Gradual privatisation of the NHS

There are also a number of fairly new private GP practices, which don't show up on the website.

I feel GPs are being set up to fail through underfunding.

The website shows that the "extended access" service in this town is run by a private company. I was talking to a GP friend about this a few weeks ago because I was puzzled by it. It's not possible to refer directly. Patients need a referral from the GP, but the GP surgery won't refer unless patients push for it (and know about it in the first place). Apparently, the surgeries lose funding whenever anybody is referred, which is why they're reluctant to do it. It's almost impossible to get an appointment with the GP, especially face to face, (and it's been like that since before Covid), so only pushy people are being seen. Apparently the out of hours service can't see anybody with chronic conditions, so GP surgeries are being left with the patients with long-term conditions, which are expensive to treat on a long-term basis.

Susie42 I agree the place doesn't matter but "free at the point of need" has raised many health standards, benefiting the country. It does matter.

I suggested in a thread a while ago that the 'model' the government used for Care appears to be the same one in place for "free child care", dentistry and hearing, and possibly others I haven't come across. If this is a standard model they find is working, they will repeat it elsewhere in parts of the NHS and slowly in all the NHS. The government payments for those on benefits, who will become the only ones paid for by our NHS insurance, are underfunded in these areas. It is reasonable to assume we will see much the same in GP surgeries with direct patient payment and maybe one doctor who sees "NHS" patients and those "NHS" patients being only those on benefits.

This will mean those who can afford the various insurances will start to buy them if they don't have them already. I feel that a surprising number who think they manage well on "enough" income will find they cannot afford all the basics currently available.

The underfunding of the remaining NHS/benefits patients will be supplemented, as it is now in the areas already under this regime. Charities will try to help, people who can pay may be charged more and some treatments will simply not be available for these patients. Not being able to get a white filling on the NHS may not matter; not being able to get a kidney, or fast cancer treatment will.

I have had treatment organised by the NHS in two or three private clinics. I think that most people do not really care where they have treatment as long as it is done without too much delay.

Agree that there needs to be a root and branch review of how healthcare should be funded in the UK, and one that prob can't get anywhere within the term of a single parliament. There's the stumbling block..

But then the culture of 'Reform, reform, aren't things bad enough already' is sadly all too true in the NHS, the result of a procession of new Secretaries of State all wanting to implement their own new blueprint.

GP surgeries have always been outside yet inside the NHS. Before my GP daughter went to work in New Zealand (for two years) she had bought into her surgery and was a partner. Her husband chose to be a salaried GP in another surgery. However the NHS funded both surgeries to deliver health care to their patients.

DaisyAnne

www.everydoctor.org.uk/nhs-privatisation-map

? thanks?

Looking at the map in my area it mainly lists GP surgeries as private but I seem to remember another thread which talked about GP surgeries always being outside of the NHS. However, many of our local GP surgeries have grown into 'health centres' providing an increasingly lateger range of care. So, are services being moved into the private sector by stealth? The health care provided is still free but does this mean that a profit is being made from our tax money!

My DD has just had a baby so is entitled to free dentistry on the NHS but can't find an NHS dentist that will treat her. But we're all aware of the demise of dentistry being offered through the NHS.

This has been going on for some time. I worked in an NHS Maternity Unit and outpatient appointment letters for various clinics started being printed on headed notepaper bearing private companies names, Virgin Healthcare being just one. There will be a two-tier system at some time in the future, I think. The medical people in the NHS have been crying out for many years for a thorough root and branch investigation of this organisation but no Health Secretary or Government have ever bothered. They just increase taxes and thrown more money at it. It isn't the answer.

www.everydoctor.org.uk/nhs-privatisation-map