Authors of a new report have recommended charging patients £20 per GP appointment, Pulse reports.
Former health secretary Sir Sajid Javid wrote a foreword for the paper, which supports an idea he already floated in 2023 after his period as health secretary 2021-2022 under Boris Johnson.
Sir Javid told readers that a conversation about charging patients was ‘long overdue’, and the authors of the report themselves admit that charging patients is ‘the most obvious option’.
In 2022 the BMA was forced to condemn Rishi Sunak’s proposal, before he became prime minister, that patients should be fined £10 for a missed GP appointment.
At the time, council chair Dr Philip Banfield said: “It’s terribly disappointing that the candidates standing to be the next prime minister seem to have so little understanding of the reality facing our NHS, or what it will take to turnaround the impact of the Government’s repeated mistakes and the now mammoth backlog of care.” The RCGP also celebrated when Sunak’s plan was scrapped.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “This proposed £20 fee for GP appointments is a misguided approach that doesn’t make sense. It may be the most obvious option, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good one.
“Such interventions will simply create pressures elsewhere, with the obvious alternative free option for patients being their local A&E. By paying for the service at the point of need, patients will naturally expect more.
“The real problem is chronic underfunding, under-resourcing, and a severe workforce crisis. While some areas struggle to recruit, others have an oversupply, leading to precious talent being lost.
“The solution demands meaningful funding commitments to employ and retain experienced GPs, treating GPs as an investment and not a cost.”