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.

Being in work doesn't automatically make people well off and easily able to afford the basics - as clearly shown by the huge number of people in employment who still rely on UC to make ends meet every month.

I think it’s a perfectly good idea. As you say, the really poor shouldn’t have to pay - but yes, plenty of people can afford it.

Saying that, with 9 million people ‘economically inactive’ - many due to health reasons - the first problem would be that the majority of people who need care would not be able to pay and it would function as a tax on the Very Squeezed Middle.

So while I approve in theory, the government would need to stop squeezing businesses and making employment too expensive for them and encourage some people back into employment before it would be fair.

Many people don't have a spare £10. It's fine saying they can claim it back but if they don't have the money in the first place they carnt go. This will put many vulnerable people at risk

I think 6 free visits per annum should discover most things where the GP is on the ball and refers for comprehensive tests.

The battle is probably not with GP, but with hospital/laboratory diagnostics which would remain free for everyone.

I mean the reason we can’t all get appointments is because GPs surgeries are over stretched. So add payments to their workload. Sounds an utter disaster to me.

Wouldn’t make any money. Most of the people who come into work are from your exempt list.

Or an undiagnosed condition with multiple symptoms but you can only discuss one per appointment, as is current practice.

I agree. I think those who take an appointment and don't turn up (not the odd time but more than once, say) should be made to pay. It might make them think twice.
And health tourism is already not allowed, it's just that some NHS trusts can't be bothered to try to police it properly. Which astounds me.

Not an easy option - a quantity of people arriving illegally have communicable diseases like TB and other health conditions acquired over a couple of years - or a lifetime - of living pretty rough. Plus conditions much more prevalent in their places of origin but unusual (trickier to diagnose and treat) to UK medics. Plus needs for interpreters. The NHS is a massive pull factor for all immigrants, not just health tourists. So policing health tourism is just another layer of admin we probably don’t have capacity for.

No.

It'll only be the working poor who pay.
The wealthy already pay £50 to see a private GP rather than go through the NHS version of GPs.

I spend zero on take away coffees, and I wouldn't be able to swap a latte for a GP appointment. I know many can, but equally many can't. It just will put people off seeing the GP sooner rather than later and cost far more in the long term.

60 is not a pensioner though is it?

I work as a Community Nurse, I cannot tell how many people stock pile medications. I have been in so many houses where I have had to throw bags and bags of meds away because they are out of date. Many folk have repeat scripts issued every month on rotation - this has to stop it is an outrageous waste.

I also agree everyone should be paying for prescriptions - buy a medical card if you have to each year to keep costs down.

YANBU at all. It should be £25 per appointment, excluding under 18s.

and if you can't afford it?

The point isn't to make money, that would be an added bonus. It is to make sure people think before they book - do they actually need an appointment and are they going to turn up. The amount of wasted money and resource in the NHS because of missed or unnecessary appointments is enormous.

I addressed the point where you said 'a free health service is vital'. It isn't. The vast majority of countries in this world don't have a free service but often perform better than we do. That's not an opinion, it's a fact.

Most can. If you're very low income perhaps a few free a year.

To be honest we give everything for free then still claim no one can afford a thing. If we want to survive as a country we have to change things.

Ah so it’s again the bloody squashed workers/middle who get fucked? Those on benefits get it for free… those who’re wealthy enough won’t miss the charge.
can imagine they’re the only people who re advocating this. The ‘I’m alright Jack, I can afford it, or I’m alright Jack I won’t have to pay!’

And if you've requested to cancel the appointment and are marked as did not attend, what happens?

I received a letter from the hospital saying I’d missed an appointment. I hadn’t. They hadn’t informed me.

Everyone should have to pay £10 to see their GP. If they turn up the appointment they get the £10 back. If you turn up but it's something that could have been sorted by a Pharmacist you don't get her the £10 back. If you are rude to the surgery staff you don't get the £10 back. Etc.

I asked the pharmacist a question they said see your GP. When I asked the GP they referred me back to the pharmacist.

I also think that a charge will put people off going. And ultimately worsen outcomes as many will delay.

Do you have many missed appointments out of interest? I’m not pro-paying particularly but I can see it might be better than the whole thing collapsing into a private model.

Oh sorry, I forgot your wonderful free healthcare system means you are the healthiest nation on earth, no-one receives sub standard care and that absolutely no-one is let down! Our life expectancy figures look better than yours btw.

Look at all the people visiting A & E with the most trivial complaints - why are they doing that if your free GPs are so wonderful? Why does it seem so difficult to make a GP appointment there? Our health system is far from perfect but I would take it any day over yours.

Again though, it completely ignores the fact that some people have no choice but to use GP's more as they are disabled and/or have a chronic health condition.

It makes yet another thing about disability/medical condition more expensive.