The Government want people to stop seeing their doctor on a face to face bases,

this means getting in contact via a p c or laptop, what happens when the systems crash?, or the doctors on leave? I suppose its case of keep taking the pills the motherboard we see you now!!.

[Puffthemagicdragon]

Another silly idea from the government.

[lynzita]

so does this mean for those who have never used a computer will get lessons? Also not every household has a pc therefore will they get a free pc or laptop? and people who have a pc but it breaks will they get free repairs or free replacement?

come on government have you really thought about this? another money wasting scheme!!

[hufferpuffer]

Maybe the silliest yet!

[nellie15]

what a scary thought !!

[Mocarey]

The worlds definitely gone mad!!!!

[Hidden]

I had a recent experience of what this may be like when my breathing worsened suddenly whilst my GP surgery was closed and I called NHS direct wanting some advice. I was asked my details (name, date of birth, address, GP surgery, etc.) and what was wrong. I gave all of the details with difficulty and many pauses and explained I was having trouble with my breathing and would like to talk to a doctor to gain some advice. I was then asked all of the same questions again. I said I was struggling to answer and was told that unless I did there could be no progress as the whole box ticking exercise had to be completed before we could move on and she could not fill it in for me because the details I had already given were no longer available to her. And of course she had no medical training at all so could not advise as her job was the box-ticking stuff. I therefore had to talk to her for another 17 minutes with a lot of gasping and pauses before she said she could not connect me to a doctor for advice and so would be despatching a paramedic. (The paramedic duly arrived and gave the advice I needed.) They make simple things so complicated at times and I am sure this does not save any money in the long run.

[Mocarey]

auntymary I have experienced similar when ringing NHS 24. Talk about repetition. You'd think the details you have given would automatically be forwarded to the next person in line. Luckily I've usually had a family member present and they can do most of the talking. Let's face it it doesn't take einstein to realise someone is having breathing difficulty

[cofdrop-UK]

Heard about this on the radio this morning and thought it must be April 1st. When I think of our dear old GP of yesteryear who used to come visit in the evenings 'cos kids with damaged lungs were at their worst and at his surgery the waiting room was his hall and stairs. Wonder what he would make of all this.

I telephoned NHS direct once when I had temp 40 and pneumonia. Were gonna take ages to get back to me so I rang 999. Paramedics said I had done the right thing. Mind that in inself was a farse 'cos they did all the stuff in the ambulance and then it wouldn't start. So they rang for another, which took an hour because they were in a nearby city dealing with a drunk who had nothing wrong with him. When I got to the hospital the whole of a&e plus security were dealing with another drunk. Not my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hidden in reply to cofdrop-UK]

Oh this took me right back to when our old GP used to leave our prescriptions under a stone in the unlocked porch of his surgery - happy days eh?!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

You have reminded me how my London GP put prescriptions in an unlocked box fixed on his wall ......lol how times have changed....sad really.

[O2Trees in reply to cofdrop-UK]

We haven't heard of this Cofdrop - which station did you hear it on? And looking at the posts here, were they saying that everyone should call up NHS Direct? Just gonna look for it in today's paper.

That must have been scary having to wait for the care you needed. Re A&E stories, i was once at A&E while still in london, waiting for broken ankle to be set so not frightening like a breathing problem, everyone waiting patiently as the staff had explained there would be a delay because they were dealing with seriously injured children following a bad pile-up - and this man was complaining very vocally that he needed them to look at his verruka (sp?) RIGHT NOW!!! He wouldnt stop so security threw him out. jean

[Hidden in reply to O2Trees]

Sad thing is nowadays I bet the security staff wouldn't dare throw the guy out incase he sued the hospital. Shame on the guy.

[traindriver]

Fit enough to answer the questions then it proves a waste of time they will get ATOS to run it no doubt of more miracle cures from a service that is following the line taken by dentists, tried getting one of those recently and the future of the health service can be seen.

[blackbird]

What a scary idea - "I am a person not a number"!

[cofdrop-UK]

Must have been Today programme - defo Radio 4 'cos that's all I listen to - yes I am a boring old fart. The just touched on it briefly - no lengthy details.

OMGoodness 02 it never ceases to amaze how selfish and stupid some people are. Good for security turfing him out.

