Tory plans to limit access to your GP

[Guest]

A cap on the number of times patients can visit their GP in a year is being considered by the Conservative Party, it emerged yesterday.

A Tory consultation document on local health provision asks activists whether they agree or disagree with the idea of an annual limit on GP appointments. The paper also asks whether evening and weekend appointments with GPs and consultants are a "luxury the country cannot afford".

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/cap-on-number-of-gp-visits-being-considered-by-tories-8632396.html

[Frances_iom]

you know that the NHS is 'safe' in Tory hands - that nice (+ financially well stacked) Cameron keeps telling us that - a reasonable tax on Google, Amazon, Apple and Starbucks operations in the UK would help considerably to bring in new money.

[greenilex]

What worries me is that people I know tend to visit the GP less frequently than is wise because they don't want to take up Doctor's time.

How dare these youhtful idiots curtail the services we have paid for over a lifetime?

[Sir Velo]

Agree that new or acute symptoms should always be subject to proper qualified medical evaluation but there are clearly hypochondriacs and valetudinarians who take up unnecessary GP time and resources. Some chronic conditions, or simple maladies like the common cold do not require high level medical expertise or ongoing routine examination. Either a telephone conversation with the receptionist, duty GP or renewal of prescription is probably sufficient in many cases.

[MrGongGong]

Given that Cameron had a disabled son I guess he has used up all his GP tokens then.... ? :yikes:

FFS how do we stop these dangerous cretins from ruining more lives in the cause of propping up their mates ?

Next time I have to go for an MRI scan I expect them to tell me that because i've "spent" my allocation so will either have to pay up or go away :grr:

So called "common sense" ideas (as expressed by Sir Velo) often turn out to be counter productive and even much more expensive in the long run. Treatment for addiction being the classic case, it's more expensive to pay for someone to be in prison than to treat the causes of why they end up there in the first place.

The really dangerous thing is there is NO "democratic" way of getting rid of these fools and , as with Gove, no way of engaging in any discussion .......
Maybe people only get ill on purpose ? :yikes:

[Bryn]

Agree that new or acute symptoms should always be subject to proper qualified medical evaluation but there are clearly hypochondriacs and valetudinarians who take up unnecessary GP time and resources. Some chronic conditions (e.g. obesity; diabetes type 2; etc) are either largely self inflicted or are unlikely to require ongoing routine examination. Either a telephone conversation with the receptionist, duty GP or renewal of prescription is probably sufficient in many cases.

You really must get up to date re. obesity, Sir Velo. A strong genetic predisposition has recently been established, and several errant genes identified. I would not be at all surprised to hear that a similar genetic link applies re. type 2 diabetes.

See, for instance, http://sciencenordic.com/seven-new-g...ity-identified

[Beef Oven]

Agree that new or acute symptoms should always be subject to proper qualified medical evaluation but there are clearly hypochondriacs and valetudinarians who take up unnecessary GP time and resources. Some chronic conditions (e.g. obesity; diabetes type 2; etc) are either largely self inflicted or are unlikely to require ongoing routine examination. Either a telephone conversation with the receptionist, duty GP or renewal of prescription is probably sufficient in many cases.

Good points :ok:

Don't expect any sensible responses based on how the service works on the ground - this is Radio3 'forumland' where you'll just get 'anti-privilege/toff/equal-rights' polemic, whether it's marriage, terrorism or pastis :laugh:

[Beef Oven]

What worries me is that people I know tend to visit the GP less frequently than is wise because they don't want to take up Doctor's time.

How dare these youhtful idiots curtail the services we have paid for over a lifetime?

Is it ok to use someone's age as part of an assessment as to whether or not they are sensible or an idiot?

And what about the people who have recently become part of our country from far away places who haven't paid for these services all their lives? Is it a different argument for them? Do we have a two-tier entitlement rationale?

[MrGongGong]

Good points :ok:
:

Are they ?
or are they "received wisdom" ?

Here's a sensible response based on "how the service works on the ground"

I have had the what what would be described as "mild" symptoms
but ended up in a bed attached to several machines and tubes etc in the space of 2 hours ........

We are ALL only temporarily "able bodied" and the journey from being in fine health to being in intensive care can be very short indeed

[Beef Oven]

Are they ?
or are they "received wisdom" ?

Here's a sensible response based on "how the service works on the ground"

I have had the what what would be described as "mild" symptoms
but ended up in a bed attached to several machines and tubes etc in the space of 2 hours ........

We are ALL only temporarily "able bodied" and the journey from being in fine health to being in intensive care can be very short indeed

MrGG, that's not the point. Years ago I was told to go away and simply take an aspirin for my temperature and headache, and I ended up on a life-support system and was in hospital for 7 weeks! It's irrelevant!!!

Calm down. This is not about politics, it's about making the service work on the ground for all of us.

You should be more worried about buying a 'Friday afternoon Ford Focus' (read having a surgical procedure on a Friday or at the weekend in a NHS hospital) :biggrin:

[MrGongGong]

MrGG, that's not the point. Years ago I was told to go away and simply take an aspirin for my temperature and headache, and I ended up on a life-support system and was in hospital for 7 weeks! It's irrelevant!!!

Calm down. This is not about politics, it's about making the service work on the ground for all of us.

You should be more worried about buying a 'Friday afternoon Ford Focus' (read having a surgical procedure on a Friday or at the weekend in a NHS hospital) :biggrin:

Surely your point also contradicts what Sir V says ?
and it IS about politics
as the people suggesting this aren't the ones who will use it
I don't trust ANY of them to "make the service work"

but you are right about days

don't order fish on a Monday
and don't get sick at the weekend

[Beef Oven]

Surely your point also contradicts what Sir V says ?
and it IS about politics
as the people suggesting this aren't the ones who will use it
I don't trust ANY of them to "make the service work"

but you are right about days

don't order fish on a Monday
and don't get sick at the weekend

Best avoid politics, it clouds the issues. For example, in post #3, greenilex is spot-on, but I responded in 'the radio3Forumland' pc/pretend-socialist manner, so the very germane observation in that post could lost. Happens a lot - it's what we do here.

Can't remember what day it was the GP told me to take an aspirin. He's lucky it was before the 'human rights/sue on account of a bent eye-lash days' :laugh:

[amateur51]

What worries me is that people I know tend to visit the GP less frequently than is wise because they don't want to take up Doctor's time.

How dare these youhtful idiots curtail the services we have paid for over a lifetime?

They'll rue the day they even mentioned it, greenilex - old people vote

[amateur51]

Is it ok to use someone's age as part of an assessment as to whether or not they are sensible or an idiot?

And what about the people who have recently become part of our country from far away places who haven't paid for these services all their lives? Is it a different argument for them? Do we have a two-tier entitlement rationale?

Hope you don't fall ill in Hungary Beefy :whistle:

[Beef Oven]

Hope you don't fall ill in Hungary Beefy :whistle:

That's not a very nice post. You have a nasty side to you, don't you?