NHS

[Mike]

BBC are reporting that the NHS are planning to charge £20 a visit to the GP. Personally I think that I would charge patients £20 for missing an appointment and not calling ahead to cancel. Our GP is constantly under pressure because people don't cancel appointments and that has the effect of making the waiting times longer and thus more non attended visits! Crazy world. Especially since we already pay for our GP appointments though National Insurance.

[liz.brownlloyd]

I try to avoid the doctor where possible as it is, I just simply wouldn't go if they charged me £20. And I don't think I'd be the only one.

[Mike]

I just think they have the wrong angle, punish those who make appointments but don't attend rather than those who are genuinely ill and need to seek help to make themselves feel better.

[mr_e]

The good news is that both the NHS and the government are against this: it looks like some crazy right-wing think-tank has come up with this one all on its own.

Definitely better to punish those that don't attend, though. I've also been reminded that I need a dentist's appointment sometime soon... it's been a while.

[BarcelonAl]

Yeah I can't see this one getting through, the NHS was set-up to offer free medical care in the forties can't really see them getting away with a total backtrack after all this time!

Charging those who miss appointments or ring the emergency services for no good reason seems to be a sensible idea.