hands up who cant afford to go to their GP

dontcallmecrazy

just an observation from reading some posts that there is general joe soaps out there who cant afford to visit their GP if they have a health concern.

i just think this is ridiculous. such a basic human need to see a health care provider and there are people for whom this is is out of reach.

i'll be the first to put my hand up and say, that yes the fifty blips it costs to go see your GP is scandalous, for two minutes of their attention and to feel rushed in and out and perhaps leaving with out any real answers, or told to come back in a week (to part with more of your ard earned cash) if for example your symptoms have not cleared.

thoughts?

_blank_

raises hand

.o/

SerialComplaint

dontcallmecrazy wrote: »

for two minutes of their attention and to feel rushed in and out and perhaps leaving with out any real answers, or told to come back in a week (to part with more of your ard earned cash) if for example your symptoms have not cleared.

Sounds like you need a better GP.

abi2007

my hands are up...but then i chose loans for cars, house holidays and a credit card that i just dont know what i did with the money...most people if they cut their spending on other things would have the money for the doc

dontcallmecrazy

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Sounds like you need a better GP.

i never go back to the same one if i dont like him/her -so ive been to a few in my time, never left feeling happy with the service

Pighead

dontcallmecrazy wrote: »

just an observation from reading some posts that there is general joe soaps out there who cant afford to visit their GP if they have a health concern.

i just think this is ridiculous. such a basic human need to see a health care provider and there are people for whom this is is out of reach.

i'll be the first to put my hand up and say, that yes the fifty blips it costs to go see your GP is scandalous, for two minutes of their attention and to feel rushed in and out and perhaps leaving with out any real answers, or told to come back in a week (to part with more of your ard earned cash) if for example your symptoms have not cleared.

thoughts?

Pighead's initial thoughts are that you are crazy. Didn't want to say it but Pighead takes orders from nobody.

As for the doctors it is pretty steep but c'mon crazy man lets face it, you'll go out and spend the same amount of money in a pub this weekend in less than an hour. And that's without getting a finger up your bum bum.

rotinaj

Ths week I have a choice

a) Go to GP and pay E55 to him to get him to re issue a E75 prescription

b) Pay E35 to bring my dog to the vet and more than likely E200 to get him put to sleep.

Getting sick in this country is way too expencive be you man woman or beast

thelordofcheese

dontcallmecrazy wrote: »

i never go back to the same one if i dont like him/her -so ive been to a few in my time, never left feeling happy with the service

They're doctors, not hairdressers.
Go in, get diagnosis, leave. What the hell did you expect?

AckwelFoley

Just see the doc in the hospital and walk out. Works a charm.

rainbow kirby

o/

Going to my GP costs €60. I have about €50 a week spending money for this college year. I do have the option of the student health services, but there is a 2 week wait to see a doctor.

Stercus Accidit

spent 86€ on medicine today and 45€ at doctor.

yay.

Stercus Accidit

rainbow kirby wrote: »

o/

Going to my GP costs €60. I have about €50 a week spending money for this college year. I do have the option of the student health services, but there is a 2 week wait to see a doctor.

Fool!

See the walk in nurse and say you are in pain, 2 weeks to 2 hours pronto.

pm me for favor repayment details.

tribulus

Check up with my consultant cost 100E for 9 minutes today!

The initial consultation was 180E but I got nearly 20 minutes that time.

dontcallmecrazy

thelordofcheese wrote: »

They're doctors, not hairdressers.
Go in, get diagnosis, leave. What the hell did you expect?

i dont care what they are, they are a service provider no matter what fancy pants degree they have, a service which you are paying for and deserve not to be treated like a annoyance when you visit.

if you are concerned about something and want to talk to somebody about it, you have a right to be listened too, especially when its your health in question and your paying for it.

AckwelFoley

tribulus wrote: »

Check up with my consultant cost 100E for 9 minutes today!

The initial consultation was 180E but I got nearly 20 minutes that time.

The psychiatrist went to see cost me 180 per hour in john of gods.

at that price is it any wonder i nearly topped myself. She was a wealth of useless information

tallaght01

The government should be paying for free primary healthcare, in my opinion.

