Creeping Privatisation of our NHS?

Unlike most GN’s posting I got an appointment very easily yesterday & with one of my preferred doctors. I had a problem that needed to be face to face & was given an appointment. Afterwards saw a notice regarding booking for Flu jabs in October. Easily done so will be getting mine at the Surgery on a Saturday in October. All this from a Surgery that is in a Village always considered one of the most deprived in the country! I think despite others opinions of our village we are a lot better off than many others as we try to help ourselves not just think everything should be done for us. Good Community helps even at Surgeries!

Something else we. An blame that champagne socialist Blair for. What a hypocrite the man is.

I thought most doctors had emigrated, it would be easier to see the Queen. I often pass my doctors surgery and see elderly patients standing in the rain waiting to see either a nurse or doctor, getting past the receptionist is almost impossible too.

To be honest after trying all year to see a doctor face to face (finally succeeded this week after refusing to leave the surgery until I got one), I would head straight to the pharmacy now. My surgery was excellent until the pandemic but it is now almost impossible to see a doctor. I would always have supported gp’s over pharmacies but sadly I think gp’s now are also financially influenced. Very sad.

Aepgirl the Tories have been in power for 11 years. Don’t be ridiculous.

I must say I prefer going to my local pharmacy

I can choose when I go - no waiting around and brilliant service

I've had all bar one of my flu injections since being diagnosed with Diabetes (about 8/9 years ago now) in the chemists - it is easier and quicker to get to them than have an appointment at the surgery, and free for me as well. One year the appointment in the surgery was about 3 months from when contacted - that would have been well into the flu season, so called the chemist and got one about a month later. It is usually my local Lloyds but I have been to Boots as well especially the first one (when my locum doctor "didn't do injections" even though the appointment was specifically for the jab made by my own doctor - complete waste of my time that was)

In the late summer before Covid I tried to book a flu vaccine with GP for the autumn. The earliest appointment was in December! As I have restricted lung capacity and have had pneumonia I tried Boots and had an appointment in early October. Maybe GPS need to train more people to carry out the vaccinations - we’ve seen recently that millions can be vaccinated when necessary! Perhaps GPs could get together locally and run a vaccination centre to include catching up all those childhood jabs which I understand have got behind because of Covid.

Two years ago, despite me contacting the surgery several times, we received no letter until November. I phoned up again and was told all appointments and flu vax had gone. ?‍♀️

We paid for jabs in Boots. At least I got points on my Boots card.

I got a text from my GP asking if I would like to have my covid vaccine booster when I have my flu jab or have them apart. I said both together please. Ive always had my flu jab at my GPs and never had any after effects but I did have it done once in Boots and felt quite rough for a couple of days after.

Thank you for that info Candelle. I always get my flu jab at my GP surgery but have noticed fir a couple of years that I’ve had text messages from my local Lloyds Pharmacy offering a “free” jab. I’ve no intention of getting it done there and I feel slightly irritated at them for touting for business against the GP surgery. There will of course be people who will find it more convenient to get it done on a drop in basis at the pharmacy. Rather than making an appointment at the surgery. I bet most of them don’t know the ramifications regarding funding. I didn’t until your post so thank you again.
I’d rather like to post your info on our local Facebook page but not sure if it’s allowed.

Going back to privatising the NHS, I have to have an echocardiogram which was authorised by a consultant at the regional hospital. It is being carried out in our local hospital by a private company. I dread to think what the NHS is paying them.

I think my doctor operates a ‘grab them and stab them’ system ? Go anywhere near the surgery in the autumn and you get asked if you have had your flu jab, if not then you get it there and then.

If GPs really want us to keep using their services, why do they keep cutting them back? Where I live, no GPs now do podiatry sessions or ear wax removal. I paid £68 to get my ears sorted which I can afford but I'm guessing many can't and to be old and near-invisible is bad enough but to be effectively (yet curably) deaf must be so very isolating.