Love C XXX

[Hidden]

Hi all , I thought this would the best way to answer all your replies. The reason for the reduction in face to face is to save around £3billions, I would beleive that the Government has already spent a conciderable amount of monies in a study for this sorry state. There is a problem with Doctors seeing people face to face, the problem is that there is not enough doctors, how do you get more Doctors ? invest in education and start to offer a wage that would attrack the young and keep them intrested.

This cutting back on to face to face could be a way of cutting back on GP's, then the government can claim that the NHS is not working, that they need help, and then start to introduce private doctors to cover the vacant spaces, and so the nails just keep being driven in.

AS for drunks I think there should be a department that deals with them, away from A&E, so the help can be given to those who need it most.

see you around.

remod.

Sorry if it's all been a bit political.

[Hidden]

The thought of not being able to see a doctor face to face is frightening. Eg how could they listen to your chest if an infection there? I may be naive but I can't see doctors generally accepting this. I think it is just a scare story. But I agree that the aim of dodgy dave and co is wholesale privatisation...

Bev x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Bev, just think what kind of bedside manner would you get from a laptop, I was thinking a Doctor gives out Tablets now a Tablet gives you a Doctor.

Take care

Adrian.

[vittorio in reply to Hidden]

- Brilliant !!

[Hidden in reply to vittorio]

thank you.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

You lungs may be cr@p but your sense of humour is alive and well! x

[Ellena]

A crazy idea, we all know that doctors are overworked but some really do spend time with you, our doctor is great, and you wouldn't get that on a pc. What about the aged, they have problems communicating with doctors and people let alone a pc, many couldn't afford one anyway, so what would they do when they fell sick. Hospitals are overcrowded now, so if this was to happen more and more people would be going to A and E, causing even more problems. What is the government thinking of.....

[Hidden in reply to Ellena]

I think the answer is simple the tory's have a coommittee called the 1922 committee, these group of silver spoons would like nothing better than to be able to get rid of the NHS, if they done this the sick and the old would be left to die in their beds, in turn this would cut down on the amount of monies the government have to pay out in pensions, crute my comments may be but that is how I see it.

[vittorio]

- Yes, your both right - this Multi Millionaire Government under Millionaire CAMERON ( who by the way, did'nt earn this massive sum , he inherited it from his family ) , is spending ONE MILLION POUNDS A DAY KILLING PEOPLE ON THAT UNWINABLE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN, THEN HE TELLS US THEY ARE "SHORT OF MONEY TO ACTUALLY SAVE LIVES IN THIS COUNTRY.....and cuts Benefits from sick people etc, ........I really do wonder at times - WHO REALLY ARE THE "SICK" IN THIS COUNTRY............

[Tuttifruity]

You are lucky if you have a GP who is willing to spend time and listen.

Our surgery was one of the guinnea(sp) pig surgeries to run as fundholding entities. For over 5 years we have had steadily decreasing access to ANY Doctor.

My hubby has end stage heart failure and moderate/severe COPD, we now only see the community nurse and occasionally the diabetic nurse. Oh, and occasionally the Doctor will ring us, for a telephone consultation.

The whole system stinks in my view, the NHS is no longer a "caring proffession"

It is an institution in passing the buck----- and I used to work in it !.

So - Yes, I can certainly see a future of PC doctoring, the benefit of that is actually "communicating" with a Doctor. something our surgery is sadly lacking.

The memories of sittinung on the stairs, in the hallway of a house, waiting to see the Doc, in the "front" room. Whatever the problem was, he always had the medicine/tablets in the big cupboard in the corner to treat your ailments, no such thing as taking a prescription to a chemist in them days. And I'm a mere 58 ! Happy days, just like it was always sunny.

[Hidden in reply to Tuttifruity]

a friend of main was told along time ago that he has copd, he was told that he only had 18 months, that was nearly 6 years ago, he was also told that when he became really ill he would need an operation to hopefully prelong his life, now that he has lived longer then the Doctors thought, he needs the operation, and quess what they are now saying he is too weak to have the operation, I quess this is another way to save the government money, get the Doctors to keep putting off operations so the hospitals can save money, in the meantime CEO's go off on lunch business breaks at the cost to the hospitals & tax payers expense, you know how it works!