Breaking news government at it again.

[Sthandra]

Don't know if you have heard the latest but it seems our illustrious government wish to start chargeing everyone £10 per visit to the Drs looks like some people won't be seeing the Dr if they get their way as they won't be able to afored to go what next a tax on breatheing .

[Fibrofoggiest]

Hi sithy, it was a "think tank" thing which doesn't necessarily mean it will happen, but from what I've read online, a portion of doctors seem to think an income based charge "might" be appropriate. I of course would choose to differ with that as would most people. The only thing I wouldn't have a problem with is a nominal charge of £10 for people who don't turn up for appointments.

I will just give you a quote from Pulse, which is the magazine for doctors :-

Pulse editor Steve Nowottny said: “Most GPs feel instinctively uncomfortable with the idea of charging. That so many are now willing to countenance such a dramatic step is a sign of just how unmanageable patient demand has become. This poll should serve as a wake-up call to ministers.”

The Department of Health said the NHS should be free at the point of use, with access based solely on need. “At the same time we all need to take greater responsibility for living healthier lifestyles to reduce the demands we place on it.”

Foggy x

[woodbon]

I agree about looking at charging people who don't turn up. It sounds like an idea that might help everyone - the only thing is that someone would have to do the admin and someone medical, would have to look at each case to see if the person just didn't bother, or had a medical reason, like feeling unable to get to the doctors. I think that it could end up costing a lot more than it made, risk putting people off going to the doctor or having rows in the waiting room upsetting everyone, because they didn't think they should pay!!! Charging people for an appointment would be a very bad move. and could end up with some tragic consequences for some people.

[TheAuthor]

Hi Sthandra

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you can be today? I think what Foggy says is spot on here? So it may never happen?

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken x

[gracesgrandma]

I might be stirring a hornets nest hear but I quite like this idea and also think that it should be rolled out for charging for A & E. Before everyone jumps on it there is a method to my madness. I have lost count how many times I hear or read many many people saying they are at the doctors weekly or calling an ambulance and going to A & E and it not being an emergency. This is putting an enormous strain on the NHS. People need re educating about what you are capable of dealing with at home and then would also be able to judge better when medical intervention is needed. I have a story that might make things clearer in my thinking. I know someone who kept on calling ambulances to the point that the staff on one visit actually refused to take the person told them to go across the road to the 24 hour supermarket and get some painkillers. They said they didn't have any money, even the 29p to get the said painkillers, and after getting obstreperous they took them in to which they spent a week in whilst they did every test under the sun and found nothing wrong with them!!!! As for the admin most doctors surgeries now have the touch screen monitor and all they would have to do is add a chip and pin machine and job done. For people who are diagnosed with a recognised long term condition and who do not abuse the system would be exempt.

[Hidden in reply to gracesgrandma]

That is a good argument I have a friend who is a paramedic and some of the tales we hear and have heard are beyond shocking none of which I can repeat here in case someone is identifiable. Another friend works for the ambulance service and again the things and lengths some people go to are the reason why the Government are wanting to bring such measures into place to start with. Then there's the nurses of which I know a few spanning several types from mid-wifery, ward nurses, to theatre nurses, surgery nurses - doctors and dentists all of whom have tales to tell!

When I hear the things being said all I can think is that we're such a wasteful nation which saddens me greatly Especially when you hear why!?! the poor poorly people who don't get seen to quick enough because they're dealing with the abusers

The sad thing is that the innocent will always get the rough end of the stick.

It is my personal opinion we will suffer as a result of the abusers something within the ilk of what is being proposed will happen as a compromise to keep the NHS or as a nation we will lose it altogether.

I do agree with Foggy's idea for no-shows as people like us with Chronic conditions would be exempt.......... and we weren't there'd be a whole lotta trouble!!

Fluffies on route to you

xxxsianxxx

[Hidden]

Hi Sithy

This is an interesting subject to bring up at the moment as it is being discussed in all corners of the sense and as I've mentioned in my reply above I'm sorry to say but unless stricter measures are put in place and those measures governed properly and appropriately charging will become necessity rather than forward thinking.

