NHS could charge fee to call out the doctor

[Still Waters]

Calling out a doctor to your home could cost £8.50 and patients could be charged for meals under radical plans to shore up the finances of the NHS.

The proposals are being outlined as a way of tackling the financial hole in the accounts of the Health Service.

The moves sparked outrage with claims they amount to a patients’ tax and undermine the “free at point of use” principle of the NHS.

There are also fears that ill patients will be discouraged from seeking treatment.

http://www.telegraph...the-doctor.html

[Coffey]

Maybe if our goverment took control of the banking system (like it should anyway) we could afford to spend more on the NHS.... Instead our country can carry on getting into further debt to a private owned bank who controls our beloved pound while the people suffer.......

Edited March 18, 2013 by Coffey

[Queen in the North]

So charge people when they're at their most sick and scared?

I think many people, especially of a certain generation, could be very sick and still wouldn't want to bother the hospital by going to accident and emergency, or heaven forbid, calling an ambulance. But they might get a doctor to come out to the house. And they might not even do that if they have to pay.

ETA: what about a charge for missing your appointment? Other establishments (admittedly not the health service) do this, many if you fail to cancel before 24 hrs of the appointment will have a charge. That should help more people get seen at the surgery too. I'd damn sure cancel within the time frame or make sure I turned up for my appointment if I knew there was a charge!

Edited March 18, 2013 by Queen in the North

[Moon Gazer]

I like what Queen said. I think charging for missed appointments would be way more effective at raising some funds for the NHS. If you start charging for call out doctors then I think it will just result in more people turning up at A & E without an emergency, but just to avoid paying a fee.

Have to say I have new found praise for the doctors and nurses in A&E after my hubby had to go there recently. Some of the absuse and the way they were spoken to was unbelievable. Drunk chavs (one who was there with a mild case of tonsilitis) using up their valuable time. One guy sat in the waiting room shouting and carrying on for something to eat as he had been waiting an hour. Absolutely unbelievable!

[stevewinn]

i think its a bad idea. - what i'd like to see is a end to health tourism. a minimum of 40 million a year. but the figure for treating foreign patients with long term illness is in the billions. - what the UK should do is charge the country of origin for the treatment of their citizen. this way the NHS is living up to its name of treating the sick but not allowing itself from being abused. the NHS is a National Health Service paid for by the British - we should not accept any cuts. but force the politicians to take tough action on health tourism etc....

Edited March 18, 2013 by stevewinn

[+OverSword]

I guess I'm confused about your healthcare system in Britian. I thought you paid very high taxes in exchange for not having to pay to go to the doctor.

[Oscar77]

I would say 40 million is way too low,The NHS spent 23 million last year just on interpreters.

Not to mention lost hours of nurses/doctors time spent trying to communicate with non english speaking patients.

My wife is disabled so we spend a lot of time in hospitals and see it all of the time.

Charging for house calls is going to lead to old people dying at home alone because they will put off calling the doctor until it is too late the same could probably be said for children of single parents.

Having to pay for meals wouldn't really have much impact on us personally as since the hospital my wife goes to has changed to frozen microwave meals being brought in instead of using the newly refitted kitchen! My wife is living on jacket potatoes brought from the coffee shop or take aways.

I guess I'm confused about your healthcare system in Britian. I thought you paid very high taxes in exchange for not having to pay to go to the doctor.

Thats how it's meant to work.