Should we pay a monthly membership fee to the NHS?

[Northerner]

There are many views about what the NHS should do to cope in the current financial climate.

In this Scrubbing Up, former Labour health minister Lord Norman Warner and Jack O'Sullivan, head of a social policy consultancy, who have written a paper for the think tank Reform, set out their thoughts - including a £10 monthly membership fee.

You might think that all adults (with some exemptions) paying a £10 monthly NHS membership fee would have little impact on an organisation with a budget running at £130 billion a year.

But it's a change that just might help rescue the NHS from its combined care and cash crisis.

Think first about the caring side. The NHS is in serious trouble.

Frail elderly people, those with chronic conditions or mental health problems and those developing obesity and life-style related illnesses often receive very mediocre care.

Too many of them fail to receive help at the right time in community-based health settings.

Eventually, they may be treated in hospital - a much more expensive setting - when they are sicker than they should be and when they could have been cared for earlier, in less costly environments.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26788377

Absolutely NOT! We already pay for the NHS in our taxes, it's just that the government choose to spend those taxes on other things. And although £10 a month might not be a lot to some people, to many it would be a big chunk. Excluding low-earners would mean more means-testing which would probably be expensive to administer.

 

[Redkite]

No there shouldn't be a monthly fee (since we already pay one, ie tax/NI!), however there could be a fee for visiting the GP, refundable/waivable for those on low incomes - this is what they have in France.

 

[Northerner]

No there shouldn't be a monthly fee (since we already pay one, ie tax/NI!), however there could be a fee for visiting the GP, refundable/waivable for those on low incomes - this is what they have in France.

I'd be more in favour of penalties for people who miss appointments without cancelling. Perhaps an A&E charge for Saturday night fighters/drinkers/time-wasters? Although I do think that the government is deliberately underfunding the NHS to make way for more privatisation. They say the NHS is protected from cuts, but funding is not rising with increasing costs from an aging population. And denying the 1% pay rise to nurses and doctors was a deliberate move to undermine morale in an already under pressure organisation

 

[Flutterby]

I think I agree with Northerner as it makes my blood boil how resources are "wasted" by those who use A&E as a place to sober up. There is also very rarely an excuse for missing appointments without letting the surgery know. I think in all my 48 years I've missed one and that was because I misheard the time. I worry about healthcare in this country.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I suggested to my GP practice they charged for missed apts. It appears though it is illegal to do so Same for NHS dentists they can not charge either. But can kick you off their books instead.

Law should be changed so charging can be implemented and the money go directly to local funding of GP surgeries and cottage hospitals and if you miss hospital apt the fine should be paid to the hospital for improvements.

Mind you plenty of savings could be made by reducing the amount of admin staff.

 

[HERE TINTIN]

I do not think we should have to pay anymore than we already do in taxes to fund the NHS. But on the other hand I am really worried the NHS is being ground down by the government and mis management that if it boiled down to pay something or lose the NHS I would pay. Though I dont think the £10 a month idea would work as the expense of the admin for means testing would outweigh the benefit.

 

[PhilT]

As most of us already pay NI contributions I don't see why we should pay a separate charge on top of that.

Clamping down on health 'tourists' and other people who have no right to the NHS should be a prioprity. Also as Pumper_Sue says charging for missed appointments should be introduced.

I saw an article on the amount it costs for missed hospital appointments and it is a very big expense. Also because people don't contact the hospital to cancel their appointments those appointments are wasted because they cannot be re-allocated to other people whose need may be more urgent than the people who couldn't be bothered to turn up.

 

[grainger]

This is an interesting area. I know personally I'd rather go for £10 a month than privatisation but in the same respect what's to stop the government increasing this fee year after year?

I only hope that if the government do try to privatise this that people will take a stand and really protest - unfortunately I believe apathy is one of the biggest problems this country has right now.

I agree with others that people should be charged for not turning up to appointments - there is no excuse especially these days with almost everyone owning a mobile phone.

 

[MargB]

A problem I see with paying a £10 fee is that the money would be wasted in exactly the same way it is being wasted now. Inefficient administration of existing facilities; too many managers; too many departments doing their own thing and not allowing hospitals/clinics to negotiate good rates for purchases - I could go on and on.

Do like the idea of charging for missed appointments by serial offenders.

Otherwise - no!

