Pay for the pot?

[Helen F H]

Should divers pay some or all of the cost of recompression?

Very strange train of thought lead me to this question. I was looking back to when i used to work at the vets. The telephone number there was very similar to the local doctors surgery. You can imagine the conversation -

"hello i need an appointment"
"Is today at 4.30 ok?"
"what? today?........."
"yes, with David Young, is that ok...."
"oh bugger i have phoned the vets havent i"

It was the fact that i could give them an appointment that day that made the majority twig.

I think because we dont have to pay for our doctors treatment directly, people are inclined to abuse it. This simply does not happen at the vets since you pay £18.50 to even be seen.
So should we pay for our treatment? The cash strapped NHS could do with a hand really (although it is better than 10 years ago). If they do start to charge us for our recompression treatment, who else should be charged? Horseriders who fall off and break their legs? Rugby players who break their necks?

Im sure that certain parts of the diving industry would welcome this, as fewer bends would present, therefore making the sport look a lot safer.

[Phoenix]

Aren't you already paying some of the cost through taxation? wouldn't this open the whole can of worms about smokers?

What about drivers and car accidents?

Ian

[Helen F H]

Well yeah, you are just expanding on my points about horseriders and rugby players....

[Drmike]

Do you get chamber rides on the NHS!!

Damn Im moving back

Seriously though I would imagine that if the risk of permanent disability or death is enough of a influncing factor

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Porg

Well yeah, you are just expanding on my points about horseriders and rugby players....

So if you extrapolate the argument across most situations you seen in A&E then why have an NHS, why not make all health care chargeable at point of use. Personally I'm all for it, works very well in Thailand so I don't see why it shouldn't work in a "developed" country like the UK (incidentally I am diabetic so have to buy a lot of medication and it isn't expensive).

Ian

[scubadog]

The LDS with whom we dive pay 90€ per month for the ´POT´ wether they use it or not...thankfully in the past five years they have had no need too, but they are still paying the monthly fee, and the cost of dives reflects this. The previouse group we dived with were cheaper, but had no coverage...
The fee also includes the air lift, in the event that a diver gets a bend they will be fully covered...

[sweep]

Originally Posted by Porg

Should divers pay some or all of the cost of recompression?

Horseriders who fall off and break their legs? Rugby players who break their necks?

I voted no
Why should we have to pay for, what afterall is a sporting injury

Apart from that, if divers had to pay, less would go to the pot

[greekbird]

Originally Posted by Porg

....Im sure that certain parts of the diving industry would welcome this, as fewer bends would present, therefore making the sport look a lot safer.

do u really think that people abuse the pot? we keep hearing that ppl are late reporting incidents and are late to get treatment because they are not sure wether they need treatment or not etc etc. it's true that some pple rush to their gp at the sound of a sneeze and therefore abuse the fact that it's 'free' to pay a visit to the quack, but the pot? ithink not! it should be free.

[Spacehopper]

Voted no, I view it alongside sporting injuries, alcoholism, smoking illnesses etc. However, I'm sure that insurance companies would develop some sort of cover if payment became the norm. Just think of all the nice big bonuses they could pay themselves with more income.

A couple of thoughts - if payement were required how much would you be willing to cough up, should that payment include the cost of recovery, eg whirlycopters etc.

What happens when someone falls off a mountain or a yacht gets into trouble. Turning out the mountain and air/sea rescue teams must cost a fortune and happens more than once each year.

I'm not sure that it would make the industry look safer, I can just see the headlines "Dead diver couldn't afford the costs of recompression"

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by iani

What about drivers and car accidents?

Ian

In the UK the victims of car accidents already do have to pay some of the costs of treatment which are then claimable back from the insurance company of the person at fault.
The first doctor treating anyone involved in a road traffic accident is entitled to make a charge which is a set figure, can not remember what but approx £35. This will usually be the the hospital A&E dept but may be a doctor treating you at the roadside or your GP.
The NHS can also reclaim the costs of hospital treatment for victims up to a certain amount, I think £10,000 but it may be more or less but there is currently a maximum. I know some people would like to change it so that the whole costs of treatment are recoverable.
I think this is a slippery slope and don't like it. As others have said what about other illnesses where someone's lifestyle, hobby, stupidity etc has contributed to their illness should we only treat them if they have sufficient insurance or are able to pay?
I believe in the NHS and it should be free to all UK citizens, a system where the rich get better health care than the poor is wrong. I don't mind people paying and getting a nicer room or better food but not to get better basic health care.
Having said all this we all have a responsibility to make the NHS work efficiently and that includes those of us working for it and everyone who uses it.
I often hear stories about patients wasting a GPs time with trivia but I have to say that I hardly ever find that a problem. It is rare for someone to truly waste our time, if you take time to find out why someone is there you often find there is something else going on. The vast majority of our patients are thoroughly decent people who just want a bit of our time and advice because something is troubling them.