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Joanne Gibbins

01/05/2008

What on earth are this Government trying to do to this country? Nobody in their right mind would ever vote you back in! You are bringing us to our knees - but the British people will only take so much, and I feel we are almost at breaking point, feelings are very strong on this subject. Come on get a grip - you're not doing yourself any favours whatsoever!!

Neil Upton

01/05/2008

Incompetence needs to be honed daily to make it perfect and Gordon thinks he's the only one to know when perfection is attained. Unlike Stalinist Russia , where doctors were under paid and undervalued because they were part of the intelligentsia ,Britain has an electorate who will never forgive the loss of their local practice.

catherine swinhoe

02/05/2008

In trying to break the unique relationship between patient and GP you are hurting the patient and cheating them out of the personalised care that you claim to want to encourage.

manish prasad

02/05/2008

Gordon Brown and the new Labour's love of power seems to be strong that they are prepared to sacrifice the long term heal of the whole nation. A vast majority of the population does not even realise how cheap the cost of GP services is for taxpayer. A sipmple quick and back of the envelope cost shows the actual cost is as little as.....

On average a full time GP has 2000 patients and carries out 10,000 consulations (5 consulation per patient in a year according to the government figures) which on average are 10 minutes apart. The average income of a GP is £80,000 (or £100,000 if you include EMPLOYER's PENSION CONTRIBUTION). So on average each consultaion which are theoratically 10 minute long (in reality much longer than 10 minutes) costs the tax payer £10.00 or in other words GPs are earning £60.00/hour. This does not even include a huge amount of work that is doen reffering patients, reviewing the hospital correspondance, medication and managemnt. If you take this in to account and allocate 40% of this work, the actually hourly rate a GP gets paid is £46.00/hour and that is based on the infalted figure of income given by Godon Brown . If you compare this The level of responsibilty and the amount of traing GPs have to go through before allowed to practice as a GP is an income of £46/hour high ?. Just look at the hourly rates charged by proffesionals with even less responsibilities and skills and qualification. For instance could you get a solicitor or a barristor to work for £46.00/hour ? What about a dentist ? or an accountant ? even plumber ? or a elctrician ?

If Gordon Brown has his way, he will offer the provision of health care to private companies who have only one intrest and that is to earn profits for the shareholders who may or may not be from this countary such as big pension funds from USA. British Tax payers paying for big profits for overseas investors for delivering of healthcare. What will Gordon Brown do next ??

Stephen Tomkinson

02/05/2008

I think the local election results sum up what the country thinks of Gordon Brown and his Government's mishandling of almost all the country's affairs...

PREENAL SHAH

04/05/2008

dr prime minister

As far as i know majority of GPs, voted tory/lib dem. Why?? beacuse they appear to be willing to listen to us. It is time the government to listen to us and take note, otherwise it will be them losing their jobs not us.

dr preenal shah

john Priestman

06/05/2008

We provide excellent value for money, as Manish has shown. Compare this to NHS walk-in centre which cost about £44 per consultation (often with a nurse and not a GP), especially as many of those patients are told to see their GP. And I bet it will cost more than £10 per consultation in a Polyclinic and referral rates will be probably higher due to them employing less experienced doctors, with ready access to diagnostic facilities and consultants in the same building.

Roseanne Farnum

12/05/2008

General Practice provides good continuity of care for patients and their family - it is FAMILY medicine, a GP commitment and knowledge of patients for years. General Practice has survived 60 years as the NHS. Health is important and should be valued as such; the government must listen to the voice of GPs who see and treat patients each day and deal with those patient (the voters) care and concerns on a daily basis. Mr Brown must learn to LISTEN - it is a CONSULTING skill we GPs are trained as part of our job. Please LISTEN and LEARN and care for the HEALTH of the NATION - GPs do.

Katrina Coope

16/05/2008

As a 63 year-old who will be retiring soon, I know that I am one of that dying breed ''the old-fashioned Family Doctor.'' I would like to think the present rot could be stopped and some vestige of what was a great system saved. I am not sure that the new young Graduates have a clue, however.

But let's give it our best shot!

Jonathan Harte

23/05/2008

All the evidence points to General Practice being the most valued and cost effective part of the NHS. Why? because we follow patients from cradle to grave, through all their ups and downs in life - in short CONTINUITY of care! This is something which is impossible to measure so is not valued by government, but is essential for the best patient care. The current initiatives pay lip service to patients wishes for access, but will fragment their care and reduce it's quality for the sake of consumerism and political votes. When patients start falling between the cracks of different services and providers and diagnosese are missed/ delayed as a result it will be too late. Please listen Government!

Nicola Williams

06/06/2008

It is blatantly obvious that the politicians imposing all the changes in general practice have not got the slightest idea of what actually goes on in GP surgeries. They are totally out of touch with what patients want,and with what is more important to them. Patients with chronic health problems,the young and the elderly are the one's who need the most input and are the ones who value seeing their own doctor the most. These groups account for the majority of our workload and are the ones who will be disadvantaged as a direct result of the current changes. The small minority of fit healthy people with infrequent minor ailments will benefit. Who was the NHS designed for? Was it to help the ill or the young healthy voters? Why did i spend 10 years training to be a GP? To treat patients to the best of my ability and to look after their best interests, or to work for some faceless company more interested in profits then treating patients?

It is criminal that 60 years of General Practice is being destroyed by 1 government on a foolish mission. It is very sad that it is being allowed to happen.

cynic

27/06/2008

It not unusual for people in power who ACTUALLY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE for their policies when they leave will continue to destroy the fabric of society in the PRETEXT of I AM DOING YOU GOOD when in fact it is a WASTE of our taxpayers money as well as sellig off the country to foreign ownership. You dou not have to look far-energy, airports are now in the hand of foreign investors and every so often prices go up but do not come down when the price of crude changes. All is done in the pretext of improving services but do we really beleive that services are improving or gettig better?.This is happening to the NHS and when it HAS been DISMANTLED it will be too late to reverse the damage.The comments posted are in fact true but politicians will only beleive what they want to beleive.The NHS is an excellent facility but it has been abused over the years and it will be a sad day when the NHS is lost.