I am not, and never was, a medical professional but from a layperson’s point of view, the idea of paying to see my GP horrifies me.
I have struggled with severe anxiety and panic attacks for a long time and my GP has been a lifesaver. If I could not see her, I would be in a ball in a corner right now instead of on the way to recovery.
If I had had to pay to see her, I would not have been able to make an appointment. I am on a good salary but struggle with debt that has been ongoing since my teenage years. I have also had several household and family emergencies that drained any spare money, as well as some frivolous spending – but my mental health has affected my relationship with money. I’m not making excuses, those are facts that explain why I have had precisely £0 in my account for weeks.
I know I’m not the only one. And moreover, if even one person like me has this problem then the idea of paying for an appointment is not viable. Nobody should be refused treatment because they can’t afford it.
People who have never been poor will not understand how awful this idea sounds. People who have never been just above the means-tested threshold but struggled with money will not understand it. It’s easy to be condescending and talk about how “it would only be £5” and “it would cut down on missed appointments” but from your ivory tower it’s hard to see how much £5 can be worth to someone, or how missed appointments don’t always happen because the patient can’t be bothered to turn up.
I’ve missed an appointment before. I couldn’t leave the house without having a panic attack. By the time I did, it was way too late and I was way too anxious to call the surgery to apologise.
In this case I strongly believe that it’s not about the majority at all.
Rapid Response:
Re: Should patients pay to see the GP?
I am not, and never was, a medical professional but from a layperson’s point of view, the idea of paying to see my GP horrifies me.
I have struggled with severe anxiety and panic attacks for a long time and my GP has been a lifesaver. If I could not see her, I would be in a ball in a corner right now instead of on the way to recovery.
If I had had to pay to see her, I would not have been able to make an appointment. I am on a good salary but struggle with debt that has been ongoing since my teenage years. I have also had several household and family emergencies that drained any spare money, as well as some frivolous spending – but my mental health has affected my relationship with money. I’m not making excuses, those are facts that explain why I have had precisely £0 in my account for weeks.
I know I’m not the only one. And moreover, if even one person like me has this problem then the idea of paying for an appointment is not viable. Nobody should be refused treatment because they can’t afford it.
People who have never been poor will not understand how awful this idea sounds. People who have never been just above the means-tested threshold but struggled with money will not understand it. It’s easy to be condescending and talk about how “it would only be £5” and “it would cut down on missed appointments” but from your ivory tower it’s hard to see how much £5 can be worth to someone, or how missed appointments don’t always happen because the patient can’t be bothered to turn up.
I’ve missed an appointment before. I couldn’t leave the house without having a panic attack. By the time I did, it was way too late and I was way too anxious to call the surgery to apologise.
In this case I strongly believe that it’s not about the majority at all.
Competing interests: No competing interests