Fresh plea to make wealthy patients pay to see a GP

WEALTHIER patients should be charged to see their GP to cut demand on overstretched practices, according to new proposals by doctors.

GPs called for the introduction of ‘co-payments’ for medical consultations, where a patient is required to pay a certain amount on each visit to a doctor.

These fees are charged in insurance-based healthcare systems such as Ireland’s, where wealthier patients pay up to £56 per visit.

The suggestion was made by the BMA’s Grampian Local Medical Committee at a conference of GPs in Glasgow yesterday.

The results of BMA Scotland’s wellbeing survey found 75 per cent of GPs who responded are more likely to quit, retire early or cut hours over the coming year due to ‘excessive workload’.

And leaked minutes from a meeting of health board executives last month suggested asking wealthier patients to pay for operations to help subsidise the service. Yesterday’s LMC conference voted against the motion.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: ‘Despite Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf’s protestations... it is clear charging patients is under serious consideration across Scotland’s NHS.’