Is Milliband making promises GP's cant keep?

John146John146 Posts: 12,926
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Ed Milliband has pledged that he wants to see all patients to get an appointment with their GP within 48 hours and if necessary same day consultation, cost 100 million pounds, is this attainable?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27377978
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Comments

  • DiscombobulateDiscombobulate Posts: 4,242
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    Well seeing as they thought protecting the NHS budget as the Coalition did was an error and they wouldn't have done it, it doesn't look likely I would say
  • paul2307paul2307 Posts: 8,079
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    Come on be fair when was the last time one of Ed's policy announcements fell apart on the day he made it

    Sorry I meant when the last time any of Ed's policy statements was possible in the real world and not the fantasy world he lives in
  • rusty123rusty123 Posts: 22,872
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    If he said "a GP" he's being overly optimistic at best.
    If he said "their GP" he's talking through his backside.

    A sizeable number don't work fulltime at GP surgeries. My wife has had to wait up to a month for an appointment with her GP.
  • horwichallstarshorwichallstars Posts: 16,514
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    I've never had to wait anymore than 24 hour to see a GP at my surgery. Rang for my daughter this morning and we are going at 19:20 tonight.

    I think half of the problem is the antiquated way that some GP's run their practice, and also GP's not wanting to go into a joint practice.
  • MadamfluffMadamfluff Posts: 3,310
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    This is exactly what labour did last time they were in power.

    GPS just stopped giving out future appts and insisted that people phoned on the day so they met their qofs and targets

    I remember when I lived in London and needed to make a future appt for a non urgent matter, I had a 2 hour commute to work and needed to make an appt as early as possible so I could let my employers know what days I would be late and when I would be coming in to work (not unreasonable is it).

    Instead I had to be on the phone trying to get an apt at 8am in the morning, getting an appt at 11.30 and not getting into work until the afternoon, instead of being able to arrange the earliest day when I could get a 9am slot and be at work at 11.am

    There are times when people don't NEED a same day appt it should be the patients choice not the government or the GPs
  • rusty123rusty123 Posts: 22,872
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    I've never had to wait anymore than 24 hour to see a GP at my surgery. Rang for my daughter this morning and we are going at 19:20 tonight.

    You said "a GP" as opposed to "my GP"

    Out of interest did you try and make an appointment with your own doctor or, like my family, have you gotten used to seeing whoever might be available if you want one sooner rather than later?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,074
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    In June 2010 the Coalition scrapped the NHS pledge of people getting to see a GP within 48hrs and the associated GP target and reward. Before the Coalition scrapped it the 48hr target was being failed 15%-19% of the time.
  • horwichallstarshorwichallstars Posts: 16,514
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    rusty123 wrote: »
    You said "a GP" as opposed to "my GP"

    Out of interest did you try and make an appointment with your own doctor or, like my family, have you gotten used to seeing whoever might be available if you want one sooner rather than later?

    I don't have my "own GP" - I go to a group practice, they are all qualified and have access to my notes. I'm not bothered about seeing a specific GP, like I say, they are all well qualified. I've never been to one that couldn't treat me.
  • welwynrosewelwynrose Posts: 33,666
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    I've never had to wait anymore than 24 hour to see a GP at my surgery. Rang for my daughter this morning and we are going at 19:20 tonight.

    I think half of the problem is the antiquated way that some GP's run their practice, and also GP's not wanting to go into a joint practice.

    Lucky you last time I tried to get an appointment to see a female GP at my local surgery as it was "non-urgent" the earliest they could see me was in 3 weeks
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,624
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    Madamfluff wrote: »
    There are times when people don't NEED a same day appt it should be the patients choice not the government or the GPs

    Exactly. The problems with Labour's obsession with targets is that they always have unintended consequences. If want an appointment for a non-urgent problem next Thursday morning because it's my day off work then I should be able to book a specific time a week or so in advance. People will always work towards the target and stop doing anything which reduces their chances of hitting it.
  • Jol44Jol44 Posts: 21,048
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    Why the bias thread title? Afraid it's a good and fair policy. Yes, I think that's the case.
  • Jol44Jol44 Posts: 21,048
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    Good on Miliband, either way, at leasat he's attempting to do something, which is more than can be said for this current shambles in power.
  • paulschapmanpaulschapman Posts: 35,536
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    John146 wrote: »
    Ed Milliband has pledged that he wants to see all patients to get an appointment with their GP within 48 hours and if necessary same day consultation, cost 100 million pounds, is this attainable?
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27377978

    No is the short answer - the budgets in the NHS are tight enough as it is - and this is not new money, it is the same money re-allocated so where exactly is it going to come?
  • 1Mickey1Mickey Posts: 10,427
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    No I don't think he is. We pay doctors a fortune in this country and its not unreasonable to say that you should be able to see a doctor within 48 hours.
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    It's all Labour's fault that A and E departments are full to bursting. They are the ones that let G.P.s off from seeing patients outside of of office hours and gave them an enormous rise in pay for doing less.

