Charging for missed GP appointments?

Biblioklept

I've just been reading the Rishi is planning to push ahead with charging people £10 for missed GP appointments and wondered what people thought??

66Mustang

I'd pay far more than £10 to be able to go to an appointment to see my GP!

Biblioklept

Just adding a few quotes from people more knowledgeable than me:

Dr Banfield from BMA said this in July:

“It’s terribly disappointing that the candidates standing to be the next prime minister seem to have so little understanding of the reality facing our NHS, or what it will take to turnaround the impact of the Government’s repeated mistakes and the now mammoth backlog of care.

“This latest suggestion would likely make matters worse. Charging patients for missed appointments would not only undermine the essential trust between doctor and patient, but ultimately threaten the fundamental principle that the NHS delivers free care at the point of need, for all. The BMA has always stood firmly against the idea of charging patients for missed appointments. 

“While it is frustrating when patients do not attend, the reasons why this happens should be investigated rather than simply resorting to punishing them. Financially penalising patients inevitably impacts the poorest and most vulnerable in the community. This may discourage them from rebooking, exacerbating already worsening health inequalities and costing the NHS more. 

“Instead of reheating ideas that are of no practical value, the next prime minister should be urgently seeking to restore the confidence of the profession in this Government by tackling the huge losses in pay suffered over the last decade, scrapping the unfair pensions tax rules forcing many experienced clinicians out of the NHS, and ensuring the NHS is adequately resourced for the huge challenges it faces.”

Biblioklept

And Dr Howsam from Royal College of GPs said:

"GPs and our teams are working under intense workload and workforce pressures, delivering increasingly complex care to increasing numbers of patients while numbers of qualified, full time equivalent family doctors is falling despite the Government’s manifesto promise of 6,000 more GPs by 2024.

"When patients miss appointments, it's frustrating as these are appointments that could have been used for other patients. But charging for appointments is not the answer. It would fundamentally change the principle that the NHS is free at the point of need and would likely impact on our most vulnerable patients most - and it would add another layer of bureaucracy to a GP service already drowning in red tape.

"We also need to remember there are many reasons why this might happen. For some patients, missing appointments can be a sign that something more serious is going on, and that follow-up action is needed. For some, it will have been a case of human error. For others, particularly if the appointment was longstanding, it may have no longer been needed. 

"Practice teams work hard to ensure patients are aware of their appointments by sending reminders by text and email or encouraging them to manage their appointments online or through the NHS app.

"What is essential is that patients who are able to who no longer need their appointment, contact the surgery as soon as they can to let them know they won’t be attending, so that consultations can be offered to other patients. 

"Ultimately, the bigger issue affecting patients’ ability to access GP care and services is the workload and workforce pressures family doctors and our teams are working under."

Biblioklept

Teddybear12 said:

If It was easy to cancel an appointment I would say ok. But getting though to most GP's in my area is a nightmare. So I would say no. 

Yep!! This is so true. The only way to cancel appointments is to call (which I can't do) and also I know people are waiting over an hour sometimes to get through so it's no wonder people can't sit waiting an hour to cancel an appointment!!

Biblioklept

66Mustang said:

I'd pay far more than £10 to be able to go to an appointment to see my GP!

This made me laugh Are yours still not doing face to face or just don't have any availability??

Sandy_123

Thing is sometimes a gp call is not at the time they say, so you can presume there not going to call, or you may be at another appointment. As said if I ring my gp surgery, it can take up to half an hour before someone answers and sometime getting cut off.
Also when I arrive at the time for appointment I can still be waiting 20 minutes

leeCal

That’s true @Sandy_123, I have to see a nurse once a month and she often keeps me waiting ten minutes plus. Also, although I have this regular need to see a nurse I have to make a new appointment every time! Really annoying. 

Ive never missed an appointment...so far anyway. 

Sandy_123

I'm lucky there then as nurses always make the appointments for next time. I see nurses more then drs

woodbine

I'm waiting for GP's to goi on strike so I can join them on the picket line and actually get to see one 😂

L_Volunteer

What an insightful and....interesting thread! If anyone else wishes to respond to this thread, please feel free to.

In the meantime, please don't hesitate to reach out to us if we can do anything to help. We are all here and listening to each other 

Sparklebright63

Hi there

I can usually get a Gp appointment when needed I have one for Nov booked in.
But sometimes have to wait for an appointment.