Privatisation has been creeping in for years. Had an endoscopy procedure about 4 years ago. All the staff had a specific uniform with company logo. Asked why, told lots of procedures are undertaken by external companies as NHS swamped. Local hospital actually has an office on site for a specific private health provider company. Nothing new.

My friend had to have her ears syringed privately and it cost her £60, also I used to get 2 inhalers when I ordered my prescription, but now I only get one. I enquired why this is and they said it was cutbacks adding that if I needed another I sooner than the date on my notes for renewing I would have to pay privately.

Cambia

To be honest after trying all year to see a doctor face to face (finally succeeded this week after refusing to leave the surgery until I got one), I would head straight to the pharmacy now. My surgery was excellent until the pandemic but it is now almost impossible to see a doctor. I would always have supported gp’s over pharmacies but sadly I think gp’s now are also financially influenced. Very sad.

Cambria do you honestly believe that the small amount GP Practices receive for doing flu vaccines is paid to the GPs. Oh dear, the ignorance over this is astounding. The money that the GP Surgery receives goes into the pot out of which the upkeep of the surgery comes (electricity, cleaning, repairs and maintenance and refurbishment) and the pot pays nurses, health care assistants, the Practice manager and any other employees their salaries. It buys in extra nurses to do health care checks etc. When all of that is paid for, the GPs get whatever is left divided among them, and that is their salary. I thought everyone knew this but clearly not.

Who on earth does private wax removal? The next thing we will hear about is perforated ear drums because people can't afford to pay and are trying to do it themselves.

As I understand it, greater hearing loss speeds dementia. The world is going completely mad.

I wonder who has decided that GPs will not do this. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.

When the chemists do the vaccinations I imagine they get the same payment the GP would have done. If someone else is to do this job surely they ought to be paid from the NHS budget?

Rosycheeks I wasn’t aware the offer of a booster has been decided by the government yet.

Covid I mean.

PippaZ, Specsavers do wax removal

I wonder whether this privatisation has regional differences. I have posted about my son, a child, being refused to be seen as my medical centre no longer 'do eyes'. His whole eye was swollen (in hindsight I think he had covid though an LFT was negative) they gave me the number of a private practice and I rang them and asked if they knew of anyone NHS I could ring. I'd already seen the pharmacist who said he needed to see the GP. In the end a bemused ophthalmologist prescribed over the phone!

I have to be fair though, they have seen my daughter who has much higher medical needs for quite a few things.

I just understand the frustration

Booked both myself and my husband to have our Flu vaccinations 2 minutes apart on 23rd September at our GP's surgery. I wouldn't go anywhere else! Our NHS needs our support!

Sometimes I wonder what cloud cuckoo land some people are on. GPS have no room to talk about the NHS being chipped away. I recall in 1997 Tony Blair came to power and soon after that GPs we’re given an enormous salary rise and full time GPs received £100k a year. That is fine with me but they are private businesses selling their services to the NHS. I recall many GPs decided to go part time after the pay raise and who could blame them acting in their own interest. In my London practice very few of the doctors are full time and having your own doctor to see is rare. Consequently at my age and given my health condition my visits are shortened as the Doctor has to read the files.

My husband had a heart bypass in the largest private hospital in London and there were NHS patients everywhere being treated there and this was in 1989. So private institutions have been used by the NHS for far longer than the OP would say. I had to have a hernia scanned in the last couple of years and this was done by a private company with a referral from my GP. This is probably an economic use of funds as the machinery is so expensive and I was scanned almost immediately.

I understand that in Eire people pay a small fee when they go to see their doctor. We may have to go to such a scheme here given the number of people who missed appointments in the time before Covid. I like going to my pharmacy for my flu jab because pharmacies provide a very useful, community service.

The NHS needs a thorough overhaul.after so many years. So OP I do not agree with you. The use of some private services is to the advantage of the patient.