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Original poster

Those who work full-time - would you be happy to pay £20 to see your doctor out of hours?

77 replies

CountessDracula · 04/06/2007 20:08

Read in the paper tonight that there is a proposal to make GP services available in the evenings for a charge of say £20

Personally I would be happy to pay for this to avoid taking time off work, what do you feel?

OP posts:
poptot · 04/06/2007 20:09

I would happily pay for this.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 04/06/2007 20:10

I would, but I was a bit cross about the assumption in the article I read that if you are working you can afford £20 easily. Lots of people can't.

morocco · 04/06/2007 20:10

no not really, I mean, yes we could pay but I don't see why we should have to - I'd rather gp's contracts were changed so it was expected that they be open out of hours.

loobylooby · 04/06/2007 20:10

no - they already get paid too much for the service they provide - or don't in many cases.

SenoraPostrophe · 04/06/2007 20:11

I'd be happy to pay £20 as long as i didn't have to wait more than, say 20 minutes.

I certainly think it's fairer than making all docs work evenings (and paying good NHS money for the priveledge)

lisad123 · 04/06/2007 20:13

I wouldnt do it. Work have to give you time off to attend health appointments so I always book mine in work time
Lisa

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/06/2007 20:13

I am self employed!

OP posts:
SenoraPostrophe · 04/06/2007 20:13

do they? I thought that was only antenatal appts?

Tutter · 04/06/2007 20:14

i know dh would, if that helps

if it was a long appt, then so would i, even though i'm a sahm (in order to be able to go without ds)

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/06/2007 20:16

I do feel that those who don't want to pay can still go in the daytime and that this would be a welcome addition to the services they provide

OP posts:
morocco · 04/06/2007 20:21

thin edge of the wedge though, cd, next it'll be 'how about paying for small ops or for faster service etc etc'. I don't see any problem for doctors working a rota (ok,maybe cos I'm not a doctor!) and having to do some evening/weekend work, loads of people have to nowadays and get paid a lot less for it as well

roisin · 04/06/2007 20:22

Yes, I would pay.
And I think they should charge people who don't turn up for appointments too.

PanicPants · 04/06/2007 20:23

No, I wouldn't. Just because I'm working doesn't mean I can afford £20 to pay to see the dr, when everyone else could see them for free.

Something else to make working parents life harder.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/06/2007 20:23

Not just working parents, surely all workers

OP posts:
Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/06/2007 20:23

it would make mine easier!

OP posts:
cazzybabs · 04/06/2007 20:24

No - i'd take time off or expect work to pay.

Rubyslippers · 04/06/2007 20:26

would make my life easier but i would be very unwilling to pay £20 for it. If you factor in potential prescription costs (say one item) that is another (nearly) £7 - so the best part of £30 for something you should be able to access for free anyway!

Otter · 04/06/2007 20:26

we charge much more than 20 to be called out - but we do run our vets till 6.30-7.00 every night and on sat mornings every saturday morning

beckybrastraps · 04/06/2007 20:26

But where would the GPs come from though? I mean, didn't most of them opt out of providing out of hours cover when the new contracts were brought in. They don't want the extra money. I bet you wouldn't get your actual GP. You'd get some locum or stand in. Like a walk-in clinic. And you can go to them now.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/06/2007 20:26

Fine if you are employed

I am self employed and it would cost me a hell of a lot more than £20 to wait until 9 to see the Dr, usually delayed by 20 mins minimum and then have to travel to work, virtually half a day taken out

OP posts:
dyzzidi · 04/06/2007 20:26

I would be happy to pay for an non urgent appointment. They already do NHS walk in centres which are fantastic when dd is ill etc. I don't think the NHS should be a 24 hour thing for non urgent appointments.

If the don't do the charging thing I have to book time off work to see GP.

If you can't afford the £20 then surely you are in the same position as now. Non urgent 9 - 5 urgent walk in centre.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 04/06/2007 20:27

you would of course still be able to access it free if you wanted to go during the day!

OP posts:
UCM · 04/06/2007 20:29

To be honest my first feeling on this is if I am working full time and paying shedloads of money into a coffer then quite reasonably I should be able to see a Dr. whenever. If I had something so serious that I needed to see the Doctor out of hours, I would go to A&E. But as someone else said, I would book the appt. in work time anyway because I can

UCM · 04/06/2007 20:30

Should have added that, No I don't expect to pay for something that I am already paying for.

bookthief · 04/06/2007 20:31

I don't really understand why gp surgeries/ outpatient clinics keep so-called "office hours". It's not usual for doctors to only work these hours elsewhere in the health service.

Presumably it's a staffing issue, and also because they can. How would paying £20 per appointment really cover the cost of such a service? If they can supply cover at times that suit modern working practices better then imo they should.

Wouldn't affect most people I know who tend to be on at least 6 day rotas anyway.