Choice of a Doctor?

[observer]

Do you really want a "choice" of Doctor, any Doctor, anywhere OR do you want to sign up to the surgery nearest to your family home (catchment area). Who knows, you might get a Doctor that is familiar with your family history and your personal medical history, and you could even walk to the surgery too?!

[inky pete]

The local GP practice would be fine if I could just "walk in" whenever it was convenient for me - as I can with just about every other service business I use.

 

As it is I have to predict when I'm going to be ill in order to make an appointment days in advance and then take time off work to attend - because God forbid the poor old ?100K p.a. GP's should have to be available at times and places when their customers can easily access them!

 

It's no wonder that so many conditions which are easily treated in the early stages go un-diagnosed, especially in men. It's such a hassle getting to see a GP these days that most people wouldn't bother for what appear to be minor symptoms, they'll wait until they've either had the same symptoms for weeks or until things are getting more serious.

[Peter T]

MORE Lab. nonsense.

Are they going to employ more Doctors to man these over-subscribed surgeries???

[Lt Kije]

And what would you do Peter T

[Bazj]

I wonder if the Queens physician is working on the NHS? I quite fancy having the same doctor as her maj..... as Peter says, a complete load of nonsense in reality.

 

My surgery at Folly lane is able to give me an appointment the same day if I phone about 9am so why can't they all?

 

It is alll about management and staffing. Get that right and you don't need Gordons Gimmicks to make it all work!

[Lt Kije]

 

You forget Baz who gave the money to your practice to get the staffing

[Bazj]

Well to be honest, I have used the place since the day it was opened and they still seem to have the same number of doctors as they always did. They have a staff nurse that does the blood taking injectiony stuff and a few people in the office and then about 6 doctors.

 

And yes, the Labour Government have poured countless billions into the NHS; more indeed than the Torys did. However, since the Torys left power, there has been a huge rise in staffing which leads to increased pay, pensions, sick pay etc. as well as increases in drus prices and the like and also an increase in the NHS funding stuff they shouldn't like IVF (My little boy is an IVF baby but we paid privately to do so and it cost in excess of ?5,000.00 so tmes that by however many are done via the NHS and you get an idea!!)

 

I would guess in real terms, the funding has had to increase massively just to keep standing still

 

I can see a big confrontation with the unions when the next government (Labour or Tory (or maybe even Lib Dem - put that in for the sake of correctness, and a good laugh too)) start to cut funding as they will have to.

[observer]

It's the same arguement as "choice" of schooling - every hypocondriac in the Country will be moving to what they perceive as the "best practise" creating demand for expanded surgeries etc, while those that cannot afford to be so mobile will have to use their "local" sink surgery. What IS needed, is that ALL surgeries operate to a high but common standard, are available in one's locality, and we quit this perpetual triumph of Nu-Lab superficiality over substance.

[Peter T]

And what would you do Peter T

 

Find out what the REAL problem is and address it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Paul Kennedy]

 

You forget Baz who gave the money to your practice to get the staffing

 

Taxpayers.

[Paul Kennedy]

And yes, the Labour Government have poured countless billions into the NHS; more indeed than the Torys did.

 

Indeed that is very true, during the term of this Labour Government, taxpayers have tripled their funding of the NHS. And it is for taxpayers to consider that level of expenditure and decide if it has been worthwhile, well spent and represents value for money.

 

Personally I'm totally committed to the principle of the NHS, that is it is funded out of general taxation and free at the point of use. However, where it fails is in its structure which would need to be radically altered, something along the lines that most hospitals would be run by the private sector, scrapping of PCTs and the like and return of "cottage hospitals" which would provide GP services, A&E and minor injury units on a round the clock basis. That I think would probably cut out most of the vast bureaucratic waste and focus resourses on front line patient care.

 

PS worth noting that the GP service is already a private sector provider which contracts itself to the NHS.

[Paul Kennedy]

And what would you do Peter T

 

Find out what the REAL problem is and address it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I suspect that the real problem might be that the NHS is expected to be all things to all people, so maybe those expectations will need to be limited, coupled to which for many employees...and indeed suppliers it is the "golden goose that lays the golden egg".

