Why we need to introduce a modest charge for GP appointments - Yorkshire Post Letters

I write regarding recent expressions of dissatisfaction with the NHS.

What may help is to introduce a modest charge for GP appointments rather than the proposed fines for missed appointments. This could help alleviate the strain on waiting lists and encourage people to reconsider unnecessary visits to the doctor, which are all too familiar.

Also, the GP referral system may benefit from a change of emphasis. Why must everything go through the GP? The present system creates bureaucracy and slows the process. Instead, patients should be allowed to contact specialist services directly, as in other countries.

The NHS has grown to an unmanageable size and has become unwieldy. While the service is undoubtedly invaluable, it is a misconception to believe that it remains the same as when it was established.

The NHS was once doctor-led, and we now face greater demand with fewer beds, which is probably a management-engineered problem.

The size and cost of management have grown from 4 per cent to 7 per cent and now approaches 25 per cent.

Significant wage disparities exist between management and medical staff, which is in the wrong direction with the wrong emphasis and, in all likelihood, is where the problem lies.

Other countries often provide better services with less frequent reorganisations, political interference, and more significant investment in medical staff.

The medical staff is where the skills and knowledge reside. It is also where the power base should be, with slimmed-down management at its behest.