GPs! What's the point?

CDfm

pickarooney wrote: »

Clearly, as regards charges, the problem lies more with the system than with the individual practitioners. While €50-60 euros for 10 minutes work (a simplistic breakdown, but exactly what it appears to the patient) seems fair from the doctor's point of view, it's savagely high for a patient and should be heavily subsidised. The problem is of course where the money should come from to put in place a working healthcare system.

I have a very good GP and the practice is very very busy. She is very skilled but it is expensive.

The Irish Healthcare system is very well funded and is a black hole the way it hoovers up money.

The medical card system is paid for by taxpayers and it for the benefit of non taxpayers.So doctors do have the benefit of secure income and recieve funding for their practices however it does not translate for the taxpayer.

Its all very fine to say where the money should come from.I am under no illusions that Irish hospitals and nurses are fairly useless and that the Irish Health Budget is so top heavy spending money for all kinds of local facilities its unreal. (I know we cant compare but the spend per capita on pensioners relocating from the UK is 3 times the UK cost-so we are being conned ) So short of making the Health Service part of the army with chains of command and guaranteed basic services what do you do. Maybe we could join up with the UK health service and give them half the money and keep the other half for lower taxes. So everyone will win.

In other countries people pay health insurance and if they are not working the state pays it. This means that actual healthcare is a bought service without the money pit.

whadabouchasir

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

I dont care what you say. You can try to justify this farce till your blue in the face. 50/55 euro for a little chat with your local GP is a disgrace whatever way you cut it.

I have huge respect for proper doctors.

I admit they charge too much I'll agree with you on this much but this doesn't mean that they aren't proper Doctors.Imagine the chaos in A&E if all G.P's went on strike for a day.I don't think the problem with G.P's is they're compotence it's just that they charge too much.This occurs everywhere in Ireland though,people will charge as much as they think they can get away with .It's not just G.P's.

fonecrusher1

whadabouchasir wrote: »

I admit they charge too much I'll agree with you on this much but this doesn't mean that they aren't proper Doctors.Imagine the chaos in A&E if all G.P's went on strike for a day.I don't think the problem with G.P's is they're compotence it's just that they charge too much.This occurs everywhere in Ireland though,people will charge as much as they think they can get away with .It's not just G.P's.

Hold on a second. The last sentence of the above quote is a perfect example of GP's justification for ripping people off. "Its not just G.P's." = ah sure we're all doing it so its ok! No not good enough. Whats almost sinister about this is that they are essentially benefiting from people's illnesses. Easy money.

I question the motives of anyone who decides to become a doctor with a view to getting a nice safe position in a comfy little 'surgery'. Its hardly the front line in medicine is it?
I think its a cop out. The easy route.

whadabouchasir

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

I question the motives of anyone who decides to become a doctor with a view to getting a nice safe position in a comfy little 'surgery'. Its hardly the front line in medicine is it?
I think its a cop out. The easy route.

G.P's charge too much,i've already said that I agree with you on this much.What I don't agree with is your idea that G.P's do nothing and are useless.If they are so useles why does the govenment give out G.P only medical cards?they are at the frontline of medicine it's just not the lifesaving dramatic t.v style stuff.i'll give you an example,about this time last year I went to my G.P because I had a severe flu and difficulty breathing.I got a prescription for some antibotics and after a week i was fine.howevr my G.P said that if I didn't take a few days off then i would almost definitely end up in hospital.So without G.P's minor health problems would turn into more serious one's leading to additional strain on the hospitals and almost certainly more deaths.

fonecrusher1

whadabouchasir wrote: »

G.P's charge too much,i've already said that I agree with you on this much.What I don't agree with is your idea that G.P's do nothing and are useless.If they are so useles why does the govenment give out G.P only medical cards?they are at the frontline of medicine it's just not the lifesaving dramatic t.v style stuff.i'll give you an example,about this time last year I went to my G.P because I had a severe flu and difficulty breathing.I got a prescription for some antibotics and after a week i was fine.howevr my G.P said that if I didn't take a few days off then i would almost definitely end up in hospital.So without G.P's minor health problems would turn into more serious one's leading to additional strain on the hospitals and almost certainly more deaths.

Ok in that particular situation your G.P actually did his/her job, no more. Thats what they're supposed to do as you have mentioned. They're not all bad, i'l give you that.
My current circumstances can not afford me visits to the local surgery, its a luxury for me. Thankfully ive rarely had to endure the ordeal of seeing the local wealthy doctors that drive around in 60,000 euro luxury cars...ah poor things.:rolleyes:

Just to balance things, as for people sitting in waiting rooms with sniffles,colds & coughs imagining they have the latest super-bug, sorry but the GP's deserve the 50 euro for listening to the moaning. Go to the bloody chemists & get advice.
I think some folks enjoy the chat & attention more than the medical investigation.


btw....If they are so useles why does the govenment give out G.P only medical cards? How else would unemployed people get their prescriptions without paying 50 euro?

whadabouchasir

fonecrusher1 wrote: »

btw....If they are so useles why does the govenment give out G.P only medical cards? How else would unemployed people get their prescriptions without paying 50 euro?

If you're unemployed then you'll more than likely be entitled to the full medical card (unless a spouse or parent has a very well paid job).The income limits for a G.P only card are 50% higher than those for a medical card,so clearly the state believes the G.P to be an important part of the health service.

