What can you buy?
- 11 months’ pet insurance – it costs £151 to insure a rabbit for one year with Petplan
- 6 months’ mobile phone use – one year on a Vodafone sim-only tariff costs £264
- Five months’ Sky TV family bundle – one year costs £289
- Less than three tanks of fuel for a Vauxhall Astra
- Coffee on your way to work for three months
or
One year of funding per patient for the average general practice.
Yes. £136. Less than the cost of pet insurance, or a mobile phone, or Sky TV, or three tanks of fuel. And many practices get far less than this.
And what do you get for your £136?
- As many consultations with your GP or other practice staff as you need
- Prescriptions organised and signed
- Blood tests
- Other tests e.g. ECGs
- Hospital referrals
- Pre-hospital care
- Post-hospital care
- Home visits if required
GPs use this money to:
- Pay for their premises
- Pay doctors and nurses
- Pay their reception and admin staff
- Pay for electricity, gas, phone bills
- Buy/maintain surgery equipment and drugs
- Pay for CQC inspections
- Pay for accountancy, legal advice
- Pay for professional insurance
It’s not much, is it?
GP funding has fallen by nearly a third in the last five years.
General practice is in crisis – without better funding, we cannot continue.
What can you do to help?
- Please don’t waste appointments. If you can’t make your appointment, cancel in good time
- Think about if you really need an appointment – could the pharmacist help?
- Order your repeat prescriptions in good time rather than at the last minute
- Only request a home visit if you are genuinely housebound
- Contact your MP. Tell them how much you value your GP surgery