To: Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Health minister, Vernon Coaker MP
Surgery hours increase - but no extra funding
Provide money to cover the cost of cost of the extra surgery time the government is demanding.
Why is this important?
It seems reasonable to ask for longer hours for local health centers - although mornings and early evenings would surely be adequate.
A government that makes demands without considering the cost causes us a huge problem. I am a taxpayer, and am very happy to pay more to get adequate public services. I am certain that every tax-payer will be content to pay more in order to have adequate health care.
BUT our local practice - and very likely many others - have already cut back their operation to the bone, to the point at which an further increase in running costs will have to mean a lack of attention to patients - essential home visits to patients who are unable to get to the surgery might be one possibility.
Our own surgery runs a drop-in every weekday morning. Two excellent nurse-practitioners and one doctor are in attendance. All of them make home visits after morning drop-in. Extra staff to cover extra hours will cost money the surgery does not have.
A government that makes demands without considering the cost causes us a huge problem. I am a taxpayer, and am very happy to pay more to get adequate public services. I am certain that every tax-payer will be content to pay more in order to have adequate health care.
BUT our local practice - and very likely many others - have already cut back their operation to the bone, to the point at which an further increase in running costs will have to mean a lack of attention to patients - essential home visits to patients who are unable to get to the surgery might be one possibility.
Our own surgery runs a drop-in every weekday morning. Two excellent nurse-practitioners and one doctor are in attendance. All of them make home visits after morning drop-in. Extra staff to cover extra hours will cost money the surgery does not have.
