Locating money to pay for the NHS is a headache for every chancellor, with an ever-ageing population as well as an increasing number of young families, it seems there is no end to the demands placed on the health service. The alteration in the nation’s demographics means that by 2037, there will be 3.6 million … [Read more…]
BMA council member speaks out about unnecessary medical interventions Deputy chair of the BMA council Dr Kailash Chand has identified a recent trend within healthcare for medicalisation, which he identifies as patients seeking medical treatment for lifestyle problems. Key signs of medicalisation include the increasing use of medicines and hospital tests, rising hospitalisation rates, more … [Read more…]
Experts deem fees “illogical and unfair” The Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin has recommended that NHS prescription charges be dropped, as the system is “outdated” with England the only country of the UK to retain the charge. Results for 2012 show that only 10% of prescriptions in the community attracted fees. Despite this, 80% of adult patients under … [Read more…]
General practice turning into “conveyor belt medicine” according to family doctors A proposal to charge patients in the UK for an appointment with their GP has been rejected at the British Medical Association’s GP conference in York. Despite the scheme being refused, there are still fears about the future of GP services, as delegates warned that services … [Read more…]
