[Misc] Would you pay for a doctors appointment?

[Brovion]

Yes I would. We have moved overseas now and to see our GP it is $130, just about £75gbp. But we don't pay any tax/NI towards health care.

Completely O/T - but how are you? (And is that Mr or Mrs Starry?) Where are you living? Chicago? (So you can see the Bears!) And what do you think of Leeds' chances this year?

All the best anyway.

 

[Shuggie]

No. Stop the craven obsession with lower income taxes and fund public services properly.

 

[Bakero]

Yes absolutely. You could make a payment for an appointment and have it refunded if you show up/

And what of the people that can't afford to pay?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Yes absolutely. You could make a payment for an appointment and have it refunded if you show up/

And what if you don't have the money to make the appointment ?

 

[Justice]

Don’t we already pay it’s called tax

 

[Justice]

And what of the people that can't afford to pay?

Tough shit as they probably own a large flat screen tv

 

[beorhthelm]

No. Stop the craven obsession with lower income taxes and fund public services properly.

ths is not about funding, its about creating a incentive to complete the appointment.

 

[Bakero]

Tough shit as they probably own a large flat screen tv

Then the TV should be confiscated and replaced with a old, box style one immediately.

 

[Justice]

Then the TV should be confiscated and replaced with a old, box style one immediately.

Hold up they might just have a mobile phone to

 

[Bakero]

Hold up they might just have a mobile phone to

As long as it's a Nokia 3210 they can keep it but with Snake deactivated.

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

It’s probably because you’ve not got to a time of life or need where you understand all the many issues relating to. There’s an enormous assortment of reasons, not least the people making appointments are ill!

So ill they can't ring up to explain they'll miss an appointment? A small % of which, yes. Systems can be put in place for that small % of people.

The service itself fosters some of the problem too, as you say getting appointments is very hard sometimes so people take them as ‘insurance’ and then don’t use.

Failing to see your point here. That could be considered a reason FOR a move towards a depository service..

We also need a 24/7 service to reflect the economy. That would relieve some pressure.

There's 111. NHS is almost entirely 24/7.

This entire ‘people are being selfish and not cancelling/hit em with a fine’ mentality is way too simple thinking of the problem and would even if introduced only address a small proportion of the issue IMO. It’s not going to happen anyway.

1) This isn't a fine, it's a deposit to access a service and ensure appropriate usage. The NHS irrespective of its level of funding has to be rationed because of budgets. You could have n budget, but if people abuse the system, there's a wastage in the budget. Unfortunately, morality cannot play a role in argument because ultimately, wastage leads to a lose of life. There's nothing simplistic about it.
2) Your entire argument is around an incredibly simple point of "it's simple thinking of the problem"; but you serve no suggestion as to why it's actually "simple thinking".

 

[BrickTamland]

Have to admit to not knowing the complete ins and outs of the system here as (touch wood) I haven’t had to really use it since moving, but I have to pay roughly 100kr (under a tenner) for a doctors appointment but it is capped at 1000kr within a certain period (so once over that amount you pay no more).

The idea is that people will be put off going for minimal things or non-emergencies which can be dealt with online or over the phone (which is free). Think it’s a good idea personally, though there should be exceptions relating to age and possibly income

 

[Justice]

As long as it's a Nokia 3210 they can keep it but with Snake deactivated.

I consider that fair

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No. Stop the craven obsession with lower income taxes and fund public services properly.

The correct answer.

 

[Fungus]

17 million are going to miss another appointment later this week...

 

[Cheshire Cat]

It depends exactly how dead I am at the time.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Preserving the NHS not a "Leftie argument", whatever that is. The amount of money doesn't matter because once established it will inevitably increase. And even 50p is a lot for some who will be put in a position to trade off their finance with their health.

Other good reasons you have ignored.

Charging for GP diverts people to A&E, do you charge there too?

You cannot know whether an appointment was missed by laziness or medical reasons.

Unenforceable without big unintended consequences.

Same old leftie arguments? I think it’s more than lefties who would want to guard jealously the “free at the point of delivery” point.

And there are people who would GENUINELY have a problem in finding a spare 50p in their budget - people who don’t eat themselves so that their children can, people who have to limit how much they use their heating etc etc etc.

If 50p is a lot then perhaps they should drop Netflix and Sky for 1 month a year.
If they are genuinely on their uppers they would obviously be excluded like you can be with prescriptions.

It's not just missed DRs appointments, a lot of people's general day to day attitude is not to give a shit, from important things like this through to more trivial (littering, not picking up dog mess, not returning shopping trollies, not indicating at roundabouts).

A lot of people just don't give a shit.

I totally agree that why we need to hit back at these pikeys, dog mess is an easy one to cure if spotted, post it back through their letterbox.

 

[portslade seagull]

Just getting an appointment is an achievement in itself. We have to pay for dentists so I suppose this is the next step

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

If 50p is a lot then perhaps they should drop Netflix and Sky for 1 month a year.
If they are genuinely on their uppers they would obviously be excluded like you can be with prescriptions.

Fair enough, but it is also a myth to presume that everyone on benefits has got a 64inch telly with the full range of Sky, Netflix etc.

I have had conversations in the past about things like this:
1. Yes, but he/she has a mobile phone - to which the answer is "they can't afford a landline and they just have a pay as you go which they top up when they can afford it."
2. What about the fags?, to which the answer might be "it's the only pleasure in life they have - an occasional cigarette.

To be honest, I wouldn't have a problem with paying a small amount for a GP appointment, but IF it were done, I would want to make sure nobody was excluded because of it. I probably wouldn't pay anyway, because I am on a state pension.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Yes I would. We have moved overseas now and to see our GP it is $130, just about £75gbp. But we don't pay any tax/NI towards health care.

More importantly, how much are you going to pay us for Ben White?