The overwhelming theme seems to be that it is the working tax payer who paying for the NHS, so the views of the 75 or so percent of well people who need to see the doctor to confirm that they do not have bird flu or for a well person check far outweigh the needs of the retired or unemployed chronically unwell individuals who are not currently paying tax but attend surgeries frequently.

Given our limited funding for NHS services, I suggest that the ideal labour party plan should be to cease to treat, fund or supply medication to the chronically ill minority. Some of them will die sooner, saving valuable NHS money, so that we can provide more rapid access to the worried well. Perhaps a monthly or weekly well person check, possibly carried out in the individuals home, scheduled during the breaks in the patient's favourite soap opera would be the best use of NHS money?

liz Fong, hayes, middlesex

GPs can argue and rationalise to their hearts' content about this issue, but simple fact is that they are in the same position as the local shopkeepers 30 or so years ago. Everyone said how they loved and would be loyal to their friendly local shopkeeper who knew their name etc, but closed at 5.30. And then supermarkets came along and offered more for less. Local shops still exist, but they now have to open longer and be even more available than the supermarkets. GPs take note - do what the supemarkets do and find a way to offer a better and more convenient service for the same or even less money, or prepare to lose your livelihoods. We're all under extreme pressure at work, most of us for far less than you are paid - we really don't have the time or inclination to sympathise with you about what is expected from you for your 110k+ pa.

Clive, Chichester, UK

Re prescriptions
It is not your GP who decides how many months worth of drugs you get at a time. Yes please demand more. Demand as many as you like. I am very happy to cut down on the number of times I have to write prescriptions for repeat medication and doing so would free up time for more appointments. I spend an hour a day on repeat medication. Multiply that one by the number of UK GPs and work out how many more patients could be seen every day!
Your chemist won't be pleased though- he/she gets a fee every time they dispense a drug to you. However the Government say they want patients to have the service they demand so start demanding!
Thanks in anticipation

Dr M Martindale, Blairgowrie,

When will the media and the public realise that the GPs are perfectly happy to work evenings and weekends, but not in addition to the 50-60 hour week they currently do. I see patients till 6.30 most evenings, then do paperwork till 8.00. I would be quite happy to do the paperwork from 5.00 till 6.30, then see patients till 8.00, or have a Monday morning off after working on Saturday morning. That is what the BMA suggested. But no, the government want me to work right through from 4.00 till 8.00 (as well as the 8.30-12.30 morning surgery and visits and clinics during the afternoon). There would be no question of a Monday morning off. I would then be left doing my paperwork until 10.00 at night, and feel I would probably have to resign on health grounds. It must also be realised that as we can only have one doctor on, these will be booked appointments only. The acute problems would still have to go to the local Out of Hours provider as now. Do you want living GPs?

Dr Jane Orr, Camberley,

am a GP and we already see patients for much more than '9-5'. For the record, full time equivalent salary in our practice (after expenses) is about £80,000, despite an excellent performance in the quality related part of the contract. We are not complaining about this - why would we? So why the misinformation in the press about our average salary?

These extra hours are ringed with so many rules (only one doc at a time, must be done in 1.5 hour sessions etc.) that it is clear that they are designed to be deliberately difficult to provide - much like the rules surrounding the last contract change.

This why the government is so furious that we have attained the targets set for us. If the targets were for patient benefit why would we be getting abuse for meeting them?

The real agenda (especially in England) is for the GP businesses to fail. Then private health care providers will be invited in to employ GPs and provide a cheaper service. Ask yourself how they will do that as well as

Allyson Gawn, Stirlingshire, Scotland

As a GP, I have no problem with flexibility in opening hours and seeing patients who NEED to see a doctor in the evening or at weekends, but who is going to police these limited appointments? Being open in the evening and at weekends is not in itself a problem (in the negotiations the GPs were agreeing to extended hours it was just the terms that were being debated). The point I believe most people are missing is that the government has offered no flexibility in these demands and is doing this as a point scoring exercise. It is naive to believe that the government has our best interests at heart. It is just another way to beat down an already demoralised profession and bring in privatisation through the back door. There is a big propaganda machine working against GPs and I find it very sad that so many people have written comments about 'lazy, fat cat GPs'. Please take the time to find out what we actually do all day.....

Susan, Manchester, UK

You cannot register with a GP close to your work in case you need home visits. Illness and injury can strike at any time, even the young and fit, and may require ongoing input from GPs and district nurses.

