Will more people start paying to see a GP?

One of the many groups getting stick for the current pressure on NHS emergency wards are GPs, criticised for their long waiting lists and inflexible hours which lead to people pitching up at A&E with sore shoulders and the flu. The GP contract, which allowed primary care physicians to opt out of out-of-hours cover, is the popular scapegoat for this, but there’s also the question of whether there are enough GPs in the system at the moment to serve the number of patients who need them.

Some patients are giving up on the free NHS primary care system. The doctor can see you now, in your living room, via webcam, using apps like Push Doctor. The GPs who work for Push Doctor do so on a private basis, but many of them work their normal hours in the NHS, popping up in their kitchens in the evenings to speak to paying patients who remain curled up on their sofas.