I'm not in favour of charging I would rather put my energies into fighting to save the NHS, raising awareness of why charging will happen!?

........................why not name and shame repeat offenders? are we prepared to put abusers at the same level as shop lifters and metro-fare dodgers because in my eye even that's starting to look feasible to the Government too

There is a problem it is clear to everyone. I'm interested in hearing what measures we can come up with here

What can we do instead of bringing in charging?

Within the rules and guidelines of course please everyone!

xxxsianxxx

[Hidden]

would ageee with charging for non attendance at appointments. I also think that charging for non nationals to have medical care would also help the health service, and before anyone thinks I Am being racist ( I'm not) my thinking is if you go abroad you don't get your health for, you need insurance. Why do we pay for treatments when they don't get it free at home. The other point is drugs going abroad at NHS expense. I understand it is a think tank suggestion, but over here they throw it out there, everyone shouts, its forgotten about for a while then brought out at say £5 an appointment, now everyone says wowtgats not as bad as they thought it would be. A year later you're paying the full £10

[Offcut]

I do think that a charge like that for A&E would cut down on the people that go there for non emergency miss apps. I would think that they would have to give up charges for those on low income or benefit.

I do agree that a £10.00 charge for not turning up would be a good thing, we all know how hard it is to see a doctor these days.

My doctor put a list on there notice board stating how many people had not turned up. I had an appointment with a specialist nurse and logged in and waited to be called to be told when I got into the nurses room. The nurse that needs to do this is not in today. They did not like the idea of putting up a list of wasted appointments!

[dovetail]

I think we will have big problems in the future, if we allow the government to bring in charges for end user healthcare now. Governments, as we all know, are sneaky! They will make what appears to be a very reasonable argument for placing a 'nominal' charge on end user healthcare, whilst in reality they could already be well ahead with their plans to privatise the NHS completely. Don't forget how our current government constantly treats the disabled, the poor & the weak with utter contempt & they will never do anything for us. The only people this government is interested in are the already super rich! The saying "give them an inch & they'll take a mile" has never been more relevant with regards to our healthcare & the charges proposed.

Picture this, if there was a charge of £10 now & when you visit the doctor, you are given a prescription-you have already spent £18.05 for the privilege, even if you just needed a checkup post-surgery but you need a prescription for antibiotics. Every year, the price of a prescription sneaks up & up, so if they do implement the charge, it will be even more by then. Something I find particularly repugnant is the fact that people on DLA still have to pay for prescriptions!

There are ways to prevent people constantly missing appointments without imposing a charge & I think if doctors took a leaf out of the NHS dentists book a huge amount of money could be saved. Doctors surgeries should employ the 'three strikes & you're out' system that dentists have been using for a long time. If these people then turned up at A&E in an ambulance, they should be charged for using one. If they continued to build up debts in this way, the money should be taken from their benefits or wage. People who abuse our healthcare system incense me & I think the only way to stop it is to impose very strict measures. What I've suggested is flawed & would need some serious tweaking but if the NHS is serious about saving money, they should be willing to listen to the people & not just self-serving government ministers!

Lots of love to everybody,

Tracey.

[Jeff1958]

Its some idiot paid thousands of pounds to come up with new ideas , im sure there are people on this panel with very good insight to the workings of the NHS , that could come up with sensible ideas to save the NHS millions and possibly billions , which would be cheaper than quangos , why not pay people if their ideas work without causing distress or upset , or is it too easy .

[Sthandra]

My friends ex next-door neighbour used to call an ambulance all the time in the end the sectioned him

[Sthandra]

Ps if its for no shows and time wasters then its a good idea so long as they don't start to charge for you to go visit them that's what was worrying me .

[Hidden in reply to Sthandra]

Yes I think it is worrying many people sithy

xxx

[Kirby]

It's the slippery slope - hardly anybody knows about how this govt are trying to privatise the NHS, if we don't call a halt it will end up like the States, which is their ultimate goal. There was a 38 degrees petition re signing against this charge of £10 which I would urge you all to sign.