There are a huge number of things to be done during the GP working day other than see patients in surgery, including:
visits
repeat prescriptions
checking test results
reading hospital correspondence
writing referrals
practice administration

Doing some work in the evenings or on Saturdays rather than between 8am and 6.30pm Mon-Fri is not what is on offer from the goverment - it is additional hours that are required, and with little flexibility, for example for more than one doctor to consult at the same time.

I think GPs broadly agree that access is a problem for some patients and this needs to be addressed, but the key question that this poll and this article do not address is what people would be prepared to give up for resources to be re-directed to extended hours.

Dr Deborah White, Stockton-on-Tees,

The average GP practice receives £60 - 70 per year per patient to provide all services. The average patient consults 4 x per year.

Insuring an average dog with Petplan is £100+ per year - with many restrictions.

Increasing hours without a significant increase in expenses means surgeries will cut their staff and look for ways of saving money.
Reception staff will be less inclined to work extended hours if there is downward pressure on their incomes.

This is the government that promised to increase access to NHS dentistry. Fewer dentist now work in the NHS than ever before.

This government is promising to increase access to NHS GP.........!!!!.

I hope you all get what you wish for.

conflict of interest: an ex NHS GP who resigned 10 years ago because it was getting increasingly difficult to provide a good service. It is more difficult now.

Dr. Roger Leary, London, UK

People need to see the bigger picture urgently!!

This is not just about extended hours or access to GPs this is a smoke screen for the gradual privitisation of the NHS. The goverment are using this as an excuse to sell off the NHS to large multinational corporations.

This will also lead to the continued loss of community. We will go to our bland lifeless identical retail parks to see a demotivated salaried 'practitioner' with no continuity.

The UK will soon be owned by large supermarket chains and not the UK people.

We need to be more cynical of the goverment and it's PR machine which is the UK press.

Paul, Cambridge, Cambs

It would be possible for GP practices to do what some have suggested and move to shift work to cover longer opening hours-- if the government would let us.

The government plans to audit every practice to ensure that we cannot move to shift work. The extra hours mst be on top of the existing ones. This would leave me working from 7.45am to 8pm on some days.

It is also not possible to have 2 doctors working at once during the extra hours; something that carries a risk to patient and doctor safety.

Finally there is no funding to have any of the other practice services-- practice nurses, healthcare assistants, blood tests etc--available in the evenings and weekends.

So expect overtired GPs providing a sub-standard service.

It is the inflexibility of the government's plans that reveal their true intention. They want a quick public-relations success even if it produces nothing like the service that patients expect and deserve.

Dr Julian Spinks, Chatham, Kent.

I have left general practice.
My wife has left general practice.
We won't be the last to leave the way things are going

., A, A

Lets see, you work 9 to 6 so when can you see the doctor? I know, in the evening. Now why hadn't we thought of that before I wonder.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

GP surgeries have never opened at times convenient to thheir working patients. This reform is long over due.

StevieD, Whitworth,

About time there were better openong hours and several doctors in one place.
Antoine ,Warsaw

Antoine Martin, Warsaw, Poland

If the surgeries extend their opening hours,all those appontments will be taken up by the usual suspects who turn up every day. The problem in UK is not poor access to GPs but too much.I strongly feel you have to limit the number of free appointmnets or have a token charge.House visist should also be charged.At the moment I am just offering a cheap taxi service as GP.How do people in other countires manage?They dont have late surgeries or the privilage of house visists.we are just creating a nation of hypochondriacs who cant even manage the simplest of ailments.

r paul, wrexham, uk

I attended a routine appointment on a saturday yesterday, something which was not available previously, and was glad to be able to do so.
It took me absolutely ages to get through on the telephone to make an appointment but at least I did not have to take time off work.
I noticed that there is now a web appointment system and I welcome this too and will use it in future.
The system is not "free" as so many are saying but is paid for by my taxes as a hard working citizen.
GPs are paid an average of over 100,000 pounds a year and they should remember that it is the tax payer who pays their high wages
This survey shows clearly that evening weekends are as important to most patients as they are to me
Doctors absolutely should agree to implement this and if they do not the government should force them to.
The NHS should be run for the public which pays for it, rather than the public having to contort themselves to fit in with the lifestyle of highly paid, taxpayer funded Doctors

Jonathan Black, London,

As a member of the medical profession, I am ashamed that Gps are opposed to flexible working hours. if they have any conscience,they should reconsider their stance or return part of the 30% pay rise they have had since 2004.

