Will GPs charge for out-of-hours appointments?
New proposals could see GPs offering out-of-hours appointments for a small charge.
GPs are considering plans that could see patients charged for appointments outside of their contracted hours.
According to medical magazine Pulse, family doctors want to put the charges in place to increase GP funding.
If the new plans come to fruition, GPs would be able to work with their own patients through a third-party company that would take payments from patients and pay GPs for their time.
They're currently banned from charging for such services.
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‘The Government is a monopoly customer’
Dr Prit Buttar, chairman of the Local Medical Committee (LMC) for Oxfordshire, has been discussing the proposals with other LMCs across England and hopes to have plans in place by the end of 2017.
He told Pulse: “We have to look at alternative ways of increasing funding and look at models which will allow practices to operate within the rules.
"They will offer practice services, for example if someone wants a minor operation but can only do this in an evening, then they can do this by charging a small fee.
“It will allow GPs to value their own time more and puts pressure on the Government.
"The Government is a monopoly customer, they can dictate how much they are willing to pay.”
Other GP leaders agree that the current situation is unsustainable but will wait to see if the Government delivers on its proposals to improve contracts before they take any action.
Dr Uzma Ahmad, medical secretary at Wallsall LMC, told Pulse:
“We are going to wait for three months – if nothing positive comes up I think other regions might follow this plan.
"We need to safeguard ourselves, there has to be some other way to continue to practice.
"I don’t intend to leave the country, so I will need to find another way to practice here.”
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