Instead, they leave healthcare provision to private businessmen.

Your GP is a private businessman or woman. They have put their own cash into the business, and take the risks.

There's an element of supply and demand in their prices. And there's an element of "I've worked 100 hour weeks/72 hour shifts for feck all money serving the public for the last 10 years or whatever, so now I'm going to have some kind of a decent lifestyle" in their pricing.

But they're really not any more expensive than other professionals, like lawyers or accountants. But they have more responsibility.

If you feel your GP is rubbish, then change GP, just like you would with any other service. Your GP depends on customers for their income and the survival of their business. Or report them to the Irish medical Council.

Some people like a chatty, happy GP. I do. Mine is like that. But others just want to have the problem dealth with, without the niceties. Different strokes for different folkis, I guess.

It's very expensive though.

AckwelFoley

Tallaght, you forgot 1 thing.

money.
It would be great to get the government to pay for our dinner too, but the funding is not there.

axel rose

I save up my illnesses to get better value. You need to pay for your own medical to be employed by the Health Board-My God I got great value that time!
Generally I avoid the doctor when possible and ask the chemist directly for my repeat perscriptions. I havent been refused yet. No heavy stuff just my pill and Ventilin.

tallaght01

snyper wrote: »

Tallaght, you forgot 1 thing.

money.
It would be great to get the government to pay for our dinner too, but the funding is not there.

The UK fund free primary healthcare. When we were going through the good times, we could have certainly set up the infrastructire to do it.

God knows, enough money was spent on enough crap.

But, you're right, the time is probably gone now.

Edgedinblue

The joys of free college doctor!!

other then that i wouldnt be able to afford to go if i needed to

lottodrink

Yeah I know the money we have to pay is rediculous and it doesnt even include a prescription. Like if you need anti-biotics you have to go to the chemist and pay for them but if we have to pay 50 euro to see them then it should be included!!
Is it not going up in January?? I know a visit to A&E will cost 100 euro from January anyway so I assume the GP will be similar!!

BroomBurner

Reasons I dislike GPs:

• €50-€60 to be seen 40 minutes after your designated time (and one time, totally forgotten)
• asked "what do you think is wrong with you?" after you've described your symptoms
• Offered anti-biotics for things not requiring anti-biotics
• One GP took out a branded pharmaceutical catalogue to choose something to give me instead of knowing (they were old enough and it wasn't uncommon). I refused the medication.
• Laughed at when I suggested that herbal remedies may work better than medicines (had taken all the medicines given for continuous sinus problem, which got better when I gave up on the doc)
• Lied to when asked about the dangers of taking steroids over a long period of time, with the answer "sure we give them to kids all the time!" as a reason that they're ok (again, refused the medication route)
• Consultants and health insurers ensuring that you're one visit doesn't go over the excess of your premium so you can't claim it back
• Consultants/Doctors absolutely HATE when you ask questions
• Unable to shop around, as each doctor will charge whatever they want and in towns with two or three surgeries, you will not find one cheaper than the others. At first it might, which is what happened where I live, but the new docs prices have since risen in line with all the others.

afatbollix

problum with my hearing at the mo... been bad for 2 weeks now... its a bit stupid to pay 60 euro to get them to say take this and come back in a week...

I get helth insurance from work would they cover the cost of a gp visit??

Ponster

I can't complain about healthcare here in France. €22 to see a doctor of which €18 is paid back by the state and the €4 by my health insurance.

Prescriptions are practically free.

axel rose

I wonder if it would be possible to 'go on holidays' to newry and use my european medical card......;)

cornbb

I can afford to go to the GP but I'm just pissed that I should have to pay so much for it. Not blaming the GPs, but I've paid thousands of euros in taxes over the years, a large bulk of which goes into the health service, and I'm just a little bitter that I've still had to pay for the small few doctor visits I've had in that period.

My GP is good, but shelling out 50 quid for a 5 minute consultation to confirm what I suspected already might lead me to think "hmm, maybe I'll leave my diagnosis to Google in the future". But to anyone here listing all these gripes about their GP being ignorant or whatever: find a new GP!