CDfm

whadabouchasir wrote: »

If you're unemployed then you'll more than likely be entitled to the full medical card (unless a spouse or parent has a very well paid job).The income limits for a G.P only card are 50% higher than those for a medical card,so clearly the state believes the G.P to be an important part of the health service.

so what are they then

dixiefly

Considering the fact that we are in a time of deflation and also many people have reduced earnings, is it not too much to suggest that GP's reduce their referral fees by 10-20?%?

RobFowl

dixiefly wrote: »

Considering the fact that we are in a time of deflation and also many people have reduced earnings, is it not too much to suggest that GP's reduce their referral fees by 10-20?%?

What is a referral fee ???

whadabouchasir

CDfm wrote: »

so what are they then

Medical Card

• Single Person living alone (up to 65 years) – €184.00
• Single person living alone (66-69 years) – €201.50
• Single Person living with family (up to 65 years) – €164.00
• Single Person living with family (66-69 years) – €173.50
• Married Couple / Single Parent Families with dependent children (up to 65 years) – €266.50
• Married Couple / Single Parent Families with dependent children (66-69 years) – a €298.00
• Married Couple (70-79 years – where one person is 70 years or over and the other has not yet reached 70) – €596.00
• Married Couple (80 years and over – where one person is 80 years or over and the other has not yet reached 70) – €627.00

Additional Allowances for Dependent Children:

• For first 2 children under 16 years – €38.00
• For 3rd and subsequent children under 16 years – €41.00
• For first 2 children over 16 years – €39.00
• For 3rd and subsequent children over 16 years – €42.50
• For a dependant over 16 years who is in full time third level education and not grant aided – €78.00

Additional allowances are made for reasonable rent/mortgage, childcare and travel costs.
GP Visit Card

• Single Person living alone (up to 65 years) – €276.00
• Single person living alone (66-69 years) – €302.00
• Single Person living with family (up to 65 years) – €246.00
• Single Person living with family (66-69 years) – €260.50
• Married Couple / Single Parent Families with dependent children (up to 65 years) – €400.00
• Married Couple / Single Parent Families with dependent children (66-69 years) – a €447.00
• Married Couple (70-79 years – where one person is 70 years or over and the other has not yet reached 70) – €895.00
• Married Couple (80 years and over – where one person is 80 years or over and the other has not yet reached 70) – €940.50

Additional Allowances for Dependent Children:

• For first 2 children under 16 years – €57.00
• For 3rd and subsequent children under 16 years – €61.50
• For first 2 children over 16 years – €58.50
• For 3rd and subsequent children over 16 years – €64.00
• For a dependant over 16 years who is in full time third level education and not grant aided – €117.00

Additional allowances are made for reasonable rent/mortgage, childcare and travel costs.
Certain other individuals may also qualify for a Medical/GP Visit card, including those persons whose assessable income is in excess of the guidelines, but where financial hardship would arise because of medical costs or other exceptional circumstances.

BumbleB

The OP is getting at 2 issues here firstly the doctor appeared to have done very little to diagnose the problem and secondly he charged 50 or 60 euro .

Well in actual fact all a doctor has to do is observe you to know if something is seriously wrong. A doctor with experience is so used to observing people young and old etc that he can actually pick it out its just totally intuitive.I brought a car I had a few years ago with a problem to a mechanic and he fixed it in 5 mins there was some solenoid issue anyhow that the level of expertise here.

Anyhow ,my doctor doesnt charge anything near that but I did notice that everytime i went to him I was 100 euro lighter inc prescriptions and I called him up on that told him that i was being robbed blind by his prescriptions and from that day fwd the medicine he is prescribing is way cheaper.

I found out later that there is a cheaper alternative to nearly every drug out there if you open your mouth when you are at the doctors.

You see when you get a prescription its some new drug that some rep has been around trying to push onto the doctor and he in turn pushes it onto his patients and its expensive.


Also the argument about doctors deserving astromonomical fees doesnt wash at all because taxpayers put a lot of these people through college and then these people have this arrogant attitude towards people like their better than their patients ,my gp does but I can handle him .

Stheno

I'm blessed with my gp, he's open seven days a week, from 10 - 1 then 3 -10pm Mon - Sat, and 3-10pm on Sundays.

I once called him at nine pm on a Saturday and he was not open, I had suspected appendicitis, he got cut off, and was en route to his surgery to look up my number on his computer to find out what patient I was so he could follow up on the call.

I got to see him that night at 11pm, was sent to hospital, and he checked in with the hospital every day I was there to see how I was recovering.

I recently needed to see a surgeon, and he personally contacted the surgeon to get me an appointment as soon as possible.

He always asks about life in general with me, knows me pretty well, and is straightforward and not afraid to tell me that I'll end up in hospital if I don't take care of myself when I am ill.

There are fantastic gp's out there, who work incredibly hard, and are supportive to their patients.

I know in terms of costs, my gp's insurance has increased hugely over the past few years, but his consultation fee of €50 has not changed since 2005.

bob50

Nougatti thats great you have a doc that looks after you so well & his hours are out of this world compared to the local docs im area which open from 9 till 12 mon wed & fri also 3 afternoons in the week closed tues & thursday a/nnons and the great part you have to make an appointment to see him When you ring the secretary looking for an app. on the day you ring she trys to fob people off with " can you come tomorrow or the next day ? " you have to tell her its an emergency for her to fit you in aaah. .other than that if you ring at lunchtime or in the evening you get a recorded message ring dubdoc or lukedoc for service

CDfm

self inflicted no doubt