![]() ![]() “Access to other services is another thing. In the private sector you get at least 15, sometimes up to 30 minutes, to get a fuller understanding of the problem.” “An average NHS appointment is ten minutes, and you can only look at one problem in that time. “The main advantage of paying is the time you get in the actual appointment itself,” explains Dr Dev Patel, a former NHS GP who now mainly works in the private sector. The obvious difference is being able to access a doctor quickly, at a time that is convenient. What are the benefits of seeing a private GP? In the meantime, if hanging on the line for hours while your GP surgery tells you why your call is so important to them is driving you to distraction, here are some things to think about if you’re considering paying… Our manifesto for the General Election outlines seven priorities for the next government – including funding to recruit and train more new GPs and retention initiatives to encourage more experienced GPs to stay in the profession.” General practice keeps the NHS upright, but it has been allowed to fall into neglect. “We share patients’ frustration… But this is not the fault of hardworking GPs. While we are saddened by these rising figures, we’re also not surprised,” she adds. “This is unsustainable: patients can’t always get the access and care they want, and in increasing numbers people are pushed towards private medicine. She says that each NHS GP is now responsible for 2,294 patients on average – 260 more than they were six years ago. “We are buckling under the strain of an escalating workload but with 642 fewer GPs than we had five years ago,” explains Prof Hawthorne. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, blames “years of underfunding and poor workforce planning in general practice” for the current NHS situation. But even hard-working families, paying out of their own pocket, may now feel it’s “safer” (or at least more convenient) to go privately. A 2023 YouGov poll reported that one in six of us have used private healthcare, and with GP waiting lists at an all-time high (1 in 5 patients wait more than 2 weeks to see a doctor) – it’s no wonder.īridget, who works in media, is fortunate that her work’s health insurance includes access to an on-demand GP. ![]() Turning to the private sector for primary healthcare is increasingly common. This way there was no hassle, stress or waiting.” If I’d phoned my local London surgery I’d likely have waited 20 minutes for a receptionist, then at least a week for an appointment, and it would have involved taking time out of work and school to attend. “Sure enough, the doctor inspected the lump on screen, reassured my daughter it was a minor infection, and recommended a topical cream we bought from the high street chemist,” explains Bridget. Using an app on her phone she booked a private GP video appointment for that same morning. When a small lump appeared under her 14-year-old daughter’s armpit last month, Bridget Geehan didn’t suspect anything sinister but still wanted it checked. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |