UKIP leader Nigel Farage has endorsed an article by the party's health spokesperson which calls for people to be allowed to pay to skip A&E waiting times.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has endorsed an article by the party’s health spokesperson which calls for people to be allowed to pay to skip A&E waiting times.
Last week Farage tweeted an article by John Stanley, a surgeon and UKIP candidate, referring to Stanley as a “UKIP health spokesman”.
In the article Stanley argues that people requiring urgent treatment should be seen within two hours, whereas those requiring non-urgent treatment should be given the option of paying to avoid waiting.
“We should accept that if a triaging clinician feels we don’t need treating within two hours required for standard cases then we be either willing to pay or willing to wait longer so cases most deserving are treated best. People should pay a higher charge if they haven’t registered with a GP as being directed back to primary care avoids unnecessary A&E visits.”
Stanley added that under UKIP people who qualify for free prescriptions would be exempt from the flat fee – but only if they haven’t been drinking.
“The same exceptions as for the prescription charge could apply unless the patient was drunk and disorderly or incapable.”
Drunk and incapable? Sounds like one of Farage’s MEPs.
In summary, among other things UKIP would:
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Scrap NHS 111
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Charge those requiring A&E treatment who don’t need treating within two hours
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Allow mutual providers, including GPs, to charge a flat fee to see non-emergency cases
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Ensure people can pay upfront fees off over a period of time when registered with a GP
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Refuse to discount fees for drunk patients.
39 Responses to “UKIP wants to charge NHS patients to skip waiting times”
treborc1
I need to see GP’s and consultants all the time, I have just been informed I may have cancer and will have the tests and biopsy.
Now then I feel very ill go to my GP he looks at me says I think your heart is struggling under the strain, I will phone up the hospital. he phones while I wait, it goes like this.
Yes thank you lets see waiting time, right he cannot see Robert for six weeks, he’s totally full, sorry, my GP asks what about private, the fee to see Mr Mills is £200, yes Robert will pay that, let me see as you will under stand Mr Mills is very busy, dum dee dum ah yes we have a place for him now, can he come down now to see Mr Mills .
Down I go into the NHS hospital, see this nice nurse who says thank you do you have the money with you or will you use a cheque, he cannot take debit or credit cards, thank you he will be with you in a few minutes would you like tea coffee and biscuits.
This is how the NHS has worked since it started you can always circumvent the waiting times and many people have no choice, I my self had had a small heart attack and needed urgent treatment the next day.
The NHS has been like this for years you can always pay to circumvent the waiting times and the money goes in part to the NHS I’m told out of the £150 I paid for my first time is £50 goes to the hospital for the use of the waiting room and nurse the doctor gets the £100 the fact this has been on going since 1948
Brimstone52
From the Federation of Small Businesses…
http://www.fsb.org.uk/business-issues/european-union
Small businesses are often hampered by EU legislation. The flow of regulation on employment, environmental issues, as well as health and safety can discourage businesses from expanding. It can even contribute to their closure.
How does that benefit anyone? There has to be balance in every aspect of life. Putting the emphasis on one or the other leads to someone suffering and most people who start up their own business are people who have been employees and know what it’s like to be treated badly.
Perhaps you should find out exactly what UKIP are proposing in the way of protection for employees rather than accept what someone else wants you to believe. Bear in mind that all policy is constantly being reviewed and anything you read on the web might be out of date.
However, there is a bigger issue than the one of worker’s rights and that is the question of who makes the decisions about how we conduct business or do anything in this country, the UK parliament or the unelected bureaucrats in Brussels?
If you want the Brussels bureaucrats to carry on running the UK then vote for any party you like, except UKIP. UKIP are the only ones wanting to change anything. The more former Labour supporters and trade union members who join and get involved the greater say they will have on policy.
UKIP doesn’t have a hierarchy that decides policy. Everything comes from the membership.
James
So you’re saying that UKIP do give a toss about the people in this country? Even though they plan to increase normal people’s taxes by 1-3% in order to give the country’s millionaires a further £250,000 tax break?
Though apparently, at least they’re finding something for English graduates to do. You’re a pretty good copywriter.
James
And your means of selecting a particular part of what NT86 said and ignoring the rest of it shows that you really have no comeback to that argument.
James
So when one of your loved ones gets cancer because they couldn’t afford the “non-emergency fee” to have the symptoms looked at… etc, etc.