John B., Durham, UK

well if the local GP and surgery is not helping ( as is in my case) we can surely change the surgery. having parents who are doctors, they strongly agree that medicos in the GP practise have become lazy and all that they want is a patient who does no turn up at the surgery too often.
at the end of the day, the surgery gets money per patient on the list. if the patient comes too often, they end up spending more time and money. if the patient comes once about every leap year, they make money and also forget what the patient looks like and simply could not be bothered. GP's somehow may have studied 10 years and all that folklore is true, but then did they not study out of choice or did they have to do it out of compulsion because their father / mother already owned a surgery ? come on folks, get real, crack the whip if your local surgery does not want to flex. if you dont want to flex, you may want to snap !

shripad sathe, normanton,

Why is there no study on the costs to industry of people taking time off to see their GP during the day? I live one hour from work, so would have to leave work at 3.50pm to make it for the last appointment of the day. I typically work to 6.30pm (GPs aren't the only ones to do over time) so my employer misses out on 2 hours 40 mins of my work for a 5 minute consultation.

As I don't have complex health needs, I would be only too happy to see any GP in a polyclinic near my work place as an alternative. GPs need to accept that they don't just treat the elderly and children and working adults, although low level users of GPs may have different needs.

If GPs are really working 12 hour days as is often claimed, where is the harm in shifting their surgery hours within that time to provide the odd evening surgery?

Sarah Baker, Essex,

Yet again the press are misrepresenting the negotiations between the Department of Health and General Practitioners. GPs did not refuse suggestions to work extended hours. Prior to the government rail-roading discussions, an acceptable deal was on the table for extended opening hours. The options for extended hours now will result in a reduction of income for General Practitioners. How many people would really say that they would do more work for less money? Yes, GPs are relatively well paid but to do a highly skilled and stressful job. The government seem to be trying their best to discredit General Practitioners in order to push forward misguided "one size fits all" ideas of polyclinics and the fragmentation of Primary Care. This may be fine for people lucky enough to have good health, but spare a thought for friends or relatives who need continuity of care from a GP (yes we do still care and our patients matter a great deal to us).

Dr H Lever, Derbyshire, UK

BU Sth Tynside. I had similar problems to yours about eight years ago. When I asked for my regular monthly prescriptions to be collected quarterly they refused initially citing some obscure EU reasons. I refused to accept that, pointing out that it was inconvenient for me and the practice to have to go through the long winded beaurocratic system that you have accurately described. Go back to your surgery and insist. I understand that young women can have their contraceptives on a three month basis, so there's no earthly reason why vital medication cannot be prescribed similarly. Heaven only knows what your sugery is like. They want to sharpen up, in my practice you can email for ypur repeat prescription.

Anne, Sheffield, UK

Yo from Harrow has missed the point that GP's need to do scripts every day. AVerage GP looks after i understand about 2500 patients and most repeat script patients are elederly on so many medications, some requiring contacting by phone. There are home visits and communicatin from hospital. GP's also need telephonic consultations. If you are looking after communication from hospital for 2500 patients, this takes lot of time to sort it out. ITS not like council job meaning if surgery consultation time if over, nothing is happening. Public will always say they want GP surgery open all the time as not one has to pay directly and this is the only service in UK where you pay nothing and get good respectful service. Banks wont open a minute later then their timings and same public dont say anything about it as its not free service.

jon England, london, england

GP's are no Plumbers or Electricians. They studied over 10 years. If u have emergency, there is NHS 24 helping and out of hours GP services. How can u see your own GP working hours as well as outside working hours. People are demanding because its free! ask them to pay just a pound if you have to see out of hours see what happens!!

jon England, london, england

This goverment is managing and has managed to divide the whole country .Fighting overitself and against itself .For the beggerly bone that they call economic sucsess.Of course marxist theology reduces everything to the economics.
Believing that everyone can be bought for a mess of pottage.
The doctors it seesm having been bought by a huge pay rise nopw have to dance to the tune the goverment wants wether or not it can or should be played.
The police force are now in 'partnership' with local councels in complete disregard to thier constitutional place as servants of the CROWN not the goverment or thier cornies.
The only way they can be in partnership with a local council is if they scratch thier back as the local councils get more and more political and monetory control of the police force.
The judicial body is now more and more conforming to govermental 'guidelines ' not the law.
They too by the human rights act have changed thier constitutional place.
A house divided will..?

G Blezard, london, uk

BU: many many pharmacies now run exactly the repeat prescription service you describe. I phone my local pharmacy when my repeat is due and they organise the repeat for me, I collect it from them two days later. Were I housebound, they would deliver too. Maybe you should enquire locally.

