Printable View
Debate ongoing, do feel we should at least be on level playing field as the rest of Europe .
I'm aware of a number of people having accidents abroad and after being treated they are charged .
For me its not a difficult one to administer , as most expensive surgery treatments should be navigated through GP's and they act as a gateway .
If its as reported it cost 2 billion , that has to be fixed no matter your politics , perhaps the gateway checking would create jobs .
I'm not quite sure what you mean by your post.Quote:
Originally Posted by life on mars
Are you talking about UK citizens paying for some treatment on the NHS or foreigners who come over here?
If it's the former, then I believe wholeheartedly that the NHS should be free at the point of use for any of our citizens and that money shouldn't dictate your level of healthcare.
If it's the latter, then I'm led to believe that the NHS should reclaim money for treatment from other countries, just that we're woefully inept at doing so (ie, don't bother).
Yes the tourist free healthcare , my guess if it was affordable and workable they would pursue reclaim monies, I wonder how difficult would it be , claiming back those values from some middle east countries, its probably cheaper not too .Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee
In relation to the UK perhaps, charges for GP visits maybe be upon us, for those who can afford them, maybe an option for families earning over £60. pa .
Especially when you consider the NHS is the fifth biggest employer in the world,is this really sustainable ?
I think charging for a GP visit is the beginning of the end, we will just slowly creep towards less and less state involvement in healthcare and for the poorest in society that will spell disaster.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee
My Godmother used to be in charge of a team who used to have to do this ( in Wales ) , the team was fairly small as other countries just did not " play ball " and the money gain / effort ratio was never worth it, one person could spend a massive amount of time on each case, then the other country would just simple refuse to pay in the end anyway
That I didn't know , the one that worries me is getting a bonus for prescribing something, how is that cost saving , is it linked to the belief giving drugs to the oldies free up beds ?Quote:
Originally Posted by ninianclark
The situation is impossible really. I mean what happens if a tourist turns up with burst appendix or something? Would any of us want to see them outside the hospital in agony because they aren't entitled to treatment?
Yeah, one of my parents was on a patient committee at our local practice. It is a bit of a baffling system though, she was trying to explain to me how the money works when someone goes into hospital (who effectively 'pays' for their care) and completely lost me.Quote:
Originally Posted by ninianclark
I think the OP was talking about the possibility of charging the patient if their annual income is greater than a certain level which would not be free at the point of service.Quote:
Originally Posted by ninianclark
I am pretty sure that you are wrong regarding how practices receive their money too. Unless they have overhauled the system in the last few years then they get paid per patient on their list and not per appointment as you state.
The system with GP's clearly doesn't work though, they have further forced the notion of profit and it has predictably wrecked the overall standard of care. They are businesses, the most experienced doctors often work 1 or 2 days on the front line because they are dealing with all sorts of extra 'business decisions' for the practice. The system encourages them to keep taking on patients even though they cant provide an acceptable level of service to the existing ones due to volume.
My understanding is the GP gets on average £135 per patient per annum , not a lot when you consider people would spend double that on annual TV subscriptions , mobile phone contracts , and so much more on drinking and socialising.
Add to that free prescriptions in Wales to anyone ,whatever your earnings ? referrals to expensive MRI scans etc , you get the feeling that this is a big expenditure that is now very outdated, out of control and probably not sustainable.
I wonder how much could be invested in the NHS Wales, if prescriptions were paid for .Quote:
Originally Posted by ninianclark
The difference was next too nothing from memory as the admin of it all costs a fortune anyway so might as well just give people their prescription for free.Quote:
Originally Posted by life on mars
The problem with the NHS in this country is the hysteria that surrounds any sort of reform (badly required. If we are to sort out the NHS funding issues and make it more sustainable then we must first deal with the bleating left. Currently the situation is untenable and whilst I agree that the NHS should be free at the point of use there are many ways to raise money.
First of all we can all contribute something to prescriptions, a flat £10 rate for all prescriptions (obvious exemptions for pensioners and the disabled). Free prescriptions sounds great but it's not realistic and a waste of money.
Fines. If you miss an appointment you should be fined, heavily. I have long advocated that we need to make more money from ignorance and stupidity. If someone misses an appointment for no reason then they should face a hefty fine. There are huge waiting times at the moment and I heard a statistic the other day that shocked me in regards to how many people just don't bother to turn up.
GPs earn enough, they should work weekends and evenings. I haven't been to see my GP for over ten years. I have often thought about it only to ring up and find that I can't see them for a month or so.
Finally we are missing a trick from not making money from the unhealthy. The NHS should charge thousands for people who want non emergency operations. Gastric bands for instance. This could raise millions for the NHS whilst also making sure fat people aren't a burden on the NHS in the future.
Free prescriptions may not be completely viable but I was shocked during the years where at Uni in England I had to pay for medicine to get better and go back to "work" but could have as many plastic bags as I wanted free of charge and screw the environment. Therefore I am in agreement with the general direction of making money from unhealthy behaviours in order to "reward" healthier choices; we might not be able to focus on NHS treatments but a sugar tax to raise funds for sporting facilities to reduce the nations weight and strain that weight related illnesses creates seems sensible. I see you have brought up pensioners though when we know that some pensioners have been benefiting all their lives while others are in desperate need.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluebird since 1948
There does seem to be a degree of taking the NHS for granted and people missing appt or showing up two hours early or two hours late and expecting to be seen builds into that. Again, you cannot deny people treatment and focusing on the stick is unlikely to improve things. We really need a culture shift where the NHS is respected enough that people call in in good time.
I see your comment about the bleating left and raise the issue of the right allowing for private care but the expensive aftercare of this (or correcting the mistakes) falling back into the NHS hands.