Charging £25 to see a doctor....

[cantheyseeme]

What does everyone think about this stuff in the news today? would you pay?

If there's a workable way of doing it - i.e so that patients with known on-going conditions are exempt - then I don't think it's such a terrible idea.

There are so many no-shows at surgeries every day and so many time wasters.

I know people who get a cold and make an appointment with the their GP - if you ask them why they just say 'well they might be able to give me something.' Yes, something you can buy over the counter in Boots.

If it weeds out idiots and time wasters and saves the NHS shed loads of money then I'm for it.

I also think ambulance calling time wasters should be heavily fined.

Half the time I thnk charging is a great idea, the rest of the time, of course it's daft...

BUT reality is we needs to cut down those who don't attend, and those who don't self manage apropriately,attend for non medical reasons (how can the GP fix your work/relationship/finance problems?) or don't follow instructions and are back again because " it isn't mended"

We are in Adelaide, so I know we pay less than some places. But yeah, it isn't bad. My dr knows me (he treats the whole family), so always bulk bills :)

But script charges can be a killer..

A GP friend told me ages ago that if they could charge just £1 per patient, it would cut out a considerable number of time wasters who just rock up to the surgery for a chat.

£25 is half my weekly food budget. I have two asthmatic children. We're going to fucking starve if this is brought into practice.

Yes, we have, on the whole, accepted paying for eye tests and dental treatment, but the working poor aren't paying for it because they have STOPPED GOING TO THE DENTIST AND OPTICIAN! My mother and sister haven't been to the dentist since my sister left school and mum lost the tax credits. Neither are eligible for an nhs card. My sister desperately needs glasses, and has stopped driving because of this, and I suppose if I forced the issue, she would go but she's put off by the price. My mother needs new dentures, hers dont fit her.

If there had been a £25 charge for the doctor, the pain in my sisters leg would have been ignored, or treated with old prescription drugs left over in the med drawer, and the blood clot that was sitting there would not have been noticed, she would not have been treated with heparin, the resulting pulmonary embolism she DID HAVE would have been a lot worse and would probably have killed her.

All for the sake of £25 which seems like fucking chump change if you are a doctor, but is a fifth of my sisters weekly income.

the trouble is with this idea is that all those on benefits, kids under 1 and the oap's would'nt pay and everyone else has to and every year like the prescription charge it would go up, thereby pricing low/middle income but not on benefits people/families out of health care and it would end up with people packing out a and e which itself is in crisis because hospitals are closing/merging thereby limiting available beds

bloody hell. What is this all about.
As someone else said what about people with 'chronic' illnesses do we get a discount probably not!! We will be working for our GP and NHS appointments not paying off our mortgages grr

Well said, Colditz.

Dunno if this might be any use to your Mum and sister? There's a 'I am on a low income, can I get help with dental charges' box. Seems they make a comparison between your income and the charge for the dental work that needs to be done - so if a dentist says your Mum needs new dentures, with an NHS charge of £214, she may be able to apply for assistance if she can show her income is too low to afford them.

Reviving this zombie thread because it is on the agenda again. www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/finance-and-practice-life-news/gp-leaders-to-vote-on-charging-patients-for-appointments/20006624.article#.U25fH_ldUTo

Something to ask the candidates about when there are elections