Ponster

axel rose wrote: »

I wonder if it would be possible to 'go on holidays' to newry and use my european medical card......;)

Yep. No problem in doing that.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7147971.stm


In fact in 2001 the UK NHS sent patients on the Eurostar to France for treatment due to lac of resources at home.

BroomBurner

cornbb wrote: »

But to anyone here listing all these gripes about their GP being ignorant or whatever: find a new GP!

I've been to quite a few. I don't believe in returning business to idiots, so I try to look around for good GPs. I have only ever had one GP that was good since I've been old enough to choose my own doctor but she's where my parents live, which is too far to travel if you're in need.

Also, please see my above quote on not being able to shop around.

Honey-ec

Join the Army - my husband gets all his healthcare and prescriptions free.

I have to say, though, I'm very happy with my GP. €55 for a surgery visit, €60 for a housecall and I've never felt rushed or fobbed off by him. He's also great about repeat prescriptions and sometimes even renews my Pill prescription without dragging me in to see him.

shellyboo

The last time I went to the doctor, it cost me €155 - and that's because my doctor is super nice. For that visit, I got my contraceptive injection (which is what I had the appointment for), a consultation on my hugely swollen tonsils, which coincidentally happened a few days before my scheduled appointment, a prescription for antibiotics, and a doctor's note. She only charged me €60 for the visit, which I would have paid anyway for the Depo; the antibiotics were almost €100 euro. Ouch.

I know with my GP at home, I'd have had to pay extra for the extra presciption and doctor's note, on top of the consultation fee.

To be honest, if I hadn't have already had the appointment, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor - and I really needed to go, since she put me off work for two weeks. It's definitely offputting that it costs so much, and even though I trust my doctor and know she wouldn't fob me off, I really wouldn't go unless I was at death's door.

AckwelFoley

tallaght01 wrote: »

The UK fund free primary healthcare. When we were going through the good times, we could have certainly set up the infrastructire to do it.

God knows, enough money was spent on enough crap.

But, you're right, the time is probably gone now.

yes, but the Uk have higher taxes. Its all rather simple math

axel rose

Ponster wrote: »

Yep. No problem in doing that.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7147971.stm


In fact in 2001 the UK NHS sent patients on the Eurostar to France for treatment due to lac of resources at home.

I was thinking more of GP related stuff. When I broke my finger (throwing out a Bible ) I just had to leave it because I didnt have the money to go and get treatment........if I thought about it there could be a lesson there.

tallaght01

snyper wrote: »

yes, but the Uk have higher taxes. Its all rather simple math

BUt govt budgets are dependent on much more than the RATE of tax, It's about how many times each euro is spent etc. That affects how much tax is paid overall.

Ireland had a LOT of money to spend during the good times.

grahamo

Don't go to the doctor. I simply can't afford it. Of course if her indoors or the kids need a doctor I will make sure we have the money aside for them to go. I've given up applying for a GP visit card as the application process is a pain in the ass and last time I tried I was told it takes 3 months to process the application.
It would be VERY VERY helpful to parents if kids could see the doctor for half price as in other countries but I think that would be far too much commonsense for this government to apply.
I really resent paying doctor/hospital fees as I feel I pay a LOT of money in PRSI and health levy and get nothing back for what I pay.

I can't

twanda

I´m in Denmark, and everyone here has a card which entitles them to free doctors visits. You still have to pay for your medicine though.
(I was only here 2 months when I received a letter from the local hospital inviting me to go for a free cervical cancer screening. I thought that was very good too.)

6th

If you really are sick then can you afford not to go to your GP?

Dragan

tribulus wrote: »

Check up with my consultant cost 100E for 9 minutes today!

The initial consultation was 180E but I got nearly 20 minutes that time.

Thats what you get for getting complicated blood work done mate.

Even with my VHI covering me nicely my medical bills from the year came to about a low to medium 4 figures.

Sucks right?

At least i'm healthy now!

tribulus

It's crap alright but going private got things done so much quicker for me and the hospital was all shiny and didn't have the old man musk that lots of them seem to have!

