Cameron attacks G.P.s

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David Cameron had a go at G.P.s recently during a speech at the launch of the Privatise the N.H.S. White Paper Open Public Services White Paper, by suggesting they give preferential access to "people with money" who they meet at dinner parties: www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsarticle-content/-/article_display_list/12373849/cameron-accuses-gps-of-giving-preferential-access-to-dinn

Doesn't Cameron's comment say more about the world he inhabits than of G.P.s, of people with influence networking at posh social events and doing favours for rich mates?

I can testify that DC is right on this one. GPs are frequently mates with other GPs and specialists and will often refer patients to their friends rather than just the next taxi off the rank. And I also know some GPs that love nothing more than a private patient with a bit of cash and will show off a little to get them speedier treatment.

I don't think this is a major problem at the moment except perhaps in London where private healthcare is much more prevalent. Hence DC may well be right as he lives in London and the South East.

However, the more that 'people with money' are willing to go private the more this will happen all over the country.

I do know that going private means faster access to treatment and on a day that suits you. I used a private health insurance package I had through work to get grommits for DS1. He got put on the end of an NHS waiting list and the same surgeon who did all the NHS patients then did DS1. The only difference being that we paid and got it done on a convenient day in the school holiday and everyone else had to take the day they were given.

I did question the consultant closely about this arrangement as I was concerned another NHS patient might have been bumped off to let us on the list. I was assured that was not the case.

I am ROFL at Cameron talking about people 'giving preferential access to people they meet at dinner parties'.

cough, Rebekah Brooks, cough, cough

If you go private, even if you have the same consultant, it is done in their 'private' treating time - that time would not be available anyway for NHS patients - it's private patients or golf course - so in fact you are reducing the NHS list, and bumping people UP the list by going private.

No shit sherlock! Mechanics will check their mates car for them, a hairdresser will work late to give a friend a blow dry, a decorator mate will get you some emulsion at cost.

I don't want a kick-off a whole doctor bashing thread but I do often think that consultanst should be forced to decide whether they are 'private' or 'NHS'.

I just don't think someone should serve two masters. Police officers are not allowed to work for the local police force and then do a bit of private detective work on the side so why are doctors allowed to do this?

Why shouldn't they though? It doesn't reduce their NHS work, and it can actually reduce the NHS lists.

What you don't want is private doctors making a botch up of something, and then MAKING work for the NHS doctors to sort out, because that could well happen. Or, alternatively, the best doctors all going private (as many dentists have done), so that the NHS doctors are not so good.

We were at an NHS dentists - the only dentists they could find to work for them were dentists who were working on improving their English before going private. This had 2 results - zero possibility of communication between patient and dentist, which certainly made me anxious about exactly what they were doing, and a high turnover of dentists, so no continuity.

You really don't want NHS doctors to be less competent!!!! And that really would highlight the 'you get better treatment if you pay for it', atm you get better 'lodging's (for want of a better word), but the treatment is good either way (and for acute medicine I would always rate NHS over private), and that's how it should stay.

morebeta because then all of the most talented would move over to 100% private sector where the money is, and they would be lost to ordinary people who use the NHS.

At the moment many of the top specialists who do NHS work do so out of a feeling of duty - they could go 100% private if they wanted

I'm not sure what you think your idea would achieve that's positive.