathing which triggers the appointment it is only when you see them that it becomes very obvious it is a minor ailment that does not require the use of NHS time and resource
an example from last week-“ I have a terrible cough that won’t go and I have tried everything “
”when did it start?”
”yesterday”

How do you collect the money you’d need to employ cashier’s auditors etc etc cost more than what you would collect. What about I don’t have my CC on me etc

OP just move to America and pay for it all

How many people spend £10 a day on food? My son was in hospital for 10 months, I lost my job due to that and was struggling enough with the expenses of having a child in hospital long term plus the financial loss from losing my job.

I wouldn't have been able to afford £10 a day for food for 10 months.

What if you don't even have a CC or even a bank account?

Because healthcare in America is so great?

The NHS don't even budget £10 per day per patient for food anyway.

That's a point too. If they charged for food, I'd certainly expect much better quality than what my son was offered the majority of the time.

Towards the end before his discharge, he almost always had the jacket potato with either cheese or tuna because he learnt it was the only thing that stayed consistent whereas sometimes the pizza, chicken nuggets etc were fine but other times they were inedible.

And if they couldn't afford to pay they still wouldn't have an appointment. I don't know why you needed to capitalise half your comment.

And what happens to the skint & the skint oldies with health conditions that insurance won't cover? Are we supposed to just quietly die?

Probably. Pesky "useless eaters".

There is no free lunch, you pay through taxes or your savings. My Mother chose to have a routine knee replacement with one night in hospital and it cost 17k just because she didn’t want to wait 6 months. She is late 60s so could no longer get insurance. If you privatise some people will be ok but many will face financial ruin

This - miss appointments should incur a fine unless a very good reason

Then they should start charging differently. Back home we pay for health insurance, this is like 30-40EUR monthly. You get every appointment free, A&E, operations, everything. Majority of medicine too.
Whether you are working or not.
So this would help. EU systems are much better, but UK knows better and rather not follow anything.

Paid for fast track treatment..?!! Are you for real? I've been fast tracked for breast cancer diagnosis, I would have paid, I'm sure 100's wouldn't or may not afford it, you need to seriously either rethink or reword your post.