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.

Disagree with this idea, as it would just penalise people with ongoing health issues, that need to see their GP regularly, particularly those with longterm health conditions, but aren't on benefits. However, would be in favour of a system where people could be charged for missing an appointment (without good reason).

In Ireland those with chronic conditions are covered under the Discretionary Medical Card, long term illness scheme and chronic disease management programme.

While it is expensive to visit the GP I would definitely choose this system over the current NHS as in my experience appointments etc are quicker and health outcomes are currently better than in the UK. That's saying a lot because the Irish system is far from perfect and I used to think the NHS was an ideal.

But I do understand when something has always been free people struggle to accept paying for it or new/different ways of claiming it. When the Irish govt tried to introduce water charges there was uproar and they had to roll back on it.

I personally support affordable healthcare over free healthcare. There should be an annual cap that health care can cost, if you can't afford it then social services/benefits office would assist. Same with medicine. I also would support NHS paying a small fee towards the usage of private GP so those who could afford it would have an incentive to do so.

That was a disgusting thing to say and you should be ashamed of yourself and your behaviour on this thread.

No one is telling you you are lucky to have a long work week, how bloody absurd. But if you're not chronically ill or disabled, yes you absolutely should count your blessings for that. And if people are getting the impression you resent the chronically ill/disabled, gee, I wonder where they got that impression?!

I'd be fascinated to know how you do expect those who are too unwell to work, and have to use the NHS a lot, to actually survive, because so far there hasn't been a single constructive suggestion from you on this thread.

I have 14 meds that I take on a daily basis. So that would mean I pay £14 every time I have to reorder?

Then anything acute is another charge?

I don't know if anyone else on here has been through trying different medicines until you find one you can tolerate or don't react to. I have, at the time I was working and the prescription charges do add up.

Two more points:

This would disadvantage women.

We go to the GP for contraception, problems with periods and various other 'female' health care.

The other is that overprescribing and hoarding of pills would get worse. When you see the GP and are prescribed something the GP will prescribe more, maybe 3 months' supply rather than a single month.

How does this work for those with chronic conditions? Until recently I rarely saw a gp but have been diagnosed with a heart irregularity so have seen them not this year than in the prior decade, I would also see my GP less if they ordered the correct blood tests the first time. So when I have to go back again because they realise they've missed one again do I have to pay again? What about pill checks, smear tests? Another tax on women?

We have this system in jersey. £40 thereabouts for an appointment at my gp (there are cheaper but harder to get appt) then you pay for prescriptions only for them to be written, costs for blood test, hospital referral etc

Hospital treatment is free.

It does tend to mean it's easier to get an appt however people do tend to wait until they are definitely ill before booking. There is a subsidy for those on income support

I have a chronic condition
It gets expensive quickly

And I do work btw and already pay higher rate tax

I'd largely agree with you, except our current system isn't working. Not enough appointments and treatment is a postcode lottery. I believe there should be an exemption/ discount for chronic conditions and birth control.

Can they afford any prescriptions they need?

No - that’s why exemption certificates apply?

I believe 95% of prescribing are dispensed free of charge.

I see that nobody seems to want to respond to the posters who point out that almost every other country in the world charges.

Their health systems also seem to give a better service.

It would be a terrible idea- another step towards privatising healthcare, put people off going which would cost the NHS more in the long run, and penalise those who can’t afford it.
it’d also creep up in cost … we’d end up with a 2-tier service. I say this as someone who could afford it too.

I would want a better service before i started paying more for it, and also to know exactly where my money is going. NHS pisses money up the wall.

I would also consider the adverse effect on women compared to men.

Women may need to visit the GP for more issues related to contraception, periods, pregnancy/postpartum issues and menopause.

Then it could be considered as part of a wider restructure but probably not as a standalone project.

I agree with charging obvious timewasters though like missed appointments.

I do agree that as a stand alone policy it might not be the best. People are fed up enough as it is but we do have to make changes and moving towards a European model does seem the way to go for me.

I do think that people generally don't tend to show much respect for things which appear to be free but the NHS is far from free, for people who pay tax anyway.

How can you possibly know that it works for everybody in all of these countries? How many languages do you speak and how much travelling do you do to speak to a proper representative sample in all of them?

It might work well for the majority, but what about the rest?

The USA is supposedly the richest country in the world, yet millions of people there are cut off from essential healthcare and either have to suffer or die as a result.

Why so snooty about us in the UK wanting our own system for ourselves? Nobody here is telling other countries that they shouldn't choose how they do things for themselves. We are indeed 'special' in the sense that every country is special - it doesn't make us arrogant for wanting ti make our own decisions for us. Are the French arrogant for insisting on speaking French in their country and not switching the national language to English, because 'they think they're special'?

Several posters have explained the system in Ireland. Gp visits are charged but if you have a low income, or fall into certain categories (e.g child under 8, adult over 70) then you are entitled to either a medical card or a gp visit card. Medical card covers prescriptions, apart from a charge of €1 per item for over 70s €1.50 per item for everyone else. Prescription charges capped at €10 per month.

people with long term illnesses e.g. diabetes can apply for a long term illness card - all medication for that condition is then free.

everyone is entitled to to apply for the drug payment scheme which is capped at €80 per month per family.

breastcheck and smear test are free.

Public hospital appointments are free.

inpatient public hospital stays are free.

covid vaccines are free as are flu vaccines to vulnerable groups. As far as I’m aware anyone can get a Covid vaccine free if they want one.

approx. 46% of the population has private health insurance - this means there is a two tier system where those with insurance can get quicker access to consultant care, which many people find unfair. The flip side is private patients aren’t taking up spaces on waiting lists for the public system. Also the hse (health service executive, public system) often purchases private care to cut down waiting lists.

the system is very, very far from perfect. It has a lot of problems and can still be expensive for people - but OECD statistics show Ireland performs better than the OECD average on 8 out of 10 key indicators as opposed to the UK which performs better on 5 out of 10 key indicators.

edited to add prescribe contraception and hrt is also free

They seem to give a better service? How can you possibly know how well their own systems work for everybody in their country?

The NHS is very far from perfect, but that doesn't automatically make every other country's health systems a universal arcadia for their whole populations.

They definitely aren't all giving a better service. Even the Australian system is crumbling and people are being priced out of medical care. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

This would be a brilliant.
id also add in, if you miss an appointment it doesn't come off your £115. Any missed appointment is on top.

And if the reason for missing the appointment isn't your fault? So many people on here have said that letters haven't arrived on time so they don't even know about their appointments

Where did I say it worked for everybody?

You in the UK can have your own system for yourself, you can do whatever you like. However if it is so wonderful then why is MN full of posts from people who have been failed, badly failed in many cases, by this wonderful system? God knows, our own system is in crisis, but I rarely hear anything like the horror stories I see on here. Your current system seems to be badly flawed, but if that's what you want then good for you. As a nation you seem so blind to its faults - how many times do we see the good old the NHS is the envy of the world spouted on here. I can assure you, it really isn't.

(p.s. - there is much more to the world than just the UK and the US)