    So as far as I am concerned any new scheme that they have dreamed up will be another unmitigated disaster.

    Mr Miliband said the £100m funding for the pledge would come from savings made elsewhere in the NHS.
  • GreatGodPanGreatGodPan Posts: 53,186
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    Annsyre wrote: »
    It's all Labour's fault that A and E departments are full to bursting. They are the ones that let G.P.s off from seeing patients outside of of office hours and gave them an enormous rise in pay for doing less.

    So as far as I am concerned any new scheme that they have dreamed up will be another unmitigated disaster.

    :D

    Classic stuff Ann!
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,624
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    Jol44 wrote: »
    Good on Miliband, either way, at leasat he's attempting to do something, which is more than can be said for this current shambles in power.

    We've had this argument before. Often wanting to be seen "doing something" is the worst thing a politician can do.

    "Something must be done"
    "This is something"
    "Therefore we must do it"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vidzkYnaf6Y

    The GP's contracts were one of Labour's greatest cock ups, offering them more money to do less work is the sort of economic madness only they could come up with.
  • dosanjh1dosanjh1 Posts: 8,727
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    No is the short answer - the budgets in the NHS are tight enough as it is - and this is not new money, it is the same money re-allocated so where exactly is it going to come?

    Invest to save. A&E. for non urgent appointments cost horrendous amounts and lots of A&E non urgent visits occur because the person needing care can't see a GP on time.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,624
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    Annsyre wrote: »
    It's all Labour's fault that A and E departments are full to bursting. They are the ones that let G.P.s off from seeing patients outside of of office hours and gave them an enormous rise in pay for doing less.

    So as far as I am concerned any new scheme that they have dreamed up will be another unmitigated disaster.

    Mr Miliband said the £100m funding for the pledge would come from savings made elsewhere in the NHS.

    The NHS has an annual budget of about £100 bn so £100m is 0.1% or about what is spent every night while you are asleep.
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    LostFool wrote: »
    The NHS has an annual budget of about £100 bn so £100m is 0.1% or about what is spent every night while you are asleep.

    And it is money which at present is being spent on existing patients' needs. They are the ones who will suffer.
  • oracle316oracle316 Posts: 73
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    One way of moving patients out of A&E who are there because there GP is unavailable is to remove the 4hr target for minor conditions.
    IMHO, on arrival at A&E you are seen by a Triage Nurse who determines the severity of your condition; if you are classified as Major then you are seen as soon as possible, with a deadline of 4hrs, if you are classified as Minor then you sit in the Waiting Room until all Major patients have been seen. If that takes 1hr or 12hrs then those are the breaks.
    Treatment should always be based on clinical need, not an artificial target.
  • zx50zx50 Posts: 91,232
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    John146 wrote: »
    Ed Milliband has pledged that he wants to see all patients to get an appointment with their GP within 48 hours and if necessary same day consultation, cost 100 million pounds, is this attainable?
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27377978

    I'm not sure this would work. If more appointments have been made with a few GPs than they can see in a day, this will mount up over a week and will then cause someone phoning up to make an appointment with them to wait for so many days or longer. I really don't think this will be able to work. The only way this MIGHT work is if GPs were to hardly spend any time with their patients, but this would result in not getting to know about their patient's problem properly. No, I don't think this would work. I think the receptionists tell people phoning up to make an appointment with a GP here that have too many appointments booked with them that that GP isn't available and to pick another one. Once the list of appointments goes down by so much, then they become available again.
  • bluewomble88bluewomble88 Posts: 2,860
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    Saw this cretin on the news today asking a patient about his condition and then pretending with the camera on him to be so upset and concerned. So false and cringeworthy. Does he really think we are that stupid!?
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,624
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    Saw this cretin on the news today asking a patient about his condition and then pretending with the camera on him to be so upset and concerned. So false and cringeworthy. Does he really think we are that stupid!?

    I saw that too. It was the worst piece of false concern I have ever seen.

    Ed: "What wrong with you?
    Patient: "I fell off my bike"
    Ed: "Oh.. I'm sooooo sorry to hear that!"

    He really needs to improve his bedside manner.

    He's crap at pool too: http://order-order.com/2014/05/12/watch-eds-big-break/
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,074
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    oracle316 wrote: »
    One way of moving patients out of A&E who are there because there GP is unavailable is to remove the 4hr target for minor conditions.
    IMHO, on arrival at A&E you are seen by a Triage Nurse who determines the severity of your condition; if you are classified as Major then you are seen as soon as possible, with a deadline of 4hrs, if you are classified as Minor then you sit in the Waiting Room until all Major patients have been seen. If that takes 1hr or 12hrs then those are the breaks.
    Treatment should always be based on clinical need, not an artificial target.
    The last time I was in A&E treatment was done in order of medical priority. Some people get seen immediately, some wait a few minuters others hours. The target of 4hrs means they allocate enough resources to A&E so they can meet the targets that is people are not sat waiting in A&E for 12 hours.
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