Are greedy GPs to blame as well?

[junketman]

We all know GPs are rolling in money. Some of them behave in a scandalous manner towards the sick. There are some genuine honest upright GPs. But there are also cowboy GPs who exploit people in vulnerable situations such as calling them in to give them blood test readings which they could do over the phone and then charging the full fee for the visit.

55 euro for an often 5 or 10 minute GP visit is scandalous. And why is there no competition among GPs, why in most towns is there only one GP, who has everything sown up.

It's a blatent cartel which is screwing the old, the young, the middle aged and workers, yet we as a people seem powerless to get rid of this cartel.

[wysiwyg]

We all know GPs are rolling in money. Some of them behave in a scandalous manner towards the sick. There are some genuine honest upright GPs. But there are also cowboy GPs who exploit people in vulnerable situations such as calling them in to give them blood test readings which they could do over the phone and then charging the full fee for the visit.

55 euro for an often 5 or 10 minute GP visit is scandalous. And why is there no competition among GPs, why in most towns is there only one GP with everything sown up.

It's a blatent cartel which is screwing the old, the young, the middle aged and workers, yet we as a people seem powerless to get rid of this cartel.

Look.. you try being a GP... you think a GP is going to discuss a blood test over the phone ? The second one person has a medical problem afterwards, that GP's practice is over

[The OD]

My own GP is a very decent guy, he see's a lot of patients who should be paying for free (and no, I aint giving out his name, he has been my GP since childhood - I remember sitting in his surgery whilst he smoked a pipe FFS! He has since given up smoking however.....).

Basically, if you can get to him before his secretary arrives, he doesnt charge!

I've tried to give him the cash, but he just gets embarrased and mumbles something about 'not dealing with cash' and says not to worry about!!!!

Also, he hates giving out anti biotics and reckons bed rest and a strong cup of coffee is enough for most everyday infections. He told me that he is constantly under pressure to prescribe certain brands of pharmacueticals but couldnt be arsed.

I should add that he is very eccentric and dishevelled, but if I was dying, I wouldnt mind him there dishing out the morphine (for the lung cancer I am going to get...... )

Bloody smoking....

[junketman]

That was an example of the type of thing that goes on. Everytime you step inside the door of a GP he/she charges 55 euro, even if only to write a new prescription, literally a one minute job. Is that worth 55 euro? Do you not think GPs are running a racket?

The nation needs to achieve savings in health, you must agree with that. If an over 70 visits their GP every forthnight to get a new prescription and the GP charges 55 euro for that one minute task, and we the taxpayer pick up the tab, are we the taxpayer getting value for money?

Why not a sliding scale for these tasks? Writing a prescription, no more than 10 euro. Listening to your heart beat 20 euro. etc.

And again I ask where is the competition?

[PhoenixIreland]

Can someone explain to me how/why compitition law prevents us from negotiating with the GPs for better rates?

[wysiwyg]

Can someone explain to me how/why compitition law prevents us from negotiating with the GPs for better rates?

Nothing is stopping you negotiating with your GP for a better rate.. competition law prevents dealing with GP's via the IMO... because if you deal with them en bloc.. they are then acting like a monopoly

[rjh]

Nothing is stopping you negotiating with your GP for a better rate.. competition law prevents dealing with GP's via the IMO... because if you deal with them en bloc.. they are then acting like a monopoly

That about sums it up...

A similar situation arose with the pharmacists - so the HSE decided to act unilaterally cutting the fees paid to the phramacists

What happened ? The pharmacists took the HSE to court and won hands down. Not only did the HSE fail to save any money they actually had to pay full legal fees and costs for the disruption involved. Millions.....

A lesson for those who favour shafting the GPs. However the HSE never learns from its mistakes...

As for the overall tone of the thread....

Healthcare costs money - drugs cost money - blood tests cost money - staff cost money - buildings cost money etc etc - 50-55 euro is pretty reasonable really for the costs involved. Or maybe people think GPs should work for free because they don't deserve to be well paid?

As I pointed out on a different thread (link below) this is how the "gold card" evolved

http://www.politics.ie/health-social...ml#post1245487

It never ceases to amaze me how much (some) well off people resent paying their Doctor but are quite happy to pay their hairdresser, accountant, car mechanic etc etc

As a private patient you can go and see whoever you like - if 55euro strikes you as too much and the service is inadequate then go elsewhere...

As for competition - we have a shortage of full time GPs and the reasons are quite complex. Trust me when I say there are no shortage of Irish doctors who would like to be GPs but are not being let...... Sin sceal eile...

[lostexpectation]

its up to the governement to arrange a system where we don't have to pay 55euro every time we visit a gp.

[PhoenixIreland]

Nothing is stopping you negotiating with your GP for a better rate.. competition law prevents dealing with GP's via the IMO... because if you deal with them en bloc.. they are then acting like a monopoly

You can't negotiate with your GP individually, they're not gonna charge different people different rates that would be caotic.
Who are they gonna compete with if not acting as a block? each other? I'm not aware of any GP that charges 35euro, are you?
This law is thus not providing competition, it's just keeping prices high, which is what competition is designed to prevent in theory, but we all know the lobbyists in Brussels who wrote the laws were not worried about high prices.

[lostexpectation]

so every single gp in the country charges the same for these fees?

is mary palin coughlan going to tell us to shop around?