 

[bev]

Hi all,

No I dont agree with having to pay a separate fee at all - but what is the answer?The NHS is woefully underfunded and money is being wasted all the time on people who abuse the system. We all know stories of individuals who use A&E as they are too lazy to make an appointment with their GP or cant get one for weeks -I have a family member who regularly takes her children there for coughs and colds!😱

I also know of someone who fills her medical cabinet with all manner of painkillers on prescription 'just in case' - and regularly gives them out to people in the family if suffering from pain! Drugs via prescription often cost more to the NHS than over the counter drugs - and how many people are doing this? Such an abuse of the system and they have no idea or care what their actions mean.

I am sure we can all give examples of these sorts of issues and until they are addressed then we are facing losing our NHS as we know it as its being bled dry by people who dont give it a second thought. I dont know what the answer is either - other than to fine people for abusing the system - but realistically this would be a cost in itself to enforce so would be going round in circles🙂Bev

 

[Northerner]

Hi all,

No I dont agree with having to pay a separate fee at all - but what is the answer?The NHS is woefully underfunded and money is being wasted all the time on people who abuse the system. We all know stories of individuals who use A&E as they are too lazy to make an appointment with their GP or cant get one for weeks -I have a family member who regularly takes her children there for coughs and colds!😱

I think that part of the problem there is that they closed a lot of the walk-in centres or reduced opening hours for them, plus they also replaced NHS Direct with the cheaper NHS 111 - cheaper because they don't have anywhere near as many medically-qualified staff GPs have massive administration overheads that have just been increased by the move to CCGs, funding to surgeries has been cut, out-of-hours outsourced etc. etc.

 

[AlisonM]

We already pay a fee, it's called National Insurance and was set up specifically for that purpose.

I agree with the penalty fee for people who miss appointments and the Saturday night fighters.

 

[Northerner]

We already pay a fee, it's called National Insurance and was set up specifically for that purpose.

I agree with the penalty fee for people who miss appointments and the Saturday night fighters.

I think it's funny (not!) the way they trumpet rises in tax allowances and income tax cuts, but hardly ever mention NI. My annual NI is not far short of my tax bill and you have to earn much less than £10,000 to avoid it (something like £7,800).

 

[bev]

We already pay a fee, it's called National Insurance and was set up specifically for that purpose.

I agree with the penalty fee for people who miss appointments and the Saturday night fighters.

Hi Alison,

Yes we do pay NI - but its clearly not enough and only goes so far. Medical advances mean the purse strings are being stretched and we obviously arent keeping up with that - aswell as the elderly living for longer - which also adds to the financial pressure - lots of elderly remain in hospital long after they need to as they simply dont have any support at home so its 'easier' to keep them in - not fair on the patient and certainly extra strain on the finances🙂Bev

 

[Maryanne29]

I agree there should be a fee for missed uncancelled appointments but the last time I needed to cancel one when I couldn't get away from work I had to send a fax as the phones were constantly busy!
As others have said, we already pay for the NHS but the government wastes the money on things we don't want and need. This crackpot idea is not going to be a vote winner.

 

[Northerner]

...
As others have said, we already pay for the NHS but the government wastes the money on things we don't want and need. This crackpot idea is not going to be a vote winner.

This government throws money away - remember the Virgin West Coast line tender that cost £100m? In my 37 years of voting I have never known a government to make so many cockups as this one. Nor did they need to spend £3bn on reorganising the NHS, problems could have been addressed far more cheaply but wouldn't have suited their political aims. I feel particularly angry about that because it wasn't in their manifesto, I didn't vote for it, and Cameron didn't even win the election 😡

 

[Flutterby]

I agree there should be a fee for missed uncancelled appointments but the last time I needed to cancel one when I couldn't get away from work I had to send a fax as the phones were constantly busy!
As others have said, we already pay for the NHS but the government wastes the money on things we don't want and need. This crackpot idea is not going to be a vote winner.

Actually that's a good point about the phones being busy. I've had problems getting through recently so it's a tricky one.

 

[Northerner]

Actually that's a good point about the phones being busy. I've had problems getting through recently so it's a tricky one.

They could probably ease pressure on the phones in this day and age by letting you cancel online as an option 🙂

 

[grovesy]

I have mixed feeling about this, especially having worked 40years in the NHS. The administration of the fees, and how much it will cost to collect is one concern.Also I don't believe the fees won't be increased annually.

 

[Steff]

NO !!!!! !!! paying a set amount say either monthly or weekly, iwould cause resentment to those who hardly use the hospital or the doctor. Why should they have to pay, it would be an unfair system,(mind you the current system aint that fair)