Forums Forums National News £20 To See your Doctor

yes, you pay extra for an extra service, but as you said, this is our HEALTH we're talking about.

I don't think it should come down to how much you earn, but as you did mention, perhaps it should apply more to employed and unemployed, with the employed being offered the service and those on the dole not. However, it still doesn't solve the problem that the lower paid workers will have less of an advantage of the service if they cannot afford it.

My point exactly - and thats only a shortlist

Well if and when the idea does come into frutation, we will have no choice.

I don't know if you are both missing my points about things like dentists and waiting lists, or whether you are choosing not take them into account, but they are very valid. And I dont really see anyone kicking up a fuss about them either, even though they are essentially the same.

And dont make me laugh nurses have no money lol Mark, true they are lower paid then the likes of police etc, but man my mum and all her best mates are nurses, and whilst they are always moaning about being underpaid, they always seem to have money free-flowing.

A lot of my mums collegues are on in excess of £20,000 a year, which is above the national average wage, they may cry poverty but in reality there is very few nurses who actually are in poverty. Most are on more then me after my higher rate of taxation (and because I fooked up me tax last year).

And what we also have to realise, is the measly amount we pay in NHS contributions (I think mine is along the lines of £13 a month) we get a hell of a lot more then we actually pay in. We pay a tiny amount and expect the earth from the NHS imho.

Dont forget though, its not compramising any current services - its an extra service.

If current NHS services suffered for the change, then I belive it would be unfair, ie the rich / poor devide. As it is an extra service, and doctors would be working overtime, I belive it may be a fair solution, and maybe better in the way that those willing to pay the £20 may reduce the load / waiting times at A&E and Hospital walk in centers.

The point were getting over to you is that to say "tough luck"
makes me personally angry.

You havent a clue about life or you wouldn't say what you said "Tough Luck"

That's why i have to dismiss your views on this subject,
you obviously have the knowledge but not the life experience of life.

I'm not missing your point about dentists - I'm on a low wage and I struggle to find the money to get a £15 (if not more if I need work done) checkup once evry 6 months.

I don't agree with going private. Wealthier people are usually in better health than those who are poor. So why can't people who are in worse health get treatment quicker?

Because they can't afford it. People are almost penilised on their health because they're poor. It's wrong.

I know it's not as extreme, but it's just like saying it's tough shit for poor people who live in poor countries who can't afford treatment, just let em die.

I forgot nobody knows anything or has a valid opinion on anything unless they are over a certain age - this is the biggest problem with the UK imho.

And you know what the funniest thing is Mark, its the doctors and unions and government who have conceived this plan, and the vast majority of who are all old then even yourself.

Joe, you may struggle to find the £15, I struggle to find money for my dental treatment (im fully private atm cos I have had bad experiences with NHS dentists and hate the waiting times), but what I do is make some sacrifices when I need treatment to pay for it. I think my last dental bill, which included 3 appointments and a new crown amounted to around £280. That was a lot of money, I had to make a lot of sacrifices. I need a filling to replace a temporary one put in last year, its going to cost around £120, I can't afford it atm because I have no care to afford for it, but when I need it, I will cut back on spending on luxuries to ensure I can afford it.

In the month either before or after I need to pay for dental treatment, I tend to use my car less, I cut back on luxury items, I am more careful with my money, basically, I save money in whatever way I can to ensure I can afford the treatment. It's a bitch, but its the only way, as I too am by no means "rich".

Nobody will be penalised for not being "rich", as Stuy says, the services will all still be available for everyone for free, just at slightly less flexible hours unless the person wants to pay the extra fee to be seen at certain times.

Nobody will suddenly lose access to their GP or medical care in general, if anything it will improve things for those who want to pay and may improve things in general as it will make people think twice about going to the GP for stupid things like colds and sore throats, which a LOT of people.

What about people who can barely afford to drive just to get to and from work (or cant even afford it at all)?

And what if luxury items don't exist for poorer people? People barely able to get food and keep a roof over their heads?




But it won't stop these people will it? They will still be able to do it during normal hours.

I can see your point, it's an extra service ontop of the free one available. So those who want it, should pay for it out of their own pocket.

But I'm just basically saying those who cannot afford it, or stuggle to afford it don't really have this extra service available because so.

Lol, well as stated and agreed by Stuy, they will be able to visit their GP in the morning instead and/or use any of the other services freely available to them and everyone else instead.

GP's actually give up a lot of time with thier families working most nights until 8pm, I can see why they feel they should be getting extra. And there are plenty of alterntatives for them people who can't afford it.

Whether we like it or not, this country and the people in the medical profession is "having
" to move towards a more tiered system, and eventually to a system which will closely resemble private care.

Its a LONG way off, but changes like these will come and are needed to sustain the NHS in its current form. The other alternative is for GP's to just stop working during these hours, and then it means nobody can be seen, no matter how important it is - and that wouldnt be a good thing, not least for the fact the strain on the morning surgeries would go through the roof.

Maybe you should cut down on fizzy drinks and sweets. That is a massive amount of money for teeth.

I thought the national minimum wage was £25k'ish?

Average wage is £18,000 per year, dunno where you got £25,000 from lol, most people wish

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285

Uk average of £25k

The average for round here is £22k

£18k jobs are relativly easy to come by, doesn't take much to find one, even with not many skills.

Looooool if you expect me to believe that the average wage is £2,000 per month ye got another thing coming - I know VERY few people who earn that much, up and down the country.

Don't believe government statistics, they are always painted up to look rosey and with loads of spin added.

The first problem we have for most people, is that after taxation of ~20% is taken into account, the wages are quite heavily impacted upon. The second problem of course is that the average includes everyone wages, from Joe Bloggs down the road on £120.00 a week after tax to city execs and high flyers on £6,000 a week to Steven Gerrard on £120,000 a week before tax.

According to BBC money program, after taxation (without considering VAT is added on top of everything we buy in the EU) the national average take home pay is in the region of £18,000 per year, which amounts to around £1500 per month, which is still pretty steep, again these numbers are impacted upon by a very small minority earning ludacris amounts and dont truely represent the actual averaye workers take home pay.

If everyone was taking home £2,000 per month, then nobody would be complaining about bill's as everyone would be rolling in money (there is many double working parent families who take less then £2500 per month home and struggling with kids, if they were taking home £4000 im pretty sure they would be fine).

Ya bet ya life Alistair Campbell had summit to do with them statistics lol.