Pay deposit before NHS appointments?
Discussion
What do people think about this?
Pay deposit on making your appointment.
Lose it if you fail to attend.
In my dental practices, the only sanction for patients who fail to attend appointments is to refuse further appointments. We do this if someone fails 2 appointments in 2 years. If someone fails their first appointment, we won't see them again. Audits show that, on average, 50% of patients fail their first appointment.
Failed appointments lead to the practice not reaching targets and losing funding.
Pay deposit on making your appointment.
Lose it if you fail to attend.
In my dental practices, the only sanction for patients who fail to attend appointments is to refuse further appointments. We do this if someone fails 2 appointments in 2 years. If someone fails their first appointment, we won't see them again. Audits show that, on average, 50% of patients fail their first appointment.
Failed appointments lead to the practice not reaching targets and losing funding.
Yes, 100%.
The system is creaking for lots of reasons which don’t involve Governmental cuts and every little helps.
I am astonished at how people just can’t be arsed making appointments, etc. Maybe I’m just old.
Went to my NHS dentist today. Thought it was going to be checkup but on examination he decided a slow growing cavity needed filling. Want it done now? Yes please.
Out 30mins later. £62 all in. Can’t fault that.
The system is creaking for lots of reasons which don’t involve Governmental cuts and every little helps.
I am astonished at how people just can’t be arsed making appointments, etc. Maybe I’m just old.
Went to my NHS dentist today. Thought it was going to be checkup but on examination he decided a slow growing cavity needed filling. Want it done now? Yes please.
Out 30mins later. £62 all in. Can’t fault that.
jakesmith said:
Brilliant idea but as likely to happen as legalising all drugs ie it needs doing but is too politically toxic. Just think of all the people out there who will claim they haven't got a credit card, haven't got £10. 100,000's of deaths will be caused by it etc, outrage
^^^It's just handing ammunition to Labour for the next election.
I’d be fine too, doesn’t need to be much as even £10 may make people stop and think.
Likewise get rid of free prescriptions and charge a nominal fee to discourage those seeing a GP for Paracetamol that costs 30p.
Trouble is it will penalise the poorest and I don’t feel strongly enough to see people suffer as a result.
Likewise get rid of free prescriptions and charge a nominal fee to discourage those seeing a GP for Paracetamol that costs 30p.
Trouble is it will penalise the poorest and I don’t feel strongly enough to see people suffer as a result.
Sometimes missed appointments are a flag (used with other information) to indicate a patient may be unable to care for themselves, has other health/social problems or is ticking some dementia check boxes. It's likely these patients wouldn't bother making appointments at all so would 'disappear' until they needed urgent help. Great idea for fit and healthy people who probably don't need the appointment!
Chest pain three days before pay day. I'll leave it until I've got paid - by which time what could have been a simple angiography is now a high risk CABG - costing many thousands of pounds with a significant risk of future morbidity or mortality.
The first person to die because they didn't have the ready cash to pay, or maybe didn't want to pay will be a political gift to opposition parties. Every year we hear of elderly people who freeze to death because they are too scared to incur costs by not putting the heating on, despite having Cold Weather payments etc. This would be many, many times more toxic.
On a public health issue, imagine someone with a communicable disease, for example TB who doesn't seek treatment - how much to treat a major outbreak of disease that could have been treated very easily.
SD.
The first person to die because they didn't have the ready cash to pay, or maybe didn't want to pay will be a political gift to opposition parties. Every year we hear of elderly people who freeze to death because they are too scared to incur costs by not putting the heating on, despite having Cold Weather payments etc. This would be many, many times more toxic.
On a public health issue, imagine someone with a communicable disease, for example TB who doesn't seek treatment - how much to treat a major outbreak of disease that could have been treated very easily.
SD.
shed driver said:
Chest pain three days before pay day. I'll leave it until I've got paid - by which time what could have been a simple angiography is now a high risk CABG - costing many thousands of pounds with a significant risk of future morbidity or mortality.
The first person to die because they didn't have the ready cash to pay, or maybe didn't want to pay will be a political gift to opposition parties. Every year we hear of elderly people who freeze to death because they are too scared to incur costs by not putting the heating on, despite having Cold Weather payments etc. This would be many, many times more toxic.
On a public health issue, imagine someone with a communicable disease, for example TB who doesn't seek treatment - how much to treat a major outbreak of disease that could have been treated very easily.
SD.
Fair points. We do currently have the ability to completely end care for patients who fail appointments at present though. A system which seems more draconian to me.The first person to die because they didn't have the ready cash to pay, or maybe didn't want to pay will be a political gift to opposition parties. Every year we hear of elderly people who freeze to death because they are too scared to incur costs by not putting the heating on, despite having Cold Weather payments etc. This would be many, many times more toxic.
On a public health issue, imagine someone with a communicable disease, for example TB who doesn't seek treatment - how much to treat a major outbreak of disease that could have been treated very easily.
