Reply to: Give us your wonga to keep the NHS longer

[vetran]

If it's anything that could be serious go straight to hospital, you will be seen quicker

we did that, our little one at 6 months was coughing badly so we took her to the doctor picked up some penicillin, she would be better in a couple of days apparently. A couple of nights later she was having trouble breathing at 4am so my wife took her down to A&E she was put on oxygen & ventolene.

she recovered fine and 2 days later my wife got a call demanding to know why my wife didn't wait to go to her doctor as the A&E is for emergencies, she was quite restrained on the phone.

[VectraMan]

No, but it will just about cover the cost of collecting the tax and prosecuting people for non payment.

A similar example is the London congestion charge which brings in revenues of £250 million per year but costs £130 million to administer leaving very little profit for TfL. There is probably a fair amount of wastage in the collection of revenue and enforcement of the tax disc that vehicles have to display though the government are too stupid to scrap that either.

Yes but the point of the congestion charge is to stop congestion, not to raise revenue. Even if an extra NHS tax ran at a net loss, if the end result was making the NHS operate much better, it'd be worth it.

[d000hg]

A similar example is the London congestion charge which brings in revenues of £250 million per year but costs £130 million to administer leaving very little profit for TfL.

£130m is quite a lot.

There is probably a fair amount of wastage in the collection of revenue and enforcement of the tax disc that vehicles have to display though the government are too stupid to scrap that either.

Except they already did.

[MicrosoftBob]

I would pay that if I could ring up in the morning and see my GP the same day! Last time I rang up the earliest appointment they had was 4 days later, I would likely be better (or dead!) by then...

If it's anything that could be serious go straight to hospital, you will be seen quicker

[Wanderer]

More to the point will a tenner a month actually cover the cost? I think not...

No, but it will just about cover the cost of collecting the tax and prosecuting people for non payment.

A similar example is the London congestion charge which brings in revenues of £250 million per year but costs £130 million to administer leaving very little profit for TfL. There is probably a fair amount of wastage in the collection of revenue and enforcement of the tax disc that vehicles have to display though the government are too stupid to scrap that either.

How governments ever think it's a good idea to raise tulipty little taxes here there and everywhere is way beyond me.

[SueEllen]

Perhaps if there was a small charge to see your GP the waiting room at the surgery wouldn't so full to begin with

If we had more GPs to cover for the fact lots of them - both male and female - are part-timers now then maybe you wouldn't have to wait a week.

May be we will have to decrease GPs pay again and import doctors from abroad like in the 70s. Lots of Polish doctors speak English.....

[d000hg]

You'd think so but seeing as prescriptions are free in Wales, doctor's waiting rooms are full to capacity most of the time.

I didn't realise you were talking about Wales. Everyone's on benefits so wouldn't have to pay the charge anyway.

[sasguru]

Absolwent
Belvedere
Cracovia

ah yes I forgot those - most Poles seem to be on them - no wonder liver disease is increasing on the NHS.

[The Spartan]

A token charge might help, but those on free healthcare would still not have to pay. Considering those in work have to take time off or go to the trouble to get to an appointment though, I don't think the majority are just strolling in over ever sneeze or itch in the first place.

You'd think so but seeing as prescriptions are free in Wales, doctor's waiting rooms are full to capacity most of the time.

[vetran]

Really? And can you name some of these clinically-trialled drugs that were invented in Poland?

Absolwent
Belvedere
Cracovia

[d000hg]

Perhaps if there was a small charge to see your GP the waiting room at the surgery wouldn't so full to begin with

A token charge might help, but those on free healthcare would still not have to pay. Considering those in work have to take time off or go to the trouble to get to an appointment though, I don't think the majority are just strolling in over ever sneeze or itch in the first place.

[sasguru]

What?????? If by recent immigrants you mean people like me, you just make me laugh. We have million times better doctors and nurses than UK and our drugs actually used to work. That is until Glaxo put their hands on our Polfa. I am in BUPA, but If I am seriously unwell and I need something checked and treated, be it dental, optical, tests or general issues, I always go home, where I know that I will be treated by the best.

You can enjoy that in UK version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR8tIjTykbE

Really? And can you name some of these clinically-trialled drugs that were invented in Poland?

[mos]

No mention of the recent influx of immigrants given instant free access to first world health care often to correct congenital defects - or the health tourists

What?????? If by recent immigrants you mean people like me, you just make me laugh. We have million times better doctors and nurses than UK and our drugs actually used to work. That is until Glaxo put their hands on our Polfa. I am in BUPA, but If I am seriously unwell and I need something checked and treated, be it dental, optical, tests or general issues, I always go home, where I know that I will be treated by the best.

You can enjoy that in UK version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR8tIjTykbE

[The Spartan]

Perhaps if there was a small charge to see your GP the waiting room at the surgery wouldn't so full to begin with

[sasguru]

The problem here is that any suggestion of payment for healthcare gets portrayed as an attack on the poor, or the welfare state, or as part of a big right-wing elitist conspiracy and becomes a major political issue (even though we already pay for prescriptions, and indeed parking at hospitals). Whereas clearly having a small fee works pretty well for the French, doesn't appear to cause terrible harm to the poor or anyone else, and more importantly makes the standard of care much higher.

That's it in a nutshell. For anyone who works in Health Economics it's clear the UK system is unsustainable in its present form.