Doctors read my mind

[IR35 Avoider]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1875521.ece

Charging patients for the most convenient appointments of the day is one of my policies.

There are many times when I would gladly have paid for a more convenient appointment in order to minimise loss of earnings, but the option didn't exist.

By definition not everyone can have the most convenient appointment times (or be operated on by the most experienced surgeon.) Auctioning off these premium services to the highest bidder is a sensible way of integrating private and public funding. It doesn't contradict NHS equality ethos since these services are then defined as ones (like "to expensive" cancer drugs) that fall outside the definition of what the NHS provides. At the same time, because the person is only paying for the premium aspect of the service, and not the basic components, they're not paying for their treatment twice, as happens when higher-rate tax payers pay for private treatment.

[chicane]

Personally, I think the fact that I contribute to this country should, in itself, allow me greater flexibility than the work-dodgers in whatever medical treatment I need. Without the need to pay yet another stealth tax.

[threaded]

Personally, I think the fact that I contribute to this country should, in itself, allow me greater flexibility than the work-dodgers in whatever medical treatment I need. Without the need to pay yet another stealth tax.

Agreed! You are already paying extra, because you pay taxes!

[swamp]

Medicentre costs £59 for half an hour, and it's open Saturday and Sunday.

It gets no state subsidy (AFAIK), so how can GPs on the NHS expect to charge £20?!!

I'll have my taxes back and pay £59 when I need it.

[Churchill]

Medicentre costs £59 for half an hour, and it's open Saturday and Sunday.

It gets no state subsidy (AFAIK), so how can GPs on the NHS expect to charge £20?!!

I'll have my taxes back and pay £59 when I need it.

Where's your social conscience?

[hyperD]

Where's your social conscience?

I think it went when I saw loud, kebab eating slappers mit kindern having free accomodation.

I wondered where 40% (rising by 20% a year) of my council tax was going.

[Rantor]

I think it went when I saw loud, kebab eating slappers mit kindern having free accomodation.

I wondered where 40% (rising by 20% a year) of my council tax was going.

Another Guardian journalist vents his rage....

[SizeZero]

PATIENTS should be charged £20 for the convenience of seeing their GP for a 10-minute appointment in the evening or on a Saturday morning, according to doctors’ leaders.

If you are so ill that you need a doctor in the evening or Saturday, a home visit, then you wont mind paying. If you don't work - there's no reason why you can't get a daytime appointment.

Two of my best friends are doctors in Northern towns with high ethnic populations. There is a growing number of a particular ethnic group which requires the man of the house to be present when his wife or children are examined. These men usually work very long hours during the day and can't see any reason why the GP out-of-hours service shouldn't fit around their shifts, rather than the other way around. They think nothing of ringing the on-call service to get a GP out to deal with their child's influenza at 11pm. This is a massive strain on their out-of-hours service and means genuine people who need urgent medical care (but can't get to an A&E unit) are waiting for hours.

Incidently, if you call a vet out at that time to your pet, it's around a £50 call out charge, iirc?

[angusglover]

I think it went when I saw loud, kebab eating slappers mit kindern having free accomodation.

I wondered where 40% (rising by 20% a year) of my council tax was going.

Well said that man!!!!!

[Old Greg]

Seeing as we all pay so much in taxes anyway, perhaps they should waive the £20 fee for those inside IR35.