[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

These things are a problem but tbh they're not the major issue when it comes to unnecessary treatment costs. Yes, these surgeries are expensive but the number being done is relatively small...

...the MAIN problem is minor injuries and ailments. People going to their GP for antibiotics because they have a sniffle, or A&E for any minor bump / scrape / burn. Each individual treatment cost is of course far lower than those big surgeries... but there are a few people getting major surgeries. There are literally MILLIONS of people using the NHS for things that they could, and should, quite effectively treat at home on their own. I genuinely believe that a huge part of the solution is general health education, so that people can accurately assess their own health / an injury and know how to treat minor things without needing to lean on healthcare. Of course sometimes you're going to be sick enough to need medical attention, or sustain an injury that might need looking at, but people seem to be A) really bad at knowing the difference and B) really impatient (e.g. people will go to a doctor if they're ill and not totally better after 2 days, EVEN IF their symptoms are obviously improving not worsening... let your body heal! Let your immune system work!)

But yeah... those "little things" stack up to costing needless fortunes. It's not even always that people are entitled / selfish, either - people are anxious about their health, they are inclined to want "an expert opinion" and have totally lost the ability to self-assess and treat minor ailments. There should be a mandatory weekly class in schools - it's just as important as something like P.E.

Yeah I know those are a problem too. I genuinely do not know why GPs do paracetamol on prescription? It costs a fortune..there was a notice up in my doctors saying that whats spend on paracetamol prescriptions ( think it was just in my area too) could fund like 50 nurses for a year or something like that. So..if they know this, why the **** are they still doling out paracetamol on prescription?! It costs like 20p, even the poorest of the poor could afford to buy some. Same with the free calpol and such for children really..everytime I go to the chemist counter with some they inform me I can get it free if I fill out a form...I know calpol is more than tablets are but still. Surely that should only be for extremely low income families, not universal.

Why people go to the GP for coughs and colds I will never know. Same for demanding antibiotics when they dont work on them...but again, why the hell do GPs give them?

I don't think 111 help matters at all. They tell everyone to go to A+E it seems.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Yeah I know those are a problem too. I genuinely do not know why GPs do paracetamol on prescription? It costs a fortune..there was a notice up in my doctors saying that whats spend on paracetamol prescriptions ( think it was just in my area too) could fund like 50 nurses for a year or something like that. So..if they know this, why the **** are they still doling out paracetamol on precription?! It costs like 20p, even the poorest of the poor could afford to buy some. Same with the free calpol and such for children really..everytime I go to the chemist counter with some they inform me I can get it free if I fill out a form...I know calpol is more than tablets are but still. Surely that should only be for extremely low income families, not universal.

Why people go to the GP for coughs and colds I will never know. Same for demanding antibiotics when they dont work on them...but again, why the hell do GPs give them?

I don't think 111 help matters at all. They tell everyone to go to A+E it seems.

Over here we pay to see the GP but lower income/unemployed people etc can qualify for medical cards which means the GP is free and it's something that's been complained about alot actually, that it's always those with medical cards that go to see the GP for every sniffle, so it seems to be abused when it's free and thought about a bit more when you have to fork out for it yourself