Should patients pay a flat fee for each GP appointment?
NHS GP appointments in England remain free at the point of use for anyone registered with a practice, funded through general taxation and the 2026/27 GP contract worth around £14 billion. Proposals to introduce charges, such as a £20 flat fee, have been suggested by think tanks like Policy Exchange to reduce unnecessary visits and raise revenue but have not been adopted by the government. Such a fee could generate significant funds but risks deterring patients from seeking timely care.
36 Opinions
We already pay for the NHS through taxation. But I do not see why deposits can not be taken for appointments and retained for no shows.
A refundable deposit should be paid to clamp down on no-shows.
All medical appointments should require a notional deposit of say £20. If you turn up, it gets refunded, if you miss your appointment you lose the deposit.
No. Give a charge for a no-show unless you can show an accountable reason as to why you couldn't make it. That saves from punishing everyone in the fight to deter no-shows and time-wasting.
If you want that move to America. Healthcare is a human right
Yes unless the appointment is a planned asthma check up or something like that yes same should go for A&E would stop so many people turning up to GPs and A&E with nothing wrong with them and cut waiting times for people that really need to be seen
You should be charged for a NO SHOW not for the appointment
This is problematic I have had plenty of GPs appointments that were a total waste because the particular GP was useless and essentially the only thing to do was book another how do we factor in accountability and value to this it can't be a one way charge when we have no serious choice
No…but I’d be happy to see them fined for cancelled or missed appointments.
Too often we hear of no-shows to GP appointments. Those inclined to do it might think twice before deciding to waste a GP’s time. Certain groups should be exempt from the charge allied to the rules for free prescriptions.