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Politics, politics, politics (so long and thanks for all the fish)
- Thread starter SpurMeUp
- Start date
glasgowspur
Barry Daines
Knowing boris he has a few extra he got as wedding presents he is trying to offload.
Mikey10
Christian Ziege
It’s the little things which highlight just how far removed they are from the everyday reality of all this.
Rorschach
Fanny Walden
They see it but don't give a fudge. There is no plan.
markysimmo
Johnny nice-tits
They do not care, most no doubt are on the Utilities profiteering gravy train
Also they don't pay their utilities they expense them and we pay so why should they care
Also they don't pay their utilities they expense them and we pay so why should they care
markysimmo
Johnny nice-tits
Another tinkletake, can't ever get through to see our GP these days
GPs saw their earnings rise to £142,000 during the pandemic in a Covid pay boom, new data show.
The official NHS figures reveal that as surgeries closed their doors to patients, routinely restricting face-to-face appointments, doctors’ incomes rose to unprecedented heights.
GP partners – who make up the majority of family doctors – saw average incomes rise by £20,000 to £142,000 in the 12 months after the first lockdown.
The 17 per cent rise, the largest on record, came as the NHS moved to a system of “total triage”, with patients refused GP appointments in person unless they had a telephone consultation first.
Some of the extra money will have come from delivering the Covid vaccine rollout and because GPs were paid for tasks they no longer had to do during the pandemic.
On Thursday night, patients’ groups said the increase was “extremely difficult to justify” and would prove “incredibly irritating and distressing” to people who have struggled to see a GP.
It comes as GPs threaten industrial action over a contract that forces some practices to open on Saturdays. The vote was passed at the British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference earlier this summer, when doctors were urged to “channel our inner Mick Lynch”.
The statistics for England show that average incomes for all GPs, including salaried doctors, rose by 11 per cent in the first year of the pandemic, increasing from £100,700 in 2019-20 to £111,900 in 2020-2021.
The NHS Digital figures are the average earnings per GP in England, regardless of the hours they worked, and include any private work.
Government research revealed that most GPs now work three days or fewer a week following a “substantial” fall in hours since the pandemic. The figures for 2021 showed 58.4 per cent of family doctors working six half-day sessions or less – the equivalent of three days.
Earlier this year, figures revealed that public satisfaction with GP services had fallen to the lowest level on record. Under two-fifths of people were satisfied with the service from family doctors last year, according to the British Social Attitudes survey, the lowest proportion since it began in 1983.
Before the pandemic, around 80 per cent of GP consultations took place in person. During the first lockdown that fell to as low as 47 per cent, since when it has risen to 65 per cent.
Dennis Reed, of the Silver Voices campaign group, urged ministers to explain how such spending had been allowed, saying: “We all want a professional and well-qualified and skilled GP service, but it is difficult to justify increases at that level, taking earnings to that level.
“These increases were at a time when the whole country was struggling, with many people furloughed.
“It will be incredibly irritating and distressing for elderly people who struggled to get a face-to-face appointment, or sometimes to get an appointment at all, to know that GPs were getting such huge increases and to hear it now as the whole country faces a cost of living crisis.”
During the pandemic, GP practices were paid £13 per Covid vaccination, with rates rising to £15 and extra on Sundays as the crisis became more urgent.
Meanwhile, the framework that normally governs their pay, linking it to how much work they do, was partially suspended. Under a deal negotiated with the BMA, GPs continued to be paid for tasks such as checks on the elderly and monitoring patients with asthma, diabetes and heart disease without having to do them.
Because GPs are self-employed, they were also able to apply for government support schemes, with successful claimants on average receiving an extra £12,500.
Dr Farah Jameel, the BMA England GP committee chairman, said the earnings figures reflected “monumental efforts” by family doctors during the pandemic, adding that they had “pushed themselves to the limit”.
She added: “They also represent the additional short-term and temporary emergency Covid response funding given to practices to enable them to successfully deliver the vaccination programme, despite huge and historic workforce shortages.”
It comes amid widespread shortages of GPs. On Monday, an investigation revealed that 1.5 million people have lost their GP in the last eight years following the closure of almost 500 practices.
Prof Martin Marshall, the chairman of the Royal College of GPs, has said the role has become so stressful that it was now “undoable” on a full-time basis
The NHS earnings figures show significant rises for GPs in other parts of the UK, but not on the scale seen in England. NHS Digital said some of the difference might be explained by more GPs in England being involved in the rollout of Covid jabs than was the case in Scotland or Wales.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “GPs played a vital role in the rollout of our world-leading Covid vaccination programme – during the first phases they delivered around 56 per cent of all jabs. This key contribution increased practice income and average GP contractor earnings.
“We know the public greatly appreciates GP access. That is why we are working hard to support and grow the GP workforce. In addition, we have invested £520 million to expand GP capacity during the pandemic, on top of £1.5 billion until 2024.
