Thread: People use NHS on Av 2000 times

Apparently in our lifetime we will use the NHS 2000 times. The average person is in contact with the health service once a fortnight whilst collecting an estimated 1,330 prescriptions. I'm 40 and have never used the NHS (and med centre) more than 100 times. Is Britain full of hypochondriacs or is the NHS just trying to justify the vast amounts of money they waste?

NHS Linky

Don't forget the health tourists......I'm sure I read that a sizeable proportion of illegal immigrants are HIV+ and come here in a bid to try and get free healthcare

"They also make 31 visits to Accident & Emergency and go on 12 ambulance journeys."


???!!!


Er, just over half way through my life and I've done about 1x A&E and no ambulance trips so far. Whoever is using my share of NHS resources must be a professional accident victim....

Once a fortnight? Seems a bit over the top really.
Do they count each day in hospital as a different contact?
I'm being treated by the local hospital for something that been going on for the last 7 months but even then its 3 doctors appointments and 5 visits to the hospital. 8 visits in 7 months and I thought I was getting quite a lot of treatment.
According to the NHS your average bloke on the street will have visited doctors/ hospital a dozen times in the same time frame.

Not quite sure I believe its true unless they are counting picking up repeat prescriptions and every other routine thing as "contact"

Originally Posted by 4(T)

"They also make 31 visits to Accident & Emergency and go on 12 ambulance journeys."


???!!!


Er, just over half way through my life and I've done about 1x A&E and no ambulance trips so far. Whoever is using my share of NHS resources must be a professional accident victim....

Average figures are misleading. Most of us hardly ever have contact with the NHS. Old geezers like me need to go to the doctor more often as my airframe reaches the limit of its rated hours.

The average is grossly distorted by people who are chronically sick like diabetics or who have serious, short term illness, like cancer patients who need daily chemotherapy.

Maybe they classify "use" as collecting prescriptions, maybe phoning the doctor to make appointments. It all depends on the criteria set when conducting this research. Hopefully it wasn't paid for from taxes.

I've been to the doctors maybe 10 times. I've been to A&E once, but never travelled in an ambulance.

Once a fortnight is a bit excessive! I've had two ambie trips in ~40 years, two A&E admissions and nothing chronic.

The suggestion that this is about justifying the cost might be onto something, TBH.

So I am below average yet again. Must do better.

My uncle went to the Doc with a lump on his neck in the year 2000. The receptionist said 'Oh, Mr. S****, we thought you were dead. We moved surgery in 1958 and because we hadn't heard from you for ten years, we put your records in the archive.'.

So he hadn't used them from 1948 to 2000.

Then he used them a lot for about six months, and then he died.

Someone's got a lot of catching up to do to use his 'ration'.

Originally Posted by blonde_guy

Don't forget the health tourists......I'm sure I read that a sizeable proportion of illegal immigrants are HIV+ and come here in a bid to try and get free healthcare

Hmmm, whilst it is true that we cannot refuse £100k p/a treatment to refugees (or economic migrants, depending on your perspective), I think the numbers you are talking about is inflated somewhat.

I'd be more concerned with the significant number of generic health tourists that G.P.'s happily sign up and refer for treatment without any check as to whether they are entitled to free healthcare or not. Actually, if a G.P. decides treatment is warranted (most cases), it is technically irrelevant if someone is entitled to treatment or not. A loophole which is daily (hourly, by the minute?) exploited up and down the country.

As Ancient Mariner says, its the chronically sick and not the acute illnesses that make this so high particularly as people age.

In my early 40's I have become a bit of a health basket case and I would say that a week never passes without me having some contact with the NHS due to three chronic illnesses.

One day I 'might' qualify for private health care through my job, and I suspect that the NHS and the treasury will breathe a sigh of relief once they are shot of the likes of me who cost them a fortune. Still at least I pay my taxes and am not on the sick............

Originally Posted by Command_doh

Originally Posted by blonde_guy

Don't forget the health tourists......I'm sure I read that a sizeable proportion of illegal immigrants are HIV+ and come here in a bid to try and get free healthcare

Hmmm, whilst it is true that we cannot refuse £100k p/a treatment to refugees (or economic migrants, depending on your perspective), I think the numbers you are talking about is inflated somewhat.

I'd be more concerned with the significant number of generic health tourists that G.P.'s happily sign up and refer for treatment without any check as to whether they are entitled to free healthcare or not. Actually, if a G.P. decides treatment is warranted (most cases), it is technically irrelevant if someone is entitled to treatment or not. A loophole which is daily (hourly, by the minute?) exploited up and down the country.

Inflated? I have no idea, but I believe 24% of births in NHS maternity units are to parents not born in the UK
Any wonder the NHS costs us a fortune?

I have diabetis type two and only have to see the nurse every six months for a check up and the surgery every two months for prescription plus sleep apnea which only entails one visit a year to have the machine I have to use checked over. I agree some have illnesses that need regular appointments but do wonder if they are following the advice given or expecting the medical services to put right what they can't be bothered to look after themselves

Originally Posted by Recruiting_Office_reject

One day I 'might' qualify for private health care through my job, and I suspect that the NHS and the treasury will breathe a sigh of relief once they are shot of the likes of me who cost them a fortune. Still at least I pay my taxes and am not on the sick............

Which is what it's there for, but even averaging out the figures I can't see quite how they make the estimate this high.