tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375635230131835083.post7803365276404208679..comments2023-05-28T01:42:49.418-07:00Comments on Confessions of a Learnaholic: Frequent FlyersThe Learnaholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17797847968075378193noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375635230131835083.post-3458425400697850142015-01-11T02:53:01.649-08:002015-01-11T02:53:01.649-08:00I guess my worry with a "fining" system ...I guess my worry with a "fining" system is that if £15/20 is a lot of money to you, then you might avoid going to A&E when needed just in case you were fined, and if it's easily affordable you may think it a worthwhile amount to pay for the convenience of being seen quickly and not having to wait for a GP appointment. I'm not saying that there isn't some responsibility with the service user, of course, but I worry that these messages get out to those who already "don't want to bother" us and are lost on those who really don't need to attend A&E. Also, @anothernohoper, I think perhaps we're referring to different groups. To me, a frequent flier is someone who has regular admissions and therefore by definition needs to come to hospital. I agree that using A&E as a handy alternative to general practice isn't ok.The Learnaholichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17797847968075378193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375635230131835083.post-44658074597664257112015-01-04T08:12:16.742-08:002015-01-04T08:12:16.742-08:00@John Medd, come on, that'd never going to hap...@John Medd, come on, that'd never going to happen. There would be riots.Something that might make more sense is fining maybe £15/20 for those who are judged by doctors on strict criteria not to have needed to come to A&E, or those who need to come to A&E because of drinking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375635230131835083.post-65259473392766475552015-01-04T08:09:20.132-08:002015-01-04T08:09:20.132-08:00I work in a Paeds A&E, and frequent fliers do ...I work in a Paeds A&E, and frequent fliers do take up a lot of time. A lot of the time parents can't be bothered to register with their GP, or they want to be seen immediately, and thus they come to us. For example, a new mum brought her baby in four times in a month with nothing wrong with it. That cost the NHS hundreds of pounds. <br /><br />Of course there are people who need to attend regularly, but so many of our patients don't need to come to hospital at all, let alone repeatedly. We regularly have parents booking two or three of their children in at once and that's just abuse of NHS resources.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375635230131835083.post-4315168906774889002015-01-02T10:33:39.170-08:002015-01-02T10:33:39.170-08:00Indeed, it's a term I hate (along with "h...Indeed, it's a term I hate (along with "heartsink" and "fat file"). The simple truth is that years and years of budget cuts means we just don't have enough resources. And privatisation is looking more and more likely. Because that worked out so well for the railways...The Learnaholichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17797847968075378193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7375635230131835083.post-83775399743560600182015-01-02T08:43:43.140-08:002015-01-02T08:43:43.140-08:00Just the nomenclature alone could indeed be the th...Just the nomenclature alone could indeed be the thin end of the wedge: your ID records may soon allow, say, five visits per annum before charging kicks in - our records show this is your <i> sixth</i> visit in the last year: way too frequent. People will then play fast and loose with their health (even more than they do now) and steadfastly refuse to go to hospital knowing it will, quite literally, count against them. It's shaping up to be privatisation by the back door. Which has probably been the blueprint waiting to be rolled out for quite some time.John Meddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10547777949324509522noreply@blogger.com