“We are also making 4,000 training places available for GPs each year to help create an extra 50 million appointments a year.”
Separate figures have shown record vacancies across the NHS, with more than one in 10 posts empty by the end of June. The NHS Digital statistics revealed 132,139 full-time equivalent vacancies across the health service, up from 105,855 in March. The previous peak, in June 2019, saw 111,864 posts empty.
NHS Providers said the statistics were “staggering”, while the Royal College of Nursing warned that nurse vacancies have risen by more than a fifth in a year, with almost 47,000 jobs unfilled in the quarter ending in June
GPs saw their earnings rise to £142,000 during the pandemic in a Covid pay boom, new data show.
The official NHS figures reveal that as surgeries closed their doors to patients, routinely restricting face-to-face appointments, doctors’ incomes rose to unprecedented heights.
GP partners – who make up the majority of family doctors – saw average incomes rise by £20,000 to £142,000 in the 12 months after the first lockdown.
The 17 per cent rise, the largest on record, came as the NHS moved to a system of “total triage”, with patients refused GP appointments in person unless they had a telephone consultation first.
Some of the extra money will have come from delivering the Covid vaccine rollout and because GPs were paid for tasks they no longer had to do during the pandemic.
On Thursday night, patients’ groups said the increase was “extremely difficult to justify” and would prove “incredibly irritating and distressing” to people who have struggled to see a GP.
It comes as GPs threaten industrial action over a contract that forces some practices to open on Saturdays. The vote was passed at the British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference earlier this summer, when doctors were urged to “channel our inner Mick Lynch”.
The statistics for England show that average incomes for all GPs, including salaried doctors, rose by 11 per cent in the first year of the pandemic, increasing from £100,700 in 2019-20 to £111,900 in 2020-2021.
The NHS Digital figures are the average earnings per GP in England, regardless of the hours they worked, and include any private work.
Government research revealed that most GPs now work three days or fewer a week following a “substantial” fall in hours since the pandemic. The figures for 2021 showed 58.4 per cent of family doctors working six half-day sessions or less – the equivalent of three days.
Earlier this year, figures revealed that public satisfaction with GP services had fallen to the lowest level on record. Under two-fifths of people were satisfied with the service from family doctors last year, according to the British Social Attitudes survey, the lowest proportion since it began in 1983.
Before the pandemic, around 80 per cent of GP consultations took place in person. During the first lockdown that fell to as low as 47 per cent, since when it has risen to 65 per cent.
Dennis Reed, of the Silver Voices campaign group, urged ministers to explain how such spending had been allowed, saying: “We all want a professional and well-qualified and skilled GP service, but it is difficult to justify increases at that level, taking earnings to that level.
“These increases were at a time when the whole country was struggling, with many people furloughed.
“It will be incredibly irritating and distressing for elderly people who struggled to get a face-to-face appointment, or sometimes to get an appointment at all, to know that GPs were getting such huge increases and to hear it now as the whole country faces a cost of living crisis.”
During the pandemic, GP practices were paid £13 per Covid vaccination, with rates rising to £15 and extra on Sundays as the crisis became more urgent.
Meanwhile, the framework that normally governs their pay, linking it to how much work they do, was partially suspended. Under a deal negotiated with the BMA, GPs continued to be paid for tasks such as checks on the elderly and monitoring patients with asthma, diabetes and heart disease without having to do them.
Because GPs are self-employed, they were also able to apply for government support schemes, with successful claimants on average receiving an extra £12,500.
Dr Farah Jameel, the BMA England GP committee chairman, said the earnings figures reflected “monumental efforts” by family doctors during the pandemic, adding that they had “pushed themselves to the limit”.
She added: “They also represent the additional short-term and temporary emergency Covid response funding given to practices to enable them to successfully deliver the vaccination programme, despite huge and historic workforce shortages.”
It comes amid widespread shortages of GPs. On Monday, an investigation revealed that 1.5 million people have lost their GP in the last eight years following the closure of almost 500 practices.
Prof Martin Marshall, the chairman of the Royal College of GPs, has said the role has become so stressful that it was now “undoable” on a full-time basis
The NHS earnings figures show significant rises for GPs in other parts of the UK, but not on the scale seen in England. NHS Digital said some of the difference might be explained by more GPs in England being involved in the rollout of Covid jabs than was the case in Scotland or Wales.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “GPs played a vital role in the rollout of our world-leading Covid vaccination programme – during the first phases they delivered around 56 per cent of all jabs. This key contribution increased practice income and average GP contractor earnings.
“We know the public greatly appreciates GP access. That is why we are working hard to support and grow the GP workforce. In addition, we have invested £520 million to expand GP capacity during the pandemic, on top of £1.5 billion until 2024.
“We are also making 4,000 training places available for GPs each year to help create an extra 50 million appointments a year.”
