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

Yes, me too. I’m overweight and I was there in the past with torn ligaments in my ankle and bruising to the bone after an earlier fracture. (I toppled over on a trampoline!). It’s depressing to think someone would have been looking at me, judging me about my weight! Some people are just too interested in judging other people.

Yep, it just proves how judgemental some people are. I would be looking at the lady with the takeaway and wondering where she got it from and could I get some too. My local A&E has a vending machine, and that is it. Nothing healthy in it either, so I imagine PP would be judging for people eating a packet of crisps too.
I broke my foot when I rolled on my ankle when I misjudged the last step on the stairs in my home (I think most people have done that... takes your breath away). Obviously my fault for not living in a bungalow.

The support staff work for the private hospital. I very much doubt a consultant would be working overtime for the NHS whether they did private work or not. There’s no limit on the number of hours they can work.

Another clueless post. Going to vote reform are we?

"When I am in A&E, I don't give a shit about the other people there"
Really?

I don't think they will. What will happen is that Reform will get in at the next election and privatise the NHS by stealth. What am I saying? It won't be by stealth at all. You get what you vote for.

I don't think you can make sweeping statements like this about an entire country's healthcare. Yes, as in most countries, our healthcare is better in the cities, and a lot more needs to be done to support rural Australia. But the actual system works an awful lot better than the UK one, in my fairly extensive experience.

Some systems do what you're talking about, from what I'm told about them, they do most things at a very, very basic level, and the older legacy systems they replace are more comprehensive, but they lack the integration between other systems.

Cost-wise, we're probably talking 120-150 million plus based on a 10-year contract for a medium-sized Trust. There are over 200 NHS Trusts across the UK.

Not many private hospitals use such a system, you could argue there's no need as economies of scale and all that. But they are also a business and as such have to report back to their shareholders why they think it's a good idea that revenue is now down 30, 40, 50 million pounds, so patients can have better joined-up care.

It clearly does not work any better, it sounds a whole lot worse! Did you even read the article?

“A once-revered universal healthcare system is crumbling at every level, sometimes barely getting by on the sheer willpower of doctors and local communities.”
As a result, more and more Australians, regardless of where they live, are delaying or going without the care they need.
Health has become a defining issue for voters ahead of the nation's election on 3 May, with both of Australia's major parties promising billions of dollars in additional funding.”

How does that sound "a whole lot worse" than the numerous posts on MN detailing shocking care (or non care) that many people have received from the NHS?

We already do pay.
If DH and I paid the amount of contributions we make to the NHS every month in the US, we would have top class health care.
I know we are subsidising everyone else but let's not pretend the NHS is free, it really isn't, it's massively expensive and quite wasteful.
We should definitely charge for missed appointments though.

If you read the article it’s clear the situation in Australia is a whole lot more dire. We have to wait at A&E and for some other things. New IT and triaging is being brought in to remedy this which will take time to bed down. Looking at what we receive bar some niggling waits and triage grumbles it’s a whole lot better. We get care and a lot of it very quickly.

Are you sure about that? The average cost of insurance in America is $8000 per year for a single person, and then that wouldn't cover everything.

Only approx 20-25% of NI contributions go towards the NHS, to hit the same level of funding for private health care in the USA, you'd have to earn 1.7 million pounds each. If your household income is 3.4 million, I'd hazard a guess that wherever you work would have one of the best private insurance policies available.

You are deluded. I don't need to read the article, but you need to read some of the posts on this thread about the lack of care people have received.

Lucky you. Mine has gone private only now so I'll be cancelling my check up as I can't afford it. They emailed me recently to remind me to book a hygienist appointment, at £104 that won't be happening.

EasternStandard · 28/07/2025 15:26
Labour are in power now so we’ll see how they do with the economy by the time they leave. Borrowing and taxes up so far.
-====================

Zero chance they will be given 14 years like your lot

'Labour are already toast.

Despite brining in right leaning policies in theory that you would approve of!

'We need Reform at the next election'

Farage promised Brexit would fix his perceived problems. Has it ! He did not predilect that this was contingent upon his party getting he said his work was done

Where was that that £250m per day for the NHS!

Don’t worry about the missing £250m. Just rejoice in the fact that many of our poorer towns have lost their European funding. 😫 And we are controlling our borders now, oh hold on a minute…

At least we have longer passport queues! The UK may have negotiated e-gates in mainland Europe but the Brexit agreement still means your passport must be stamped on entering a EU country.

Irony intended before anyone jumps down my throat.

Omg you sound barbaric.

Why would I?
I am there because I need help. The reason is usually MH for me. The last thing I am doing is looking around and judging other people. I am trying to stop panicking and hoping I don't get sectioned.

That sounds rough. 😥And I agree, I think people should focus on their own problems when they're in A&E. People are almost always in some kind of vulnerable state or they wouldn't be there. If someone offers a kind word, obviously that is nice and I will thank them. But did I really want the whole waiting room gawping at me as unfortunately they did when I was sitting at the front of the room having fractured my shoulder in two places, and virtually every movement was causing me to cry out in agony? No, I really didn't.

Sorry I was actually being sarcastic 😅 there are loads of dentist in my town claiming they take NHS patients but when you ASK it's like oooh no spaces right now sorry one said because I used to be registered with them 20 years ago left the area and returned I was no longer allowed on their waiting list my one in the next town is honestly quite good just awkward to get too

I mean sure we could IF you wanted to knacker our economy.

What will happen is rich people will benefit from better treatment - this means poor people will suffer and disparities have a huge financial cost to the taxpayer. It also means hard up people won’t seek treatment, and down the road this will cost A LOT more than the £20 the NHS would have got had they just attended.

not to mention people with chronic illnesses who are always using services will also suffer a bigger disparity - it’s hard enough for these people as it’s why do you want to make life harder?

TBH I don’t think people in a position of privilege should make decision that will mean very little to them but could be absolutely dire for people living in poverty. Leave the money side to economists. Or, you know, non-dickheads with a higher IQ

And how’s that going for them?

The NHS isn’t actually free we pay NHS contributions! Instead of fuelling wars they could put that money into the NHS!

Ooops, sorry!

My dentist himself is lovely but is now private only, only works there 2 days a week and you can't park outside before 10am due to parking restrictions! I've looked at changing but can't find an NHS dentist and a lot of the private ones have waiting lists.