How close is your doctors surgery to closure ?

[bobski1]

Just how close is your doctors surgery to closure? Not something I had considered until l went for a checkup on Friday.21/6/2014

After the check I managed a couple of minutes chat with my doctor who is a senior practice member who told me a few truths about the perilous state the GP service is really in,he is so concerned that his practice WILL close in 3 years,for the following reasons .He has lost 2 doctors who have emigrated to Australia in the past year and has NO replacements coming through from training,lack of money as his budget has been cut dramatically.etc This problem is wide spread throughout the UK. Gp`s have been telling the politicians and their words are falling on deaf ears. His working hours have increased dramatically to keep up with an increased workload(he told me what he worked and it`s horrifying)

He is surprised that no one in the media has picked up on this UK wide problem as, and I quote " If we have a flue epidemic this year we have had it and we are going under and the NHS is going to implode within 3 to 4 years"

So concerned is he that he wrote to our local MP who has ignored his letter in total.!!!

I personally have contacted my local newspaper over this and am waiting for a interview with a reporter ,this is my contribution to the mess politicians of all parties have got us into,as is this post.

SO,can I ask you all to ask your local GP what the state their practice is in as in funding,shortage of incoming GP`s from training,how they are coping with financial constraints they are working under and any increase in their working hours ,how close are they to closing etc.

I f you find as I have then really barrage your local MP and take no hostages from them,let your local press know what the state of your surgery is in as well.

Most of us are paying into a system that is world renowned, fight for it or it`s not only your loss when it goes under but the loss to future generations.

[patch14]

As GP's salaries have increased dramatically and they have Agencies to which they can turn should they need extra staff I am surprised at this Dr's concerns. Yes, I know that the NHS is struggling and I am very aware that we should use their facilities sparingly, however, to put the fear of God into their patients with their personal rants is inexcuseable. Surely, as patient , you have your own worries and don't need the Dr's as well!!!!!!!

[bobski1 in reply to patch14]

Your missing the point patch,their is NO money to keep on paying Agency Neither is their any new doctors coming through the system to take over from those retiring and those moving abroad.As for his "ranting" nope it was far from that he deeply believes in the NHS and is one of the most caring doctors I have ever come across.

My own worries are simple as yours should be YOUR local GP centre Is possibly in danger of closing . If it does what will you do then? pay private medical insurance at £50 a plaster ?

[sandybrown]

NHS or private health cover?

As part of our system (HMRC) we all pay NI to cove HNS health care. Other countries there are no free medical care and all have to have private medical cover!

NHS budget? Who can manage it?

May be it is better to leave it to individual GP practice to look after our health care.

I am sure there are highly paid individuals in CCGs budgetary control to manage the budget.

Are the politicians interested in CCGs budgetary control?

[bobski1 in reply to sandybrown]

Going by my local MP SFA is the answer to that

[Terjo]

I was told years ago that NI was to pay for our state pensions not the NHS this is part of general taxation so vigilance to keep it is essential. Terjo

[bobski1 in reply to Terjo]

could`nt agree more

[sandybrown in reply to Terjo]

National Insurance (NI) in the United Kingdom is a system of contributions paid by workers and employers towards the cost of certain state benefits. It was initially a contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment, and later also provided retirement pensions and other benefits.[1] It was first introduced by the National Insurance Act 1911, expanded by the Labour government in 1948 and has been subject to numerous amendments in subsequent years.

The contributions component of the system, "National Insurance Contributions" (NICs), paid by employees and employers on earnings, and by employers on certain benefits-in-kind provided to employees. The self-employed contribute partly by a fixed weekly or monthly payment, and partly on a percentage of net profits above a certain threshold. Individuals may also make voluntary contributions, in order to fill a gap in their contributions record and thus protect their entitlement to benefits. Contributions are collected by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) through the PAYE system, along with Income Tax and repayments of Student Loans.

The benefit component comprises a number of contributory benefits of availability and amount determined by the claimant's contribution record and circumstances. Weekly income benefits and some lump-sum benefits to participants upon death, retirement, unemployment, maternity and disability are provided.