Sparklebright63.

Lisatho11987777

My drs surgery already  charges for missed appointments unless you phone or go into cancel or can prove you had a valid reason .

They also charge for a drs letter  or has to put information on a form for you also 10.00 

It does stop people who waste appointments 

Semrete

I think it's Disgraceful that this Tory Government have been allowed to PRIVATISE most of our NHS since the David Cameron days and before... I would rather pay £10.00 a week more in my National Insurance Contributions than be forced to buy Private Medical Insurance as they have in the USA, which is exactly what The Tories want to do in The UK.... so that they can make Millions of Pounds in Profits for themselves while people suffer in PAIN and DIE....  GOD HELP US ALL....

RetroRemix

I don't know, in principle it sounds like a good idea, but won't it become a Sipperley slope that would lead eventually lead one day to charging to even see a GP, as they do in the US?

And despite what the media loves to say, the NHS is not free... it's being paid for by our taxes and NI, so wouldn't we effectively be being charged twice for the same thing, if it leads to us eventually having to pay to see a GP?

What if those charges also increase? To £50? Then £100 and maybe even more? It would stop time wasters sure, but it would also stop many of us being able to afford Doctors appointments (To make and miss them, which is sometimes not the fault of the patient) unless we have insurance of some kind.

You might be happy at paying a lot more than £10, but with the rapid rising prices of everything, can you seriously still be saying the same even a year from now?

janer1967

What would be better is chasing up and recovering charges for those people who are not eligible for free NHS services 

Or making sure alternative provision is in place at earliest opportunity 

Padraig

I have many thoughts on this matter a couple are -

— those of us that are disabled and have fluctuating conditions do not know until the morning of the appointment wether we can attend so late cancellation fee?

- this reinforces the current trend for e-appointments and phone calls to replace GP appointments. Is the next step to outsource them to cheaper countries such as India?

- GP practices are NOT part of the NHS despite using the language, signage and nursing staff uniforms they are all contractors. They operate on a ‘for profit’ businesses in the form of legal partnerships such as a Solicitors practices are. Their primary focus is on profit not patients. Indeed, across the country these partnerships are merging to form streamlined hubs with lower costs to partners. In my town two out of three are merging in a friends town four are merging.

Charging for missed appointments goes into the coffers of the partnership NOT the NHS. It is another income stream for them. As is being given so many options that it takes five minutes to select through them before being put in a queue. These long calls generate income.

Wibbles

leeCal said:

That’s true @Sandy_123, I have to see a nurse once a month and she often keeps me waiting ten minutes plus. Also, although I have this regular need to see a nurse I have to make a new appointment every time! Really annoying. 

Ive never missed an appointment...so far anyway. 

Are you seriously complaining that you are forced to wait 10 minutes "plus"  to see a nurse ?

Sorry - but I have had to wait over an hour on ocassion to see a Doctor or Nurse

They do have other patients and cannot predict how long their appointments may take

Padraig

@leeCal    I think if you want to avoid a ten minute wait, which I find acceptable but I’m not in your shoes friend) then make the appointment as near to the start of appointments as possible to avoid delay. You might be unfortunate enough to be behind me and my appointments always over run as I have four co-morbid conditions to deal with. My previous GP of over 20 years used to book a double slot with me (20 mins). The new GP won’t or can’t because of IT system so overruns every time. So if you book later in day these things add up and cause delay. 

But saying that mornings are my worst time so I have to book from lunchtime onwards!

Badbunny

While people missing appointments is annoying, this may penalise the most-vulnerable people as many elderly and disabled people rely on ring and ride, lifts, taxis, etc - and if the lift or taxi is late or does not turn up, then they cannot get to an appointment on time but it is not their fault.  It is also difficult to get through on the phone to let the surgery know that you are running late.  People on zero hours contracts, etc, often have to work or work late at short notice.  

Biblioklept

Badbunny said:

While people missing appointments is annoying, this may penalise the most-vulnerable people as many elderly and disabled people rely on ring and ride, lifts, taxis, etc - and if the lift or taxi is late or does not turn up, then they cannot get to an appointment on time but it is not their fault.  It is also difficult to get through on the phone to let the surgery know that you are running late.  People on zero hours contracts, etc, often have to work or work late at short notice.  

Yep I agree with this!! Especially the part where it would penalise the most vulnerable. GPs have even said the same but since when do the Gov listen to the experts?