Separate figures have shown record vacancies across the NHS, with more than one in 10 posts empty by the end of June. The NHS Digital statistics revealed 132,139 full-time equivalent vacancies across the health service, up from 105,855 in March. The previous peak, in June 2019, saw 111,864 posts empty.
NHS Providers said the statistics were “staggering”, while the Royal College of Nursing warned that nurse vacancies have risen by more than a fifth in a year, with almost 47,000 jobs unfilled in the quarter ending in June
Lost Mango
Steed Malbranque
To add context to the Torygraph article something I couldn't see mentioned in the above article is that this is the first real term pay increase that GPs have had since 2004/05 apparently.
Grays_1890
Tommy Harmer
And that not being able to get through to your GP is not exactly a fault on them but the circumstances surrounding them
ricky2tricky4city
Colin Calderwood
You should have just said 'old people'
SpurMeUp
Tommy Harmer
Posted in here a couple of years back about how GPs seem to be failing. The service is inefficient, incentivises people coming back for more appointments, rather than GPs addressing issues/ being preemptive. A lot don't even bother with Doctors anymore. Even GPs are suggesting using private services as an alternative! Sadly our government have let a lot of issues slide over the past 5 years.
ricky2tricky4city
Colin Calderwood
Yes BUT the rates are nowhere near what they used to be (especially compared to the original (over generous) FiT the government introduced years back). You can secure a fit tariff from any energy company, doesn't have to be the one who supplies you. What I'm not sure about is if any Feed in payments have increased in line with the supply rates (so they're getting it cheap and flogging it for even more)
Storing it yourself is the answer (if batteries get cheaper or tech better). Trying to be your own power station is the target.
I'd love a village to be used as an experiment, to calculate their approximate energy usage and then via home upgrades (solar, insulation, efficiency products) and a field of panels and/or turbines...see what can be achieved...aiming for zero outside top up.
I'd also say, if anyone is thinking of solar pv/solar thermal...I'd hold off as my hunch is some big government help will be on the way with the cost of these systems.
Rorschach
Fanny Walden
I know a bit about panels and my advice is to ignore the thermal ones. The cost and the hassle of the extra plumbing are frankly not worth it. PV is far cheaper and easier to install and you can divert unused power to a cylinder immersion if you want it to help with hot water. I was in discussions with someone to launch something in this space myself just today, coincidentally.
It seems to me that the feed-in tariff should be tied to the cost of the unit tariff. Only seems fair.
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Mikey10
Christian Ziege
A grimly amusing piece.
Another £120 million of taxpayers’ money spaffed up the wall.
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...rexit-unboxed-disaster?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Another £120 million of taxpayers’ money spaffed up the wall.
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...rexit-unboxed-disaster?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
The whole NHS is generally re-active, they need to put in a place a system of prevention but essentially they don't have the money or staff to do so. The country generally don't seem willing to pay higher taxes for better services despite how much people moan about them and no government is going to get into power promising higher taxes anyway. Then the NHS has become this sacred tool that makes it impossible to have a proper conversation about how to make it sustainable in the future.
SpurMeUp
Tommy Harmer
I don’t buy the no money thing. GPs are paid handsomely. For the service that’s provided and levels of ‘customer’ satisfaction you could argue they are paid too much. Working part time ‘processing’ patients they have become more civil servant rather than carers who’ve signed the hypocratic oath. That is not on GPs but a system of care that is failing. For example, rather than take time to address an issue with a patient, GPs get 15-20 mins to process someone. If there are multiple issues or time runs out you’re told to book another appointment. Great for the surgery who earn more, but inefficient and not effective for a customer. You never feel like a customer, there is no sense of being taken care of as you would as a paying customer.
GPs have known the system is failing for some time. They are not happy in their jobs often because they know they are not caring effectively for individuals. Government needs to reduce waste and increase a focus on customer satisfaction and outcomes.
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ricky2tricky4city
Colin Calderwood
I think there's a lot of truth in your generalisation.
But just like teaching (for example), there are GPs that are excellent at using that 15-20mins. That will strictly be because of the person they are. Their nature, their communication skills, their will to care and to be frank, take an interest. There are many not like that but that's really on them.
markysimmo
Johnny nice-tits
Through my Mrs work we get AXA private healthcare
One service is called AXA at Hand, we get see a GP/Nurse 24/7 365 days a year via a video/phone call or if the need be at one of the local private hospitals
She hasn't been too well for a while with stomach issues, she has had no joy with our regular GP even after trying for months to see a GP and have bloods done
Rang AXA last week, and she has had 2 calls, blood tests and is having an Ultrasound next week
We're lucky to have private, we really are
SpurMeUp
Tommy Harmer
The maddening thing is you know AXA or whoever delivers the service, does it more cost-effectively. Better service, less cost. (I'm not suggesting we privatise the NHS, just run it better).