[observer]

Be interested if Cameron agrees with you Paul?! Since it's creation, GPs have always been "contracted" to the NHS, and that's been part of the problem; ALL NHS staff, including Consultants should be employees of the NHS, thus curbing their time out on private practise.

[Paul Kennedy]

I can see a big confrontation with the unions when the next government start to cut funding as they will have to.

 

Indeed, the most powerful of which is the BMA, not often thought of as a union, but that is in effect what it is, and crikey haven't they done well for their members over the years. In the last four for instance they have got a pay rise of 50% for their GP members.

[observer]

Due to NuLab incompetance in organising remuneration, same with Dentists - a complete c**k up imo. Be interested in seeing which Party can develope systems to ensure every tax-payers Pound goes into front line service provision and eliminates waste? They could start in the NHS by stopping funding for sex change ops and IVF treatments - and get back to servicing need not want.

[Paul Kennedy]

ALL NHS staff, including Consultants should be employees of the NHS, thus curbing their time out on private practise.

 

In fairness "moonlighting" is becoming far more controlled, so much so that some doctors have opted to leave the NHS altogether, work for private hospitals...albeit then doing some NHS work in those hospitals. Agency, or bank nurses as they are sometimes known, is another interesting area to look at.

 

Interestingly, in the idea I put forward in an earlier post, the NHS wouldn't have that many direct employees as such.

[observer]

The "bank nursing" system is a joke, designed to cover under-manning and is more expensive. Re your last para, I thought there would be a catch!

[inky pete]

The "under-manning" problem stems, in part at least, from the excessively generous holiday entitlements enjoyed by most nursing staff. I know one nurse who gets around 35 days holiday each year - plus the 8 public holidays or double time AND time off in lieu if they are worked. Most years she spends 2 to 3 weeks of her leave time working as a bank nurse, and has even been used as a bank nurse to cover for her own absence!

[wolfie]

I know one nurse who gets around 35 days holiday each year

 

Isn't that the norm?

[inky pete]

I know one nurse who gets around 35 days holiday each year

 

Isn't that the norm?

 

7 weeks???? Not for anyone with a real job!!!

[Lt Kije]

Got to agree with Obs, Doctors should be employees

[observer]

Touch of envy creeping in there Inky; IF conditions of service are generous in the public sector, it's a result of TU involvement and fair minded employers. Why is it, that we seem to resent other workers with better conditions, rather than sorting our own out and/or pointing to those at the top of the tree who really are ripping the back out the system - like MPs?

[inky pete]

Get real Obs.

 

7 weeks holiday, ?30,000 per year for a senior nurse, gold plated pension, and an income completely unrelated to an individuals personal outputs. If businesses were that generous they'd go to the wall in no time.

[Evil Sid]

i have few problems getting to see my doctor but over the years i have had to travel further. his first practice was at the end of the street where i lived. he then moved to palmyra square which was not to bad and now has a practice on wilderspool causeway. again not too bad as they have off street parking.

 

Mrs sid's doctor has one practice just around the corner about thirty seconds walk, but the last few times we have had to see her doctor we had to go to the other practice in orford lane.

 

as for calling and getting n appointment i have not had too much trouble and have even managed to get an appointment the same day but that was a special case as i was very ill at the time and having a "dicky ticker" was given an appointment.

 

always remember one time trying to get an appointment for my dad at his doctors. the phone line for appointments were opened at half eight. i called at 8:29 and got the automated please call again at 8:30. ended call and hit redial as by then it had just gone 8:30 and ended up with the message that i was in a queue. less than a minute later i reached the receptionist anly to be told that all that days appointments were booked up and to call in the morning.

 

went through that same procedure for four days in a row and on the fourth finally got annoyed enough to ask the receptionist for an appointment the next day. "oh we can't do that you have to call on the day" i then explained about my father and told them that he had been told to make an appointment by the specialist at the hospital and why. two minutes later we were informed that we had an appointment for that afternoon.

 

oops long winded post again. started off as a quick post and turned into war and peace

[observer]

Suggest Ink; that you stop tugging your forlocks, and start looking UP the ladder at the conditions of our leaders (CEOs and Politicians) who supposedley lead by example; rather than engaging in a rat race with your peers.