Doctors Receptionists

[VectraMan]

You should be aware of early warning signs yourself and go to the doctor, that's what GPs are for.

Isn't that exactly what we're complaining about? People who think their mild headache is an early warning of a brain tumour and so go to the doctor. That is after all what GPs are for.

I'd bet, that if everybody got 15 minutes with a doctor once per year, not only would you catch potential health problems earlier, but there'd also be a lot less people clogging up the surgeries for silly reasons.

[d000hg]

Since many/most diseases need scans and blood tests, you also need those thrown in. The early warning test of (T2) diabetes is "am I overweight and eat a lot of crap" which doesn't require a doctor really.

[IR35 Avoider]

Introduce a fixed charge of some nominal amount for each visit to the GP, say £20-30

That's exactly what I would have said, except that I now know (from similar topic on Mumsnet) that GPs only get paid about £10 per appointment. So our "nominal amount" should be enough to double/triple GP availability.

[vetran]

Actually type II Diabetes isn't just due to obesity or poor health decisions, as usual the medical profession blame the patient when they have no idea. There is a racial & genetic component as well as lifestyle choices.

It is off course easy to blame fatties or people who aren't olympic runners.

it can easily happen if you is black or have high blood pressure.

It is MOST LIKELY to happen if you are fat but other reasons can cause it, so glad you lot aren't running the health service.

[vetran]

I'm all for organising health screens annually

I'm pretty sure an annual health screen would really help prevent disease, and yes many people would ignore the warning but like smoking many people would change and give up.

Cost wise I suspect it could be got down to the £100 mark, peanuts compared to lifelong BP or diabetes drugs.

[minestrone]

If a GP has 2000 patients, can see 40 a day and works 200 days a year...

Once a year meetings is just not going to happen, ever, and it results in negligible clinical benefits as well I am told. You get tested for stuff when you get to ages when they are a danger, females are more aware of that than men.

[VectraMan]

If a GP has 2000 patients, can see 40 a day and works 200 days a year...

They can see each patient 4 times a year. What's your problem?

[minestrone]

They can see each patient 4 times a year. What's your problem?

2169 patients & 124 consultations per week.

[SueEllen]

If a GP has 2000 patients, can see 40 a day and works 200 days a year...

Once a year meetings is just not going to happen, ever, and it results in negligible clinical benefits as well I am told. You get tested for stuff when you get to ages when they are a danger, females are more aware of that than men.

Agreed.

There are some diseases that are best left alone i.e. signs of very early prostate cancer as many men die of something completely unrelated before the disease starts giving them symptoms.

[vetran]

yeah why bother with prostate cancer screening?

Prostate cancer survival statistics : Cancer Research UK

Ten year survival = 68%

you are only 9% more likely to die from it than breast cancer which has an expensive & extensive screening programme.

Breast cancer survival statistics : Cancer Research UK

Ten year survival rate 77%