Ruu_Old

I can't remember much, had to visit the doctor in the beginning of the year. $100+ per visit, insurance paid around $80. Far too many out there with no insurance. I won't mention how much it cost in total with an ER visit, cat scan, etc even with insurance payments. *weeps*

bigstar

havent been to doc in a few years, and now im broke not likely to go for a few more

Bottle_of_Smoke

Living in the UK is great. Haven't needed to go yet though.

I do think though, the people with the really bitchy posts just have terrible doctors

niavie

I'm living in Munich at the moment and was just at the doctor yesterday. Cost €10 for the consultation and €10 for my antibiotics because the German health insurance companies pay 95% of the prescription. All with my EHIC card.

dontcallmecrazy

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Living in the UK is great. Haven't needed to go yet though.

I do think though, the people with the really bitchy posts just have terrible doctors

its just the fact that for many, the reality is we can hardly afford GP visits as it is and we certainly do not have the cash to be 'test driving' our doctors to see which one we like the best, fair enough if you have an ongoing medical issue and you have to keep going back the whole time for one thing or another you might have the luxury of meeting a few different ones until you find one that you feel comfortable with.

but if its just the odd time you need to go, thats when you face the problem of trying locate a doctor that you are happy with.

what i'm saying is the majority of us dont have the opportunity to suss out a GP before we go in and hand over the cash, so therefore you are pretty much at the mercy of them being sound.

deisedevil

Our company has a scheme where we can pay 9 euro fortnightly to a clinic and can go as many times as you like for that. I barely ever have to go so for me it's a big expense for something I don't use, but it's great for anyone who needs a doc regularly.

carrotcake

niavie wrote: »

I'm living in Munich at the moment and was just at the doctor yesterday. Cost €10 for the consultation and €10 for my antibiotics because the German health insurance companies pay 95% of the prescription. All with my EHIC card.

That's great if you don't work, which I presume you don't. Otherwise you'd be paying a couple of hundred per month out of your salary in compulsory health insurance. i've had about €4000 taken out of my pay so far and haven't been to a doctor once.

Ponster

carrotcake wrote: »

That's great if you don't work, which I presume you don't. Otherwise you'd be paying a couple of hundred per month out of your salary in compulsory health insurance. i've had about €4000 taken out of my pay so far and haven't been to a doctor once.

Yeah that's pretty much how it works over here. When you're a single guy with no family then you end up paying for the health care of the family of 5 somewhere.
To balance things out a tad people tend to go to the doctors ALL OF THE TIME. So while your average Irish person will get a headache and take an aspirin, in France it's off to the doctors for a prescription of something.

carlop

Ireland is definitely behind Europe when it comes to providing healthcare, and it is criminal that a public health service like the NHS in Britain or basically like in any European country doesn't exist here.

Having said that, the service I got in Italy, which has a free healthcare system, was terrible. They wheeled me out of the room (I'd done my knee in, was in a wheelchair) as I was mid-sentence trying to ask the doctor something. I didn't have my EHIC either so I got billed for it too, though I have faith the Italian bureaucratic system is sh1te enough not to track me down.

Mint Sauce

its a two teir system, few years ago, had to see a consultant, €45 for the GP first, got a referral to the consultant, 18 month wait in the public clinic, inquired how much and how long to go private, handed over €70 and got seen in two weeks, then another €70 on the prescription

it crazy, and to think sometimes you might have to make several visits depending on the complant, and paying everytime

Valmont

*hands up*

I'm broke because I'm a hard up student. Then I think of all the filthy scumbags and welfare leeches who have medical cards and I get really angry. I'm taking my education to different country out of protest.

sam34

irish-stew wrote: »

it crazy, and to think sometimes you might have to make several visits depending on the complant, and paying everytime

imagine having to pay for a service every time you use it! scandalous!:rolleyes:
as professionals go, GPs are far from the most expensive....

i paid a solicitor €80 to witness my signature on a document, which took approx 30 seconds, solicitor did not know me, nor ask for id.

i paid my dentist €65 for a check up which took less than 10 mins. no clean&polish, no frills, just a check up.

i paid a locksmith €70 for a ten minute job

the list goes on.