Recent developments of the system have meant that National Insurance provides a significant part of the government's revenue (21.5% of the total collected by HMRC.[2]) National Insurance has also become more redistributive over time as its structure has changed to remove the fixed upper contribution limits, albeit with a much lower rate payable by employees on income above a certain level. It has been discussed that the link between an individual's contribution record and the remaining contributory benefits will be weakened further.

[ursa]

I did work inside the NHS on a contract basis, not as a medical but as a finance person.

Having a mainly industrial finance management background, I found the top of the admin in the NHS seriously lacking. It is top heavy with too many overpaid layers in between. There is very poor control over junior personnel who start crying that they are being 'bullied' the moment someone tells them that they did something wrong, or have to change the way they are doing things. Most of those employed there in admin or finance would not last too long in the private sector.

I think this is where a review is desperately needed.

[bobski1 in reply to ursa]

Having come across one of the "senior" management idiots I totally agree with your comment

[malcolmp]

With such poor moral in the nhs because of under funding is it any wonder that staff are leaving in droves and people are unwilling to go into the profession because it is being tarnished by political intervention,so that it can be privatized by the back door.

[centrpoint]

Centrpoint

Gp's get funded by how many patients they have. In my opinion they take on too many and the wait for an appointment is endless. We now have to queue at 8 am or try & get through by phone. When they finally answer all places are gone for that day & you have to repeat the procedure the following day or later. It is a shambles. The service is dreadful. The doctors are never there so all in all if it gets closed maybe we will all be better off

[bobski1 in reply to centrpoint]

welcome to the "good old days " then ? back to poverty rickets,cholera,babies being tossed into the street because their parents can`t afford to pay for their medical treatment,a slow lingering death for all who cannot afford private medical insurance . Yeah right.

Your missing the point of my post and griping ,stop whinging and do something about it ,the situation will not change for the better unless we ALL start to rip our MP`s apart,embarrass them,hound them, if you have to, find the skeleton in the cupboard and blackmail them. It`s our health service whom they are entrusted to care for not theirs to do as they wish for .

[eastridingbigden]

this government has no intention of keeping the N.H.S. they did not want it in 1948 and they have been trying to get rid of it since. The only political party that is interested in the n h s is the party that brought into being I don't have to say which one that is I am old enough to know why the N.H.S was formed it was formed because the working class could not afford to pay for health care when out of work and they just had to die if they could not get a doctor or hospital to care for them which was preety often. 13 million people voted for the tories and the Lib dems if you was one of them then you have got what you wanted and there is a saying you don't know what you had until you have not got it. The reason the workling man has the luxurys we have is because we never had to think about what would happen if we had a serious accident or a serious illness and did not have to pay health insurance if this government or any other than, the labour government wins the next election you might has well live in America where 70% have no medical care cover because they don't earn enough to live and have medical care if that is what you want then go and live in America all the goovernment has to do is put 2p in the pound on low paid tax and tax those of the ilk that sits round the cabinet upo to another 10 p and we will have enough for everybody I rest my case.

[bobski1 in reply to eastridingbigden]

I didn`t want to bring politics into this but the MP I refer to is Labour and does not give a monkeys toss unless there are votes in it for him.

Personally we are on opposing sides on political persuasion,But that aside ALL parties have failed us .

[eastridingbigden in reply to bobski1]

bobski1 am not bring politics into it but it is this government that is causing this at least the last the last government brought in more nurses doctors etc more beds no waiting more than 2 weeks to see a consultant if there was a chance it was cancer just telling the truth the rerason the labour mp did not reply because until they are in office there is nothing he can do for you so why waste his time sorry but thats the truth and nothing but the truth

[bobski1]

this government is causing as much damage as the last one ,maybe more. Labour brought in PFI this was madness with some contracts having over 25000 pages !!! a lawyers dream. As for my MP he is there to represent his constituents in all matters and to bring failings to his fellow mp`s in Parliament , this is one cause as a Labour MP he is clearly failing to do , he airs plenty of grievance about his home country of Yemen and keeps begging for more aid money from our taxpayers for them. Need I say anymore ?