In the midst of the NHS’s worst crisis, British politicians are frantically debating reforms to the health system. One idea, though it’s not a new one, is to charge for GP appointments. Ken Clarke, the Conservative peer and former health secretary, is the latest figure to suggest this, saying this week that the government “may have to look at some means of the better-off patients making some modest contribution to their treatment”.
Such a plan, however, could be politically impossible, as exclusive polling for the New Statesman by Redfield & Wilton Strategies reveals an overwhelming majority of British people do not believe they should pay to see their GP. When asked if adults should have to pay for GP appointments in Britain, 83 per cent said no, 9 per cent said yes and 8 per cent said they didn’t know.
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