Panorama 9pm last night NHS

PowerOn

Did anyone watch the programme. not only were so many people from abroad getting GP appointments and Hospital treatment on the NHS for free, but they were getting next day appointments with GPs and MRI scans and x-rays very quickly.
In one undercover case a GP Practise manager sold 10 (said he would do more just give him names) places on a GPs list for £250 each to people who were not yet in the Country, they were coming for free NHS treatment.
I have been refused an MRI scan because i do not have, "tingling in my tail bone or a loss of bladder control" those are the only symptoms a GP will send a patient for a MRI scan in my practise.
I have a GP appointment today which I had to wait over 3 weeks for.
The programme made me wonder how quickly others get GP appointments and if they get MRIs, X-Rays or other treatment when needed.
Am going in to see my GP today and I am going to be very clear in what treatment I expect and deserve, did not work for me last time! GP was very rude and refused to follow a Specialists advice re my treatment.
Different GP today.
I am lucky in that when angry I get very calm.
Do others have difficulity getting x-rays, MRIs GP appointments? Am wondering if it depends on the indiviual GP or where in the country we are.

barbara12

Yes I did watch it...it makes my blood boil how anyone can get all the help they need unless you live here....best of all was, we are paying the others country to treat our own and we dont get a penny off them.
I have been many a time to out A&E when I was looking after my parent and it amazed me at the amount of people from abroad.
And the amount of people that come for treatment, and disappear without paying...and theres me thrilled that I have now got free prescriptions...I had better stop now before I get banned... :shock:

fowls48

Its Outrageous .

PowerOn

I am so angry after watching it, if it does not stop I am going to advise my children to live in another country, one has a degree from a top university the others are working hard to go there, I always told them it is important to stay in this country to get good jobs and pay tax as the NHS, Schools etc are worth paying for, really changed my mind last night, bad enough getting fobbed off by GPs, but discovering others get film star treatment for a fee to crooks has made me so angry.
I have a list of instructions for my GP appointment today.

barbara12

Well said poweron
I have two sons, that have worked hard all there workings lives, and my youngest is poorly at the moment and could not afford his prescription.. if we didnt help him, and in the queue at the chemist...lots of people from abroad that have only just moved here walking away with free prescriptions...

PowerOn

I am going to look for the 10 downing street web site and ask questions, sure I will be ignored but I love the way the UK was set up to help people, I wanted my children to repay their free schools and GPs but the system is being bled dry and is only ongoing because the gov borrow money which adds to the tax bill.
Poor UK I would hate it broken, no other Country is so well set up but it can not keep going in this way.

PowerOn

for anyone who missed it http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nbryp

stickywicket

I saw bits of this. I agree it's wrong but, every system for anything can be abused and will be by unscrupulous people out for a quick buck.

What I'd like to know is "Is this Practice Manager still there or has he been arrested?" What he did was clearly illegal so is it being followed up?

Nicchick

I must say that since I started making a fuss at the hospital they are giving me better treatment there - the local surgery and adjoining pharmacy have staff that were rude and dismissive to me, I politely explained to them that I am in constant, debilitating pain and find moving around very difficult. They have changed the way they treat me now and do whatever they can to help.

It's amazing that it's the people who either work within the NHS or have done so previously that have encouraged me to pursue the complaint against the hospital. I hate doing it but I so want to be able to move around for as long as possible.

I didn't see the programme but it would have made me livid too - my father applied for JSA after he was no longer entitled to pension credit after inheriting a small amount of money, he was turned down despite working and paying tax for 40 years because he hadn't worked for the last two. He's now applying for DLA as he has various health issues and it's taken myself and OH ages to get him to do it.

There is so much wrong with all the systems in place that ludicrous things like this happen.

Nic x

barbara12

Can I just add one thing...I did feel so sorry for the poor man that had his hips replaced...hes is here illegally, and paid to see a consultant and got fast tract...but the poor man was working all hours drilling roads that had damaged his hips...he had them replaces but is living under a bridge somewhere in this country...bless... he was on crutches gods knows what after care he was getting...I felt so sorry for him...

tillytop

I haven't watched yet but have it recorded for later viewing. But from what has been said, I think I'd better wait until I am armed with a glass of wine!

I hope, PowerOn, that you are able to get the help you need from your GP.

You ask about restrictions at other GP surgeries. I know from what my GP has told me that the GPs are strictly limited in terms of what they can order tests wise. I was referred for a scan by one of the hospital consultants and when I told the GP he said "good. That's what I wanted to do but I am not allowed to request the scan directly." I have also had experience recently of being shuttled back and forth between GP and hospital consultant, each wanting the other to make the request/write the prescription to avoid the cost coming out of their budget. At my last eye hospital appointment, the consultant was really cross because, even though he was the "top man" he told me that his prescribing powers had been taken away so he had to give me a note to take back to my GP so he could prescribe the eye drops and he explained that this was so that the prescription would come out of the GP budget, not the hospital budget. He did actually manage to "beat the system" for the intial prescription but when it came to a repeat the the GP wasn't happy to prescribe the drops anyway because they were too expensive (actually they were outrageously expensive, so I understood completely) so I couldn't get the drops the consultant said I needed anyway. :roll:

I suspect we will see more of this kind of thing next year when (as I understand it) GPs will be responsible for "buying in" services for their patients.

Tilly xxx

diamond

I also watched this programme and like everyone else was angry.Sticky the practice manager is under investigation hope they put him away for a long time.It is the same old story people out to make a fortune,they obviously know how to work the system.NHS need to tighten up procedures and make sure we treat firstly our own people after all we are not a World Health Service.There will no doubt be many people who have paid contributions yet due to what area they live in GB are refused MRI scans,meds etc because of budgets.No wonder people want to come and live here it is certainly not for our climate.Rant over!

muffy

I watched the programme and was disgusted that so many people are getting free treatment they are not entitled to, I agree whatever the system there are always people who find a way round it. The practice manager should be sacked immediately and charged with fraud. Is it any wonder the NHS is in the state it is at present.

PowerOn

Tilly did you get your eyedrops?
The fact that no one seems to care or take responsibility is what really annoys me.
Yes, to the Americans coming here for births, long ago a local tv station interviewed an American who was praising the NHS treatment she had received saying that had she given birth in America she would be in debt for years as the birth was complicated, she was gushing about the free treatment she received, no mention of her being asked to pay, that intrerview is what has triggered my interest in Health Tourists, a nurse I know worked in the 70s and 80s and insists it is not possible for non UK people to get treatment, things have obviously changed, she said she herself as well as others would check IDs.
Happy to hear the manager selling places on GP lists is being dealt with, wonder if they are checking other people, in my local surgery people are being asked very loudly for letters from landlords etc to confirm ID, that is new to my surgery, I was waiting one hour for my GP appointment and 3 foreign people were trying to register in that hour, pity tv is the answer to the problem but thank goodness for it.