General Discussion
The future of the NHS?
Overheard by me in a shop in Dawlish yesterday.
Two elderly ladies talking about needing cataract operations. One said to other "I've got an appointment now but it clashes with something else but I'll have to cancel the something else because who knows how long I'll have to wait for another appointment? It could be years."
"Yes , I agree" said the other "and by that time you might have to pay as well as everything will be private".
On the evidence of two old women doing their shopping you've concluded that the NHS is going to start charging for its services at the point of use?
No.
But as that's not the first time I've heard such comments made by others over the past few months, it occurs to me that such a conclusion is being reached by others.
If you are registered with an NHS dentist you have to pay towards your treatment. So why not with other forms of NHS health care?. Not advocating it btw just pointing out that in the NHS there are aspects of treatment for which patients already get charged (even if it's not the full amount.) However, if you have dental treatment done in a hospital you don't get charged.
and on the subject of NHS dental treatment..........anyone know of any local dentists taking on new NHS patients?
I ask as it seems to me that they ain't taking them on anymore. Therefore private dental healthcare, or no dental healthcare at all, it is then.
A friend of mine has had a lot of trouble with his ears/hearing and was told by his doctor to have his ears syringed.
This he did, but had to PAY £70 for the privilage!!!
I also know people who are keeping money to one side just in case they need a hip or knee replacement or some such similar operation and can get it done in a matter of weeks/months privately rather than wait years to have it done on the NHS. They wouldn't normally dream of going private (I know them well) but when you are in pain.........
Privatisation of our health service by stealth perhaps?
Might it be that the NHS ends up being a poor public service for poor people?
There is an article about the growing privatisation of GP healthcare in this weekend's edition of the i newspaper.
It gives as an example a private GP practice in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. This practice charges £85 for a phone consultation, £130 for a face-to-face consultation and £180 for a home visit.
It's a private GP practice, not NHS. Private GP healthcare is available to anybody who doesn't want to use the NHS.
Has there ever been a single NHS GP practice that has turned private and denied "free" healthcare to its patients?
No idea. BUT...... the more GPs that go private then logically the fewer there will be working in the NHS = longer waiting times to see a NHS GP. If longer times to see a NHS GP (and/or get that NHS hospital appointment/operation) the greater the argument becomes that the NHS is, by default, denying health care to its patients.
Not the NHS fault btw.