Sunday 22 May 2011

Another cash cow for doctors to trough on!


It seems that that those who run the NHS are either rent-seeking doctors or else idiots (I'll leave you to choose):

From next year, GPs will receive a payment for every obese patient they advise to lose weight - on top of money for keeping lists of those who weigh too much. 

That's right dear reader, next time you toddle along to see your locla quack you'll be told you're a little chubby and to lose weight. You hear the sound of doctors' wallets fattening nicely there, don't you?

Even the nannying fussbuckets think this is crackers - here's Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum:

“I am in favour of GPs referring more patients to weight management schemes, like Weight Watchers and Slimming World, where there is good evidence they work, as there increasingly is. But I think it’s appalling that GPs need to be paid extra to do this - and even worse that they can get the same reward just from telling a patient to lose some weight.” 

You really have to hand it to the BMA. Probably the most successful trade union of the lot - even Bob Crow must look on in awe as they continue to feather their members nests with taxpayers' cash while pretending to be a body concerned only with the betterment of health

....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

They did the same thing with nicotine patches.


Labour Targets Created £90,000 NHS smoking fraud - 2008

"A man defrauded nearly £90,000 from the NHS by working as a stop smoking adviser and signing up non smoking strangers to exaggerate his success rates and income.

Harry Singer, 54, took advantage of the labour Government’s smoking cessation programme which pays doctors, pharmacists and community groups £45 for every patient they convince to give up for four weeks."

http://www.healthdirect.co.uk/2008/08/labour-targets-created-90000-nhs-smoking-fraud.html

Well at least we know where £90,000 of the £56million allocated to making people give up smoking went.

Anonymous said...

Having had another look, the payment was £85 in 2006 according to the Guardian.


NHS suspects fraud in £61m stop smoking programme

"The Guardian has learned of inquiries in five primary care trusts in London into allegations that chemists have fraudulently claimed thousands of pounds, claiming cash rewards of up to £85 for each patient they help to stop smoking for at least four weeks."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/dec/28/smoking.health