Felicity, the reason you need to be registered with a practice near your home is that you have the right to request housecalls if you are seriously ill. it would be unsafe for a doctor to take you on if you lived miles from his/her practice, not to mention unfair to his/her other patients if he had to travel an hour to visit you. It just isn't practical.


We take a lot for granted. Employers should be required to give employees time off to visit a doctor; those who wilfully DNA should be charged for the appointment. GPs should be allowed to set their own locally agreed opening hours based on the patient demographic. No point opening late if the patient population is mostly elderly, for instance.

Exasperated, Glasgow, Scotland

My local GP practice operate like a production line. My GP has 6 appointments an hour so each patient has a maximum of 10 minutes with no time between appointments to take notes, do research, go to the toilet, etc.

GPs are being put under too much pressure.

James Redruth, London,

Medicene will shortly go the same way as the law. It is impossible to keep up the protected restrictive practices for so long...

Before the NHS? How many GP's worked long hours through dedication?

When the Legal Aid scheme was at its height - how many lawyers were 'milking the system'?

I do sympathise with Dr. M.J.Vickers , but a very many small businesses work more than 10-12 hour days then have to do administration on top. As an interesting point, does he not have to work the three day weeks all the rest of the GP's work?

Austin Tassletine, South West,

I'm not so bothered about extended opening hours, though they would be handy.

But as an asthma sufferer, what really annoys me about my local surgery is that every month I have to contact them to get a repeat prescription, then have to go to the surgery to collect it, and then take it to a pharmacy to collect the medicine.

Now that is a hassle in itself, but what makes it more complicated is that I'm only allowed to phone my surgery between 11am and 3pm to order the prescription which they know that I already need. They've just introduced the 3pm rule. They didn't write to me to tell me about it, I just fell foul of a receptionist when I rang at 3:20pm one time.

Forget extended surgery opening hours, what about e-mail ordering of repeat prescriptions? Or a streamlined system for enabling direct collection from the pharmacy?

BU, South Tyneside, BRITAIN

I appreciate the comments by Dr. Vickers but thats not the picture across UK. Almost all surgeries in my area are open between 8.30 to 12.30 and 4.30 to 6.30 with Wednesdays evening closed. How does that translate into 10-12 hours of solid work? And with regards to keeping up to speed with latest development every profession demends it incluidng lawyers, engineers, accountants etc. So these working hours for a pay of 100K+ isn't bad. Is it? After all its a game of demamd and supply.

Yo, Harrow,

if the present nhs is such a bad system shouldnt we scrap the nhs, privatise it so everyone can have everything they want in an instant big problem however it costs more ! why do people think that gps and other health care professionals should work 24 hours a day 365 days a year for nothing i bet the whingers wouldnt

as, yorks, uk

What is a polyclinic. Most of the comments suggest that people have no idea. It is not a large group of GPs all in one huge group practice it is effectively many surgeries in one building. It is not going to effect how easy it is to get appointments it is just going to make it cheaper for the government to run these buildings. What it is going to do is make it harder to reach for the elderly as they are all likely to be on cheap out of town sites or in central town locations. They will invariably result in parking charges. The appointments offered will invariably be upto individual practices.

Asad Mubarik, Oldham, Lancashire

nice to see the sensible view from across the Atlantic.

Polls such as these are unrepresentative. The representative poll caried out by the Government and asking the same sort of questions cost £11m and surveyed several million people, mainly current users of the system.

84% were happy and only about 1 in 8 wanted evening or weekend opening.

GP services will be destroyed, like dental services were, unless people realise that you cannot get current GP services 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

Be careful what you wish for indeed, you might get something worse than curent dental services and at a much greater cost

Dr Trefor Roscoe, Sheffield,

Why is this perceived as an increase in working hours? There is no reason why doctors couldn't have time off during the week to compensate - people are not going to be ill more often. In a group practice practitioners could take it in turns to do one late and one Saturday surgery with a day off at another time. That's what used to happen where I live, before the government 'improved' the service.

Appointments not attended should attract a fine.

PR, Cornwall,

Funnily enough, a larger poll involving millions of patients had different findings.

What patients dont realise (but soon will) is that polyclinics operating will result in their local GP surgery closing. It will be interesting to repeat the poll then.

