It wouldn’t be a bad idea if we paid for GP appointments?

[Babybear260]

I’m no economist or politician but it occurred to be that if everyone (or the majority of the populn excluding students, under 18,s , pensioners and very low income households) paid, I don’t know ~£5 every time they saw a GP, could that improve the NHS?

I know many, many people that spend twice that a week on lattes and cappuccinos (including myself) so I wonder whether if the majority of the population could stump £5 per appointment it would help?? Because most people aren’t seeing GP’s weekly so surely people wouldn’t mind contributing?

sure people have thought of this before and there must be a reason why it wouldn’t work because obviously if if did, it would be an option.

The other side of this is that if we were paying we would feel justified in raising our expectations: asking the doc to listen properly, give a long enough appointment to deal with our problems, speedy referrals. In other words we would make the same demands as private patients.

You have no idea why someone is sat in a waiting room. Also you need to be triaged now to even get to that waiting room

I haven't read the entire thread (but I will!). Anecdotally it is said that some people use the GP for a pastime, and will go for the "outing" and for trivial matters". I said anecdotally.

I've often thought that instead of free GP all day every day, that everyone should be allocated a number of free visits every year, say four or six whatever. Then anything after that is charged unless it is follow up for a complaint discovered at one of the free visits.

I suspect the people who would be exempt from charges are pretty much the same people who are most likely to make unnecessary appointments or miss appointments now. So charging wouldn't really help much. It would just put off those who fall through benefits gaps etc at the moment.

In Ireland, we pay €60 per GP visit, €25 to the nurse for bloods if needed. Its 100 euro for a and e if you go directly not going through the GP.

It should always be free at point of contact.

I've often thought they should put donation boxes in hospitals, GP surgeries etc. I'm sure many people would donate willingly.

Which would single out those who are disabled, with chronic health conditions etc and have no choice but to use the GP regularly.

I don’t agree with paying to see, however I do agree with being fined if you don’t turn up, or cancel same day (unless there’s a bloody good reason)

there was a post on here recently where someone had half the appointments she was to see cancelled and some comments when asked why where it’s stopped raining and I needed totake the dog out!

presence of chronic conditions

This kind of dents your 'worried well' theory, I'd have said...

I don’t think you’ve thought this through.

There may be times where someone is on a low income and can’t prove it but may need to see a doctor. For example, getting a fit note. At the point they get the fit note, they may not be eligible for benefits or for sick pay…cause the fit note may be required first before any of that kicks in. So you may validly get someone unwell, with no projected income needing a fit note from their GP and not being able to afford the appointment fee. You obviously say someone’s last £5 should be spent on food as opposed to GP fees.

How's that worked out for NHS dental provision?

The exempt from payment people you mention in your OP are the vast majority of customers at the GP so hardly any appointments would end up being paid for anyway.

No. A free NHS is vital to the health of the nation. Any charges incurred always result in poorer outcomes. We already have people not collecting medications because they can't afford prescription charges, skipping eye tests and not updating their glasses, making them a risk on the roads, and for many people the dentist is only an option when the pain is unbearable and the tooth can't be saved.
It will also be another means to make people with disabilities and long term health conditions worse off than those more fortunate with their health.
GPs will no doubt prioritise the patients paying extra, over the already paid for, just as they prioritise other things that bring in money. You can't get an appointment for weeks at mine but I could rock up for a flu Jab or an incenticised 'screening' tomorrow.
GPs should be the service that takes the load off more costly interventions. Start charging and people will be even more likely to go to A&E or call ambulances so it will be false economy.

That's simply not true. There are very, very few countries left that have a fully free health service and they work perfectly well, often better than the NHS. It is ridiculous to say a free heath service is 'vital to the health of the nation', it's not even close to being true.

They should charge £10 an appointment paid in advance and those on low income can then claim it back.

Those who don't show up then can't claim the cost back. This alone will save a fortune for the NHS.

The NHS is struggling and something needs to give.

But you say it yourself: However the majority of people still manage to access healthcare when they really need to

What about those who aren't in the majority?

Quite. Essential healthcare isn't a treat, like Alton Towers, where you get your share of the fun and then step aside for somebody else's turn.

It's ludicrous to say that everybody else gets the same allowance, whether they actually need or want it or not. It's like saying that somebody with type 1 diabetes can only have a third of the insulin pens that they need to be able to eat a normal and healthy diet, so that two other people who don't have diabetes can have 'their fair share' of the rest of the pens to puzzle over what on earth they're meant to do with these things.

Then you would need an appeal system for situations where people are simply too ill to go or circumstances have overtaken and they're in hospital.

Often people who are on low income and who are also ill or disabled are overwhelmed by life admin. This is putting an extra burdon on on those who are the most in need, to claim back the money. Or in the case of people who don't have capacity, on their families or carers.

Yes - whilst there undoubtedly are some willfully selfish people out there, I don't think some folk realise just how privileged they are when it comes to assuming deliberate negative behaviours on the part of many others.

I said that follow up for discovered conditions would be free. That would include chronic illnesses.

If ordinarily well people have used up their annual free allocation, then they pay per visit after that.

I think it's only Cuba now that has completely free healthcare, not sure. My suggestion might not work, but at least it's thinking of something. And something has to be repaired in the NHS.

Covid proved this is a bad idea

Covid stopped people seeking GP, esp vulnerable and elderly. They waited until conditions became advance that they had to seek urgent medical help - costing nhs more in treatment and services that wouldnt have happened with earlier access.

For people in work, yes I'm with this idea. Concessions for some demographics. yes but no government has the bottle to do anything like it..The NHS, and GP access will always be sacred.

Any comments on the points I've put forward about the impact of once free health services now being charged for in the UK? Or are you going to simply tell me I'm wrong without addressing the points that indicate I'm not?

What about people who have to battle for a diagnosis, often for months or even years, though? Or people who suffer from many different health issues, not all of which can be necessarily linked or ascribed to one central condition?

I think there's a fixed idea in a lot of people's heads that everybody is binary: either 'an ill person' to be pitied or 'a well person' who might have the occasional blip. It really isn't that simple.