I dont agree with this

Sparx

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And dont forget the massive tax on alcohol already which should be going towards hospitals etc, does that mean the tax on booze will lower?

For the record i dont really drink, ive been drunk twice in nearly 2 years
 

DaGaffer

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This has been standard for motorcyclists for decades. I got a bill for the ambulance when some fucker knocked me off my bike over 20 years ago (what was particularly galling was that I hadn't actually used an ambulance to get to hospital).

I'm only surprised its taken them this long to come up with the idea for drunks and druggies. And if this had been in place when I was younger I'd have been charged as well, I had a couple of injured-while-hammered hospital trips in my youth, and even though I wasn't abusive or anything like that; I'm pretty sure I cost the hospital more money than a sober patient; the first time I was admitted with a broken arm (someone sat on it at a party) and I couldn't have a normal anaesthetic because of my blood-alcohol level (and as I was 15 that raised a few eyebrows), so I had to have gas, which takes longer and requires more staff. Now in my case that would present an interesting issue; yes I was pissed, but it wasn't me being pissed that caused the injury (it was my mate Glyn, the silly bastard), so how does that fit with these proposals? (In the case of motorbikes they don't give a shit whether the accident was your fault or not, I'm guessing this would be the same).
 

Ch3tan

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The idea's been put forward in scotland - about time they found ways to contribute to the massive leeching of the state they partake in :D
 

old.Tohtori

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Can't say i agree with that either.

So rudeness is a measure of payment now? Next it's going to be patients who don't act nice, or old folk who are rude, or maybe young folk because they are, gods forbid, teenagers.

You take the patients in, you treat 'em and you bill them equally no matter what the behaviour, or any other irrelevant feature, is.

It comes with the job really, this whining is akin to some police officer starting a petition to "give drunks extra tickets 'cause they hurt me feelings".
 

rynnor

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I think its stupid - presumably the principle is that these injuries are as a result of their own actions but if you apply that to drinkers why not everyone else?

Diabetic doesnt control his insulin level - charge, smoker gets lung cancer - charge, footballer breaks his leg - charge etc. etc.

What happened to the principle of free healthcare for all that I pay so much tax for?
 

Will

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You take the patients in, you treat 'em and you bill them equally no matter what the behaviour, or any other irrelevant feature, is.

This would be something decided by politicians rather than healthcare workers, I expect. The Scotland Patients Association and Nicola Sturgeon to be precise. The SNP have a hard-on for being tough on alcohol. Whist I agree with some of their proposed measures, I don't agree with this one. I also wasn't aware that motorbikers had to pay more than other groups. That's a bit rich, considering all those organs they contribute.

What happened to the principle of free healthcare for all that I pay so much tax for?

Budget cuts. You freeze spending (or reduce it, depending on the figures you believe) whilst the bill for healthcare spending is going up (aging population, increasing cost of treatments) and something has to give.
 

old.Tohtori

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This would be something decided by politicians rather than healthcare workers, I expect. The Scotland Patients Association and Nicola Sturgeon to be precise. The SNP have a hard-on for being tough on alcohol. Whist I agree with some of their proposed measures, I don't agree with this one. I also wasn't aware that motorbikers had to pay more than other groups. That's a bit rich, considering all those organs they contribute.

Yeah, bit of a problem there, but nothing new on planet earth really. People who don't do the work, decide for the workers.

A guy named Sturgeon in some medical related field? Oh that must've got him a few comments :p
 

megadave

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not necessarily, you might need to go to A&E but not have something life threatening and therefore can wait until morning, I once broke my arm in school but decided to wait until the next day before going A&E ;)
 

Will

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Ah, in Edinburgh we have a Minor Injuries Clinic for that sort of thing. Saves you going to A&E.

The A&E has its own police station.
 

rynnor

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Budget cuts. You freeze spending (or reduce it, depending on the figures you believe) whilst the bill for healthcare spending is going up (aging population, increasing cost of treatments) and something has to give.

Nah - this is just political posturing and trying to sound tough. Its all hypocrisy - if you dont want to treat drunks ban alcohol - but they wont do that because it brings in lots of revenue.
 

ECA

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fwiw I agree with something like this but I'd rather see community service than money being charged.

It's part of the problem w/ a free system. If you know your healthcare is free you don't care about getting in accidents/injuring yourself from a financial POV like US citizens do ( get too drunk, enjoy the $1000+ bill you get for ambulance+AE treatment ).
 

old.Tohtori

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Yeap, i often jump infront of busses just because healthcare is so damn cheap! :D
 

Larossa

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I was once in the Luton & Dunstable A & E on a Friday night and that was a bit of an eyeopener, drunks, druggies and police everywhere and my sympathy was entirely with the nursing staff who were trying to do their best despite abuse and vomit flowing liberally (I was there to take the other half home after a kidney stone scare).

Pretty cheap charging for an ambulance you didn't need, I honestly can't remember if I got charged for an ambulance when I had my motorbike smash as I took a fair while recovering so my folks might have paid up, I was in no state to notice that sort of thing due to internal injuries and broken arm but obviously I did need an ambulance at that time.
I do know that the NHS used to charge for x-rays in road traffic accidents but I do hope that is for all vehicles rather than just motorbikes.
 

soze

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I had heard the NHS charge for a lot of the treatment in a crash but it is billed to the insurance companies I have no idea if that is true though.

And in some circumstances i think piss heads should be charged. If you go in because you are so drunk you are a danger to your self and you end up needing a nurse watching you all night because you might choke on your vomit then you should pay. But if its a case of you cut yourself and they just stitch it up and kick you out then i think its wrong to charge for that.
 

Marc

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I had heard the NHS charge for a lot of the treatment in a crash but it is billed to the insurance companies I have no idea if that is true though.

And in some circumstances i think piss heads should be charged. If you go in because you are so drunk you are a danger to your self and you end up needing a nurse watching you all night because you might choke on your vomit then you should pay. But if its a case of you cut yourself and they just stitch it up and kick you out then i think its wrong to charge for that.

Where have you been? :D
 

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