Public 'prepared' to pay for healthcare

[Uhtred]

18 minutes ago, homarus said:

Because they're cheaper or maybe bad management ?

Perhaps the latter, but if the former is also the case they certainly won’t be cheaper in the long run if they are as inept as Woolley advises us.

[woolley]

OK. I seem to have touched a nerve with dilli. I'm not sure why. Perhaps the experiences of my family member and those particular friends are atypical. That's possible. However, I can assure everyone that the experiences were not funny for any of them at the time. Atypical or not, next time it could be you, or your loved one.

[The Lurker]

 

*MASSIVE POST WARNING*

I’m fortunate that through various family members I have a perspective on the NHS that stretches back almost to the very first days in 1948; admittedly mostly a UK perspective.

My Great Uncle qualified as a Doctor in 1949 having taken a few years out to tour North Africa and Europe; he would be very quick to point out whenever the many NHS funding crises were on the news that it has always been underfunded and that the biggest mistake was made when it was initially set up allowing politicians too much influence over what should be clinical decisions; he always maintained that the NHS should have been a sort of Quango; funded by government but run by a non-political executive. He actually tried to develop an NHS management degree in the late sixties but was politely told to bugger off. It's a political ping pong ball that faces massive changes everytime the resident of number ten changes.

I’m related to a couple of GP’s both here, in the UK and further afield. They are overworked to the point of breaking; the main cause of this being appointments for minor ailments that can be easily resolved by a visit to the Pharmacist or even just taking a few days off and riding it out.

People are not prepared to be unwell these days; we have a ‘presentee’ culture where taking time off to get over a bug is frowned upon; employers have a responsibility to instil in their staff that it is OK to take a few days off if your ill.

On top of this we are now pretty much at the point where the pre-NHS system of paying to see the Doctor is falling out of living memory and as many of my NHS working friends and relatives say, and it’s a sentiment I agree with; we live in a society that believes that that which has no cost has no value. As such people will book an appointment for the most minor things as it involves no cash outlay and no effort on their part. This blocks appointments for the genuinely unwell and results in GP’s and their staff working themselves into the ground.

I am a full supporter of the welfare state and believe whole heartedly in free at the point of contact but have got to the point where I think a £5 charge to see the GP and £10 for a missed appointment is the only way to reduce the amount of ‘worried well’ appointment blockers that are the route of the problem in primary care.  As another poster stated no medication that can be bought over the counter should be available on prescription regardless of whether you’re entitled to free prescriptions or not. The charges should be taken and retained by the individual practices to make up for the fact the IOM GP’s receive lower per head funding than their UK counterparts.

Nobles is an unusual problem in that we don’t have the population to require full services and as such the per head cost of healthcare will be higher; we will never attract the highest calibre career driven staff as the opportunities elsewhere are far greater. This is not to say that I don’t believe that the majority of staff at Nobles are not first rate; I know many people move here for lifestyle choices as my wife and I did.

I’m afraid we will just have to suck up the extra costs; although putting the staff back on the NHS pension would be a huge boost to recruitment and was the biggest, most short sighted, knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing mistake IOMG has made in regards to healthcare that I can recall.

As an aside I do get a little sick of the ‘civil/public service gravy train rubbish’ I read here every day. I’ve worked in the private sector long enough to know that laziness and incompetence is universal and not dictated by who signs the cheques at the end of the month.  

[thesultanofsheight]

1 hour ago, The Lurker said:

I’m afraid we will just have to suck up the extra costs; although putting the staff back on the NHS pension would be a huge boost to recruitment and was the biggest, most short sighted, knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing mistake IOMG has made in regards to healthcare that I can recall.

As an aside I do get a little sick of the ‘civil/public service gravy train rubbish’ I read here every day. I’ve worked in the private sector long enough to know that laziness and incompetence is universal and not dictated by who signs the cheques at the end of the month.  

I hear that pretty much in most NHS circles the IOMG scheme is well known as pretty much a joke scheme with no money in it. I doubt it will encourage more people to come over. In fact I understand the pitiful state of the IOMG scheme is the main reason for the recruitment problems in the NHS and teaching as people dont want to come here or move their benefits across hence the considerable number of locums and agency workers at the Hospital. 

As for the gravy train comments - get used to them as the accusation is going to get leveled even more as absolutely nothing continues to be done about government waste other than us be asked to pay them more of our money to gloss over their incompetence. 

[j2bad]

We should all be obliged to a yearly health check with a nurse where weight, blood pressure, drug and alcohol consumption can be checked and a certificate to free nhs healthcare entitlement issued. If you are overweight smoke or a pisshead, you pay for every appointment and treatment simple really.