I did a locum job in a single-handed GP surgery last week, that scores very highly on all targets (2nd best in the PCT) and offers many additional services. When the lease runs out soon, they will be force to relocate to a polyclinic based in a hospital A&E. Ask that GP's patients whether or not the polyclinic is better. Would be of more value than asking people who do not yet understand how it will affect them.

dr Smith, london,

My surgery is "trialling" extended hours; a small discreet sign points out that appointments are available for a while on Saturday morning and later evenings. I noticed this as I was being told the next nurse's appointment was several days hence. I asked about the following morning- Saturday- and was told "Oh- yes- of course!". The next day the surgery was deserted, I was the only patient. The cynic in me says that doctors are attempting to "show" there is little demand for extended hours by running trials which are not being properly managed.

Keith, Newcastle, UK

Ask the public if they would like a free sandwich, cup of tea and a t-shirt every time time they see their GP and I'm sure a 'significant' percentage would also yes. Is it a good idea, of course no. Perhaps it is time the government stopped interfering with the clinical practices which have served us so well for many years. Let the clinical experts continue to determine what what is fit for purpose and good value for money services as the vast majority of us need, not pander to the vocal minority of GP bashers who I doubt would ever be satisfied.
It amazes me how poll statistics say one thing and government and media with an agenda swear blind it means another.

Andy, Rossendale, UK

My wife is a vet. Her practice opens eight to eight Monday to Friday and has a few slots on a Saturday. Out of hours care is covered by a rota with other practices. No shows happen but are rare. If someone wants my wife they need to stick to certain days, which for regular appointments is easy. Emergencies goes to whoever is on that day. All seems to work fine despite the doctors alarm expressed here.

GarethWebber, swanley, I'm

If people are prepared to work shifts for not much more than the minimum wage to keep supermarkets open 24-hours a day, how hard can it be for extremely well paid GPs to do the same at surgeries?
We accept that they've trained hard (at taxpayers' expense) and that that involves long hours in the early days of their careers (like many other professions), but they are well rewarded and need to contribute fully to modern society.

Jayne Lindill, Felixstowe, Suffolk

Are you sick of hearing what Gp's say they will or won't do or are you actually sick of hearing what the governement and it's hand in pocket press have been telling you what GP's will or won't do.
This governement has managed a whispering campaign to ensure that you are all sick of your GP's whatever they do- it is working.
Do you think the GP's have been calling the press with story after story of what failings there are- or has it been patients?
Or , possibly , is the government privatising by stealth and ensuring that the once respected voice of Gp's is well and truly rubbished to the public before sweeping and unmitigated change is enforced.
Gp's can and do and will work long hours- it just that many are planning to to that elsewhere as a result of the privatisiation of our NHS.
Doctors can work privately and for more money in most corners of the globe. They could only work for an NHS in Britain.
Even the times would rather be fed a story than research it properly- how sad.

Zoe walker, glasgow, UK

I do love it when polls ask the patients what would make for better health care. Maybe as a patient I should also be diagnosing my own conditions and designing my own treatment regime. That way we can let all the doctors get on with the most important task which I believe is to fill out paperwork and tick boxes so the government can have some lovely statistics.

I suppose I should admit here to being the son of a gp, a gp who's "favorable working hours" have included one day off sick in 27 years. Maybe if the same dedication was shown by workers in all sectors doctors appointment slots would not be filled with sniffling loons who think their cold might just be bird flu!

dave, worthing, uk

I'd love to have GP surgeries available near work - that way I wouldn't have to have an appointment which was "out of hours" - as I could easily take less time for an appointment. However I have to register with a GP near my home - if I fall within their boundaries that is. I'm not sure of the reasons for this.

I move around a lot and I am not currently registered with a doctor as a result. I've had some quite serious chest infections but don;t bother going to the doc as would require at least two appointments - 1 to register and be seen by a nurse (why??) and another to get to see the doctor.

Can anyone explain to me the reasons for having to register near home? It seems absolutely ridiculous and arcane.

Felicity, London,

I would like to see two things happen.

Firstly, the GP's go back to the service that they offered thirty years ago. The population wasn't much smaller then, but you could always see your GP when you needed to - even in the middle of the night for a home visit.

Secondly, the population to stop bothering the GP un-necessarily. I can't believe that the modern society is so much more unhealthy than thirty years ago, and yet surgeries now don't seem to be able to cope with the number of patients wanting to see the doctor.

