Think the unthinkable on health insurance

Since Tony Blair’s government agreed an unprecedented pay package for GPS in the UK – from which they became the highest paid in Europe – our previous 24-hour GP service cover has declined over the years to an average of 30 per cent of what it was, with no out-of-hours service offered in many instances, combined with three-day weeks and much part-time GP working adversely affecting the health of the nation.

The recent Covid pandemic has highlighted this disconnect, with the resultant overload at Accident and Emergency and other hospital services which is unsustainable.

Politicians are averse to confronting the vexed issue of pay and conditions or even considering a more effective German health insurance model which has resulted in the the best provision in Europe for both well-paid GP and intensive care services.

Edinburgh has a worldrenowned insurance services business which could easily work with our government to devise an economic health funding alternative – perhaps on the German model – for Scotland, if not the entire United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, can we not at least have GPS and pharmacists co-ordinating to provide grouped local out-of-hours services to be advertised and offered throughout Scotland? This would provide an effective preventive care service and take an intolerable pressure off our hospital services whilst likely reducing the excess death rates we are now enduring.

ELIZABETH MARSHALL

Edinburgh