[thesultanofsheight]

7 minutes ago, j2bad said:

We should all be obliged to a yearly health check with a nurse where weight, blood pressure, drug and alcohol consumption can be checked and a certificate to free nhs healthcare entitlement issued. If you are overweight smoke or a pisshead, you pay for every appointment and treatment simple really.

That’s nonsense where would you stop? The disabled, gene screening so that nobody with any genetic weaknesses even gets born? Sorry that’s just so draft it’s untrue. 

[j2bad]

3 minutes ago, thesultanofsheight said:

That’s nonsense where would you stop? The disabled, gene screening so that nobody with any genetic weaknesses even gets born? Sorry that’s just so draft it’s untrue. 

There is a responsibility to look after yourself, you can't be a fat slob and expect a bailout, obviously hit a nerve with the fat drunk internet shouty man.

[woody2]

46 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

I’m related to a couple of GP’s both here, in the UK and further afield. They are overworked to the point of breaking; the main cause of this being appointments for minor ailments that can be easily resolved by a visit to the Pharmacist or even just taking a few days off and riding it out.

 

a 32 hour week?

in the last 12 years gp's wages have doubled and they have had a 40% cut in hours worked.....

[thesultanofsheight]

23 minutes ago, j2bad said:

There is a responsibility to look after yourself, you can't be a fat slob and expect a bailout, obviously hit a nerve with the fat drunk internet shouty man.

Bit like the police refusing to investigate a burglary as you didn’t have a burglar alarm so you should have got burgled, or the fire brigade telling you you’re on your own as you live in a wooden house. It’s nonsensical. A fat drunk shouty man? Really? On what basis is that assessment? You seem to be getting quite irrationally angry at me highlighting the flaws in your suggestion. Bobbie Bobster made very similar baseless and angry claims the other day too. I’m not shouty and rarely shout on here or elsewhere. You can go back through my posts if you want? 

[j2bad]

1 hour ago, thesultanofsheight said:

Bit like the police refusing to investigate a burglary as you didn’t have a burglar alarm so you should have got burgled, or the fire brigade telling you you’re on your own as you live in a wooden house. It’s nonsensical. A fat drunk shouty man? Really? On what basis is that assessment? You seem to be getting quite irrationally angry at me highlighting the flaws in your suggestion. Bobbie Bobster made very similar baseless and angry claims the other day too. I’m not shouty and rarely shout on here or elsewhere. You can go back through my posts if you want? 

You do some really shit analogies, its more like the fire service asking you to pay for a call out because you accidentally set fire to your house, after dousing it in petrol.

[thesultanofsheight]

28 minutes ago, j2bad said:

You do some really shit analogies, its more like the fire service asking you to pay for a call out because you accidentally set fire to your house, after dousing it in petrol.

But it isn’t really is it? 

[asitis]

Eddie Teares pension meddling is at the root of many problems ! After having a rant on the telephone to a senior guy in government he said to me " we told him not to do these things "

How true that is I don't know, but I do know that sorting pensions out when you have paid in both the UK and here for a long time is a nightmare ! that alone can't help recruitment !

[j2bad]

7 minutes ago, thesultanofsheight said:

But it isn’t really is it? 

Being obese, drinking excessively, smoking all are known to cause major health problems and cause complications with treatment, fair enough you enjoy being a fat drunk but don't expect free healthcare for your poor choices as you are taking more than your fair share Mr greedy guts.

[thesultanofsheight]

4 minutes ago, j2bad said:

Being obese, drinking excessively, smoking all are known to cause major health problems and cause complications with treatment, fair enough you enjoy being a fat drunk but don't expect free healthcare for your poor choices as you are taking more than your fair share Mr greedy guts.

You sound very irrationally angry. You know nothing of my health status so I’m wondering why rather than debate with me you have decided to hurl angry insults about? I just disagreed with what you said. No need for the anger and the name calling to be honest. We used to have posters who demonstrated that sort of blinkered anger all the time but it seems to have died down now. I hope we can just continue to agree to disagree. 

[thesultanofsheight]

23 minutes ago, asitis said:

Eddie Teares pension meddling is at the root of many problems ! After having a rant on the telephone to a senior guy in government he said to me " we told him not to do these things "

How true that is I don't know, but I do know that sorting pensions out when you have paid in both the UK and here for a long time is a nightmare ! that alone can't help recruitment !

I quite agree. Apparently it’s common knowledge across the UK NHS that you would be mad to transfer your benefits to the IOM as it doesn’t have a lot to piss in and you might not see your money again. Hence (as it’s been explained to me) all the locums and temp staff as they are the only ones prepared to come across.