SD.
Welshbeef said:
What about people who simply don’t have any spare cash the poorest and most needy in society.
I can imagine some old poor people being petrified or starving to build up enough cash for it.
They go to A&E therefore putting additional pressure on a different part of the system.I can imagine some old poor people being petrified or starving to build up enough cash for it.
shed driver said:
Chest pain three days before pay day. I'll leave it until I've got paid - by which time what could have been a simple angiography is now a high risk CABG - costing many thousands of pounds with a significant risk of future morbidity or mortality.
The first person to die because they didn't have the ready cash to pay, or maybe didn't want to pay will be a political gift to opposition parties. Every year we hear of elderly people who freeze to death because they are too scared to incur costs by not putting the heating on, despite having Cold Weather payments etc. This would be many, many times more toxic.
On a public health issue, imagine someone with a communicable disease, for example TB who doesn't seek treatment - how much to treat a major outbreak of disease that could have been treated very easily.
SD.
You don’t have to pay. Surgery can put a hold on whatever amount on a credit card. If the patient turns up the. Charge isn’t taken. The first person to die because they didn't have the ready cash to pay, or maybe didn't want to pay will be a political gift to opposition parties. Every year we hear of elderly people who freeze to death because they are too scared to incur costs by not putting the heating on, despite having Cold Weather payments etc. This would be many, many times more toxic.
On a public health issue, imagine someone with a communicable disease, for example TB who doesn't seek treatment - how much to treat a major outbreak of disease that could have been treated very easily.
SD.
Having said that some people live chaotic lives and have little or no concept of being reliable. Obviously a portion of the elderly will have some form of forgetfulness issues.
It’s never simple.
Just make it so that if you fail on your first appointment, your next one will be 2 weeks+.
stevemcs said:
I'm fine with that, I would also say its non refundable if there is nothing wrong with you.
I agree in principle; someone going into A&E with a cold should be punched until they have a relevant emergency but generally speaking, won't that lead to people not showing up until they know for sure and that might result in things being a lot worse eg stage 4 cancer vs stage 2 cancer?carreauchompeur said:
Yes, 100%.
The system is creaking for lots of reasons which don’t involve Governmental cuts and every little helps.
I am astonished at how people just can’t be arsed making appointments, etc. Maybe I’m just old.
Went to my NHS dentist today. Thought it was going to be checkup but on examination he decided a slow growing cavity needed filling. Want it done now? Yes please.
Out 30mins later. £62 all in. Can’t fault that.
Seems expensive. I went in on Monday, private, needed back tooth out, done in a hour for £100. I don’t really understand why NHS dentistry carries a fee. The system is creaking for lots of reasons which don’t involve Governmental cuts and every little helps.
I am astonished at how people just can’t be arsed making appointments, etc. Maybe I’m just old.
Went to my NHS dentist today. Thought it was going to be checkup but on examination he decided a slow growing cavity needed filling. Want it done now? Yes please.
Out 30mins later. £62 all in. Can’t fault that.
Will these charges work both ways? For instance, if the patient turns up and the consultant has rearranged their diary so that it doesn't include you, will you be able to demand a fee?
(Happened twice to my daughter over the past two years, but at least the nurse on reception was good enough to issue a free car park pass both times.)
(Happened twice to my daughter over the past two years, but at least the nurse on reception was good enough to issue a free car park pass both times.)
Yes and no.
On one hand there is an issue with non-attendance.
On the other hand we should not increase the barriers to healthcare. In talking with our midwife, in some areas mums are "off the radar" (in some communities) and don't even have access to money for a bus fare to the hospital for scans...
So if you means test it then fine... but that is more effort than it is worth.
On one hand there is an issue with non-attendance.
On the other hand we should not increase the barriers to healthcare. In talking with our midwife, in some areas mums are "off the radar" (in some communities) and don't even have access to money for a bus fare to the hospital for scans...
So if you means test it then fine... but that is more effort than it is worth.
I think it's a mindset that will have to change sooner or later, there just won't be enough money available to continue increasing the funding cost of the NHS forever. Maybe start with a very low charge, say £1 and increase it over time so the payments will mean something eventually. In mutinous France you have to pay €25 to see a GP and everybody understands that and accepts it, normally you will get 60% of that refunded through the health service and you can take out a top-up insurance to cover the rest, also, if you a have a proven long term "affliction" (called an ALD) you don't have to pay at all. It all works very well and in my experience it's a superb health service but even with all that funding it still runs a huge deficit.
In New Zealand you pay 25 quid per GP visit, plus any costs of prescriptions. Which I don't mind paying, as I can phone up at short notice and get an appointment that same day and there's minimal waiting time when I arrive.
However, you have to pay about 90 quid if you ever need an Ambulance to a hospital.
However, you have to pay about 90 quid if you ever need an Ambulance to a hospital.
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