Privatizing Primary Care in Britain
The problem:
Two thirds of the U.K.’s National Health Service patients have to wait more than 48 hours for a doctor’s appointment and few slots are available outside regular work week hours.
The solution:
A private doctor’s surgery…is attracting thousands of patients who have given up on the [NHS]. Open seven days a week, usually until 11pm, the clinic gives half-hour appointments, which is three times longer than usual. Despite charging £70 ($109) a visit, it already has almost 6,000 Britons on its books. Customers are welcomed into the spotless and modern center by friendly receptionists whose motto is to “put patients first.” (Daily Policy Digest/Daily Mail)
“Two thirds of the U.K.’s National Health Service patients have to wait more than 48 hours for a doctor’s appointment…”
I wonder how many of those having to wait are suffering from serious and/or painful conditions.
If it’s that bad, why wouldn’t they go to the ER in hospital?
The inability to provide for you and your families’ health is certainly a frightening prospect. I’m glad that Britons have a reasonable alternative to NHS.
I don’t know if it’s still the case, but at one time NHS hospitals made some of their operating budgets by reserving up to one-quarter of their capacity to cash-paying customers. Thus, the biggest provider of private care in Britain is the National Health Services.
Interesting. Where did you get it from? — the source that is.
Is this one of the first cases of privatization for primary care? I find that hard to believe…
If have to wait longer than 24hrs for an appointment, your ailment might already be healed. However, you might have gone through a lot of pain to reach that point.
Or dead.
“put patients first”
– Interesting motto. Im glad that they can be so customer oriented!
Somehow the “put patients first” misses the mark all over the place…
So, 65% have to wait more than 48 hours for a doctor’s appointment. When was the last time any of you made a doctor’s appointment here in the US and got one in less than 48 hours. That sounds like by that metric, the NHS beats the US my a mile.