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

Here the GPs go again extolling their personal services, their dedication etc.. which is a spin. The GPs brigade would happily post their spins today as they opted out of week end working, and are paid more! Only in the UK this scandal happens. The average time I spent in my GPs surgery is about 7 mins, and can some one tell me whether it isenough to give a 'personalised' service. BMA the god father is there to look after them. I would welcome polyclinics or even scrapping GP model as it is today and adapting the French model which is the envy of the world. GPs wrongly diagnosed my problems and thanks to my persistence and a friendly consultant damage was not done.
GPs never retrain or go to refresher courses, and for a long time my GP was prescribing tablets which were superseded by better ones. So much for his professionalism.
GP practice is a business which works well for the GP and his spouse who is often the practice manager. GPs want the NHS gravy train to last.

Yong, Manchester,

More important than being able to see our GP outside normal working hours is the ability to book an appointment 24 hours in advance so that we, like them, can organise our arrangements for tomorrow.

Brian Christley, Abergele, UK

Why not a majority of GP surgeries with a large polyclinic in each large town... then patients who need to seek a second opinion or go further a field if faced with a particularly poor service,can safely go elsewhere, most GP's provide an excellent, efficient and cost effective service, however some little rural pockets are not providing that at all.

mary wilks, suffolk coastal,

'Although most patients were unsure what polyclinics were, just under half (47 per cent) believed that they would make it easier to get appointments.'
So this is just another worthless publicity exercise, and of no value in assessing what the public actually want and need.

Wilson, London, UK

Do you want a doctor who will leave at 5pm and call it a day or one that puts in extra time for free ? It is really putting doctors on the same rating as a cleaner or a plumber: pay as you go, and leave.
Is this what the UK and patients want?

Susan Blake, Enfield, London

If surgery appointments were available over the lunch hours 12-2pm this would pacify patients who wanted to see GPs at more convenient times and negate the need for unecessary evening consultations
Surgeries often run latein the evenings anyhow and with difficult psychiatric patients presenting
Would co professionals and staff be willing to also stay on ?

Dr Peter Gilbert
Gateshead

Peter Gilbert, Gateshead, UK

I am sick and tired of hearing GPs complaining about how hard life is. They don't want this, they don't want that, they work long hours, they don't have a social life, doctors will leave the NHS etc etc.
Well I have one simple message - change or leave. Go to Australia - see if they will have you. Globalisation is forcing change upon everyone and that includes GPS even in Australia!!!! There are no hiding places or special cases so get on with it.

chris, reigate,

i wonder if 'kevin' is aware that i as a practising gp usually do 10 to 12 hours work solid and often take work home and do medical reading after same to keep up to date?--very 'favourable' hours!i wonder if he realises that to become a gp i have worked in hospitals extremely long hours with on call on top of f/t work for many years?i have contributed massively to this country by my hard work long hours and dedication (and tolerance of a much lower income than i could have had in other walks of life having got to oxford university on a scholarship by hard work) i need make no apologies to people who demonstrate their ignorance of this subject.ps fortunately i am single (quite hard to have a social life in a profession as demanding--though satisfying as mine) and i will work longer hours if forced to ; but i feel sorry for my colleagues with families; pps REAL problem is short sighted employers not allowing time off to see gp:GP'S (in sessions)man out-of -hours--on top of f/t!!!!!!!!

dr m j vickers, liverpool, uk

I work in a surgery, and a few years ago, the system changed to not working Sat mornings and to 6.30pm at night. Times we work are from 08.00 to 6.00pm. Patients abused Sat morning appoints by not turning up. (DNA). Many patients do this during the week as well by not telephoning to cancel.

If all the DNA appointments in surgeries were calculated as to cost of a doctor's time wasted, it would be many millions of pounds. This is a total lack of NHS resources, and these appointments could be used for others. That's often why people can't get appointments, because of the lack of concern by patients.

NHS 24 does an excellent job, and patients can be seen out of hours or given advice.

JK, Glasgow, UK

As doctors are increasingly railroaded into becoming civil servants, the best and brights will choose other jobs, and you can look forward to getting the same quality of medical service at the hospital and surgery as you get at the department of motor vehicles when it's time to renew your license.

Medicine is not a job for government clerks!!!!!!!

Lor, toronto, Canada

One of the main reasons medical students opt to go into a career as a GP is for the favourable working hours and weekends off (compared to working as a consultant working on-call in a hospital). So it's not a surprise they voted the way they did.

Kevin, Salisbury, UK

Be careful what you wish for.
Salaried Doctors will become your cynical serfs. Fun at first- but where does medicine originate if not from the Doctors,?
Drones on a government payroll will be clock-watchers like any other civil servant.
Where is the love ? Who will care for you and create new therapies , when the government's got a lock on their pensions.? Answer- no-one you'll be alone.

w. knight, orange county, usa california