Forum Topic

Private meds

Just received through post leaflet for The GP Surgery, a private medical centre in Wimbledon. Face to face appointment with GP is £64; blood test £39. Fascinated to note that ear wax microsuction costs £50. Not everyone is aware that ear wax removal is no longer available on NHS. It was quietly dropped a while back. Self-treatment for ear wax is hazardous, but at 50 smackers it may be a temptation.

Alexander MacLeod ● 962d7 Comments

This is an example of the slow and steady dismantling of the NHS that the current Government are trying to sneak through.This is a sly tactic:* Deliberately underfund parts of the NHS* Encourage a paid alternative with very little waiting time* Claim that the NHS provision for this treatment is failing and that the private option is far better (no surprise if you starve the NHS side of funding)* Use this evidence as justification for stopping the free/NHS treatmentDon't confuse this with the NHS paying for private facilities - they've been doing that for years to try and keep waiting lists from getting even sillier than they are - the actual treatments are still free for the patients in these cases. My wife had her hip replaced for free by Bupa despite it being an NHS case and she didn't have to pay a thing.I'd worry if I was a pensioner or didn't have private health care, the future is looking increasingly bleak if you're not lucky enough to have private health care through work, or not rich enough to pay for this kind of thing yourself. Hopefully a change of Government will bring around some proper reform in the NHS and reverse the trend of privatisation-on-the-sly.

John Kettlekey ● 962d

Does this make replacing this government unarguable - even for thoughtful Tories?

Alexander MacLeod ● 962d

Mr KettlekeyApparently -Back in 1990, healthcare spending accounted for 5.1% of the GDP.By 2022, this figure had increased to 11.3%.The UK ranked fourth highest among European countries in terms of healthcare spending as a share of GDP in 2021.Germany led the pack, allocating 12.8% of its GDP to healthcare, followed by France and Austria.How much more do you think we should spend on the NHS ?Should the extra spend come from a rise in personal taxation ?If not, where from ?

John Hawkes ● 962d

A change of government will naje littke change to the nhs we receive at source which in my opinion is pretty good.What needs doing is the dismantling of the  admin, management systems and staff that go with them. But of course a new govt may struggle to do this with their paymaster unions involved. So in my opinion  nothing will change in 5 or even 10 tears under a change of govt.

Andy Pike ● 962d

Just had a ring on my bell, 2 young people from the air ambulance, they said they only have 2 helicopters for this area, and the Government will not give them anymore money.  They are knocking on doors for donations. He said it is only the price of a cup of coffee.  I said I don't go in a cafe and buy coffee. I'm a pensioner.

Barbara Stevens ● 962d

Whilst i hope I'll never need them it is one of my charities of choice with a regular small standing order.SANDS is my other main charity which receive the bulk of my charitable donations.

Andy Pike ● 962d

Reduce the enormous administrative burden that the NHS has.  Some time ago (cannot remember when), with a view to reducing costs, endless managerial and admin posts were added.The doctors and nurses in the NHS are unbelievably good.  Sadly, the infrastructure has been neglected for many years and some hospital are showing signs of deterioration.  Not long ago, at the Royal Free Hospital, a ceiling above the ICU collapsed and all patients had to be moved - RAAC was found in the ceiling ........

Ivonne Holliday ● 962d