Kiss doctor-patient confidentiality goodbye in the Tories’ latest NHS cash-saving scheme
GPs are no longer to have confidential, one-on-one interviews with patients who have certain conditions, if the Tory government has its way.
If you can’t afford private medicine, you don’t deserve to discuss your medical conditions in privacy, according to the latest crackpot Tory scheme for our cash-strapped NHS.
Having starved the service of funding and staff with a series of stupid or selfish policy decisions, they have left it incapable of coping with the demand for GP time.
So patients are to be deprived of their dignity with consultations organised for groups of up to 15 patients at a time.
The fact that people don’t want the intimate details of their medical conditions bandied around more than a dozen other people – not all of whom may be strangers – won’t enter into the Tories’ calculations.
The whole loony plan is further evidence that Conservatives consider the rest of us to be nothing more than herd animals.
Don’t forget that the Department for Work and Pensions describes benefit claimants as “stock”. Clearly that mentality has polluted the NHS as well.
GPs are to offer shared appointments for groups of up to 15 patients with similar conditions under NHS plans.
Patients who participated in a trial said they benefited from group appointments after receiving support from other participants, according to the head of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP).
Doctors reported finding the sessions effective at dealing with a variety of health issues like diabetes, arthritis and obesity as they do not have to repeat the same advice individually.
There is a UK shortage of GPs and medical staff, which has been exacerbated by a decline in EU applicants to work as nurses and some NHS staff returning to EU countries.
However medical bodies say that is not the primary motivation behind the new scheme.
Source: Group GP appointments: how NHS plans to see your GP with up to 14 people will work
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Is that even practical?
The original article says “people are not forced to participate” They will only be part of group consultations if they want to be!! It wouldn’t work for everyone Especially with more complex conditions. I certainly would Not be in ok with that!!!
Uh-huh. Tell me, Joanna – considering the amount of choice we’ve all had after the numerous NHS privatisations, how much of an option do you think patients will get with this?
If I were to be forced to participate I would fight it because we still have Data protection, no-one but medical has any right to know what is in my records, and if I am wrong then I would just give up, I do not want to live in a world where the law is either Not followed or can can be changed at will just because they have power.
Anyway that point may be moot for me, because I have got a “Capability for work” assessment tomorrow.
Also Mike most GP’s take ethics seriously, shared appointments could mess with the Hypocratic oath! Those Doctors who involved in appoinment sharing should absolutely be struck off!!! Apart from police and courts being allowed access,The Doctor-confidentiallity is Legal and a right.
I rang my dr’s surgery and they will Never do that, I even got a letter saying that my opt out for data sharing is now good for 10 years!
Yet another example of deliberately running down the NHS to make the case for Private one-to-one appointments.
These are already being advertised on National Television.
Issue being than in introducing outsourced private companies into the NHS it effectively fragments the whole service and strenghthens the “arguement” for privatisation.