Should the NHS charge for such things?

Charleygirl5.... Is right the cost to recoup the money wouldn't be worth it, in a Hospital setting.
The only way is Insurance, then you bill the company.
The NHS is technically a non profit making organisation!

GP land is completely different as the GP's own the practice, they might charge in the future, tbh I would pay to see a GP

Oreo

My point on being fair was a daily food charge to patients in hospitals.

Then I disagree even more. Apart from begging the question about quality of food, what if a patient was not feeling well enough to eat when the food was delivered? But my main criticism is that for many households, having someone in hospital can be very expensive - travelling to see them, paying for parking, taking in a treat. This can cost far more than the amount ‘saved’on a meal at home. And would everyone have to pay regardless of their income level? And how would they pay? Would the servers come round with a card machine? What about infection control? What if their card was declined, would they go without the meal? Or would they be given a bill when they left? What if they wouldn’t pay? What if they died part way through their hospital stay? Would there be a special form for staff to complete to claim from the estate?

MissAdventure

I think they wouldn need fo4get their own house in order, first.
Appointment letters arriving a week after the event, urgent refferals arriving 6 weeks after someone has died, etc, neing unable to reach anyone to change or cancel an appointment.
Appointments being made to discuss blood results when you're unable to get a blood test spring to mind...

Oh yes!
The online docs appointment when he queries what has been done as a result of your last blood test? You must get an appointment with your doctor ASAP.
The blood was taken as part of a previous treatment, not as a routine blood test and no follow up information or suggestions have been made.

I think people who miss appointments should be charged, yes. Meals, it would very much depend on the food quality. However, if charging a small amount improved the food on offer I’d be happy to pay it.

I was in my GP waiting room recently. It’s a big practice. Several did not turn up to their appointments when called over the tannoy. Unless there’s a serious reason why not, then a charge just might concentrate their minds.

As with so many things, the decision not to attend often comes down to personal choice. Increasingly, I find that people put their own personal convenience first, and ignore the impact on others - whether that is the cost to the NHS, or to the hassle for others who were planning to do something social with them.

If we all know at the time of making an appointment that the onus is on us to attend or pay, it is our choice whether to keep it or not. There are always text and email reminders for appointments, with options to cancel or change the appointment, so if something does crop up people can use them, so there should be no need for judgement over what is an acceptable reason or not - either you go or you don't.

Appointments not made by the patient should be exempt until they confirm them, and if there is no confirmation before a given time (eg 2 days before) the appointment should automatically cancel. That way, appointment letters that arrive late, or arrive to coincide with the patient being on holiday etc, will be provisional until the patient has seen and agreed to them. Appointments show up on the NHS app, too, so people could confirm them on there if they are not in to pick up a letter - I find that I am notified by text of letters before they arrive.

Any charge should, IMO, be applied to all. If we start means-testing there will be those with carte blanche to please themselves, and others with only slightly higher budgets who are penalised.

As regards paying for meals, I am less sure about that. Personally, I would much prefer to pay for something I enjoyed eating, but wouldn't want to see anyone unable to afford a meal - particularly when recovering from an operation. Maybe having a free option and a 'premium' one would work, with patients having a choice? That might not be practical, but it could bring in some money without disadvantaging anyone.

One thing I would like to see scrapped is high fees for watching television. People lying in bed all day have little else to do, and charging them a lot to watch seems unreasonable. Most will have a TV licence anyway, if that makes a difference.

My husband has been in hospital 6 days following a second stroke. I don’t think we should be charged for basics but I wouldn’t mind paying extra for decent meals. He is on a Red Tray and is supposed to get help with feeding but he never has yet.

Most of the pay to view TVs on his ward are not working. He was very uncomfortable yesterday as he only has one working arm which needs to be on a pillow. He has one from home which the paramedics took when he was bluelighted. He needed another to support his other arm which has a cannula in but the nurse said there are no more available. I will have to take another one in tomorrow.

A younger man opposite has not spoken or opened his eyes since Sunday and looked very uncomfortable with his head flopped over for hours on the bed rails. No nurses came near him. I had to go and find a nurse as the elderly man next to my husband was climbing over the bed rails to get out and cannot stand unsupported. I was terrified he was going to fall on the floor. There are plenty of nurses but never there when you need one.

Witzend

Well, I know it’ll never happen, since no government will ever dare to suggest it, but while I was waiting for a blood test at the GP today, there was something on the screen about the mass of missed appointments, and how many millions it was costing the NHS every year.
So why not charge say a tenner, if people can’t be bothered to turn up, or to cancel?

Then I spoke a Swedish friend (who lived in the U.K. for many years) yesterday - she’s in hospital in Stockholm, having fallen and cracked her sacrum, poor thing, but she mentioned the two nice meals every day, for which she has to pay the equivalent of £9 a day. She had told me about such charges before. They are not a new thing.

They also have to pay for GP and A&E visits, IIRC £20 equivalent, but children and IIRC the elderly over a certain age are exempt.

People so often go on about how much better healthcare provision is in ‘other countries’, perhaps especially the Scandi ones, but can anyone imagine any political party here ever including such things in their manifesto?

‘Free at the point of use’ is such a sacred cow.

Running institutions is only easy for those not actually doing it (and that includes me.)

Let's take payment for not attending an appointment. What about people who are misdirected in the hospital, people who simply cannot contact anyone to cancel etc? People whose NHS transport limitations make difficulties for them?

And re paying for meals? What about those who lose benefits after a period of time - money they lose because the NHS is looking after them? What level of catering will people expect? Food is often used as medication with people following specific dietary regimes - will hospitals improve in this area. That could be expensive but it's very poor state moment.

Putting things in the "too difficult box" doesn't solve problems. I know,that but neither does blaming those who have no influence on the systems which, themselves, may be over/under or miss-reporting.

I know it would be difficult and probably not cost-effective to administer, but I also think that too many people are entitled these days, and always put themselves first. If they were penalised even a bit, it might stop so many missed appointments, which would speed things up for others waiting for treatment.

In an emergency, people could call the hospital or surgery and explain that the train was late or they couldn't get care for someone they're looking after (etc) then appointments could be sped up with less waiting around for people who can't make it.

At my surgery the appointment is kept open for the ten minutes it was allotted, with the GP or nurse trying twice in that time to call for the patient, and then it is lost. Sometimes I've seen people come in 30 minutes late or more, and expect to be seen. If they had called, the receptionist could have tried to 'bump up' others in the waiting room, and the latecomer may have been able to take someone else's place instead, but often people only see things from their own point of view.