UK Politics #9

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HelloStereo said:
That may be so but adding extra administration duties around chasing payments for non attendance just adds to the bloat.

What would realistically happen if people couldn't pay anyway.
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There would obviously be some safeguards. I suppose that anyone on benefits would be exempt like they already are for may things like prescriptions. Maybe have a 3 strikes and then you're liable system. It is workable and needs to be. The way things are currently is unsustainable.

Do you have any ideas how to make the system work better? Any suggestions? or should we just carry on as is?
 
I've found that the standard of GPs now is pretty poor and they often refer for hospital tests to cover their backs rather than trust their judgment re actual clinical need.

Too many worried well patients clog up the GP services with excessive appointments due to health anxiety.

I would charge a nominal fee for a GP appointment to deter surgery season ticket holders/system blockers.
 
Blueblue123 said:
Healthcare schemes through work are more common which helps but who are these doctors? isn't it that NHS doctors freelance in private healthcare?
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Yes, thats exactly who it is.

I am lucky enough to have cover through work. My Private consultant told me that he has cut down his NHS shifts to the minimum possible as they are treated like crap.

In general, private hospitals tend to have older equipment as they are on tight margins, they fall behind on their service contracts etc. Whereas the NHS gets their equipment serviced on time. (Source: my uncle was Heart Bypass Machine engineer, I'd much rather have a Bypass Op at an NHS hospital!)
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neroli said:
I've found that the standard of GPs now is pretty poor and they often refer for hospital tests to cover their backs rather than trust their judgment re actual clinical need.

Too many worried well patients clog up the GP services with excessive appointments due to health anxiety.

I would charge a nominal fee for a GP appointment to deter surgery season ticket holders/system blockers.
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Agreed, I've noticed that too over the last 10 years, my GP was unwilling to get bloods done to rule something out, so refered me.
 
Blueblue123 said:
I think people who can afford private healthcare prefer to do so out of urgency and frustration, apart from that I feel there's some resentment if people have to pay for something we all pay tax for and are told is free at the point of use
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Oh for sure but given the state of the NHS and that it’s not likely to be fixed quickly having people seek private healthcare isn’t that bad imo. At the end of the day we pay tax for plenty of other things we don’t necessarily need ourselves or use, it’s mainly for the vulnerable people in society

That’s not to say I think we should privatise healthcare though. There has to be an in between. Dentists are a good example at the moment as many people cannot afford private dentists


I do think the quality of healthcare also has to be questioned a little bit. I’ve heard plenty of people going back to their “home” countries to seek second opinions from doctors because the NHS was messing them around a lot
 
FenellaTheWitch said:
There would obviously be some safeguards. I suppose that anyone on benefits would be exempt like they already are for may things like prescriptions. Maybe have a 3 strikes and then you're liable system. It is workable and needs to be. The way things are currently is unsustainable.

Do you have any ideas how to make the system work better? Any suggestions? or should we just carry on as is?
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Using technology to be more accessible, screening calls and directing them to pharmacies/ nurses if needed. Preventative measures like discouraging smoking / trying to get people healthier to reduce the number of people going to GPs in the first place 🤷‍♀️
 
It's like they run every story through a "bloody foreigners" generator.

Guess the £5bn Labour is giving the UK farming industry means nothing?

At the end of that same story

Environment Secretary Steve Reed insisted that farmers remain the “backbone of Britain” and announced £5 billion into farming over the next two years, the largest amount ever directed towards sustainable food production.
 
HelloStereo said:
Using technology to be more accessible, screening calls and directing them to pharmacies/ nurses if needed. Preventative measures like discouraging smoking / trying to get people healthier to reduce the number of people going to GPs in the first place 🤷‍♀️
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This is already happening though. Personally I prefer telephone appointments and I'm happy to use teams for some stuff. I've used apps for private GP's so a lot of it is out there.

As for private GP's, last time I used one it was actually a GP who used to work at my surgery. Something is very wrong with the system.
 
Merpedy said:
I do think the quality of healthcare also has to be questioned a little bit. I’ve heard plenty of people going back to their “home” countries to seek second opinions from doctors because the NHS was messing them around a lot
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A problem with the NHS is that it can be purely random with the quality of care you receive. It's literally a coin toss whether you get a consultant/GP/Nurse who actually cares about a patient or one that blatantly doesn't give a tit.
 
Blueblue123 said:
So, I'm fully able bodied, need no assistance in life in any way, on paper I'm not the person who would accidentally miss an appointment... I've recently started using the NHS app and randomly decided to check my appointments as I've been having some health concerns.

I saw an appointment had been booked in without there being any direct communication with me. Luckily, I caught it early enough to reschedule but as a new user of the service I didn't even realise an appointment could be booked without my confirmation or explicit knowledge.

I know I'm due future appointments so now I know to check the app every other day or so to see if one has been booked in. But all it takes is for that to slip my mind or me to for whatever reason not check until the night before and I could miss an appointment.

I used to be in favour of charging for missed appointments, maybe not the first missed one but if it's a regular problem but that was before I knew some appointments were being booked like this.
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I got a notification recently saying I had been called (over the tannoy) for my appointment. I had kittens I tell you as I'd rung previously to check they'd cancelled all my appointments and they said they had!
Not heard anything since and when I called in for my next appointment the nurse said she couldn't see any problems on the screen. So who knows!🤷‍♀️
 
Happy Lady said:
It beggars belief.

www.express.co.uk

Fury at foreign farmers being handed £500m in overseas aid

EXCLUSIVE: Figures reveal the exact amount British taxpayers are paying to foreign farmers while our own producers get clobbered by Rachel Reeves.
www.express.co.uk www.express.co.uk

We need to get this shower out quickly. They haven't a clue how to run the country.
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Oh dear. This is a Tory policy that was implemented over a decade ago. Stop being brainwashed by crappy rags.
 
Happy Lady said:
So you think it's OK to take from British farmers, but give to farmers overseas. Unbelievable!

Our farmers need help, lots of help. Charity begins at home.
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Did you miss or ignore this part of the article? Labour is giving farmers more than Tories did and 10 times what they're giving overseas

Environment Secretary Steve Reed insisted that farmers remain the “backbone of Britain” and announced £5 billion into farming over the next two years, the largest amount ever directed towards sustainable food production.
 
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