UK Government - Giving GPs 80% of Health Budget - Good or Bad?

J

James

Well-known member
So, for anyone aware of the UK Government. It was proposed to give GPs (General Practitioners) 80% of the Health Budget, which will shake the NHS quite a bit.

Is it right to give GPs £80bn of the £100bn Health Budget, baring in mind that they practise medicine.

Wikipedia definition of GP:
A general practitioner or GP is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes
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IMO, the country follows a hierarchy where your most common visit is to your GP - for common illnesses that aren't exactly serious. If you feel there's a serious issue you'd go straight to the hospital. It's not comforting to know that my health (in the case of a serious illness) is in the hands of a service with only a £20bn budget, and a huge patient base.
 
Bad.

My experience of GPs is they rarely have a clue other than prescribing painkillers or some other generic medication.
 
Brogan said:
Bad.

My experience of GPs is they rarely have a clue other than prescribing painkillers or some other generic medication.
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Exactly my POV, but I didn't wish to influence it. GPs only ever seem to know how to prescribe painkillers or antibiotics. Useless, and to give them 80% of the budget is ridiculous, especially considering they're practising medicine.
 
I don't think it's good - there's so much variation between good and bad GPs... it will end up with those areas that have the better GPs use the funds more effectively and the other areas don't get as good treatment. Plus, Brogan's right - GPs aren't really experts when it comes to specific conditions etc.
 
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