GP surgery prices could damage the health of your bank balance
I RECENTLY attended my doctor's surgery based in the Castel for a fasting blood test with the nurse and duly paid £13 consultation fee (pay on the day). Some weeks later my wife attended her surgery in St Peter Port for a fasting blood test with the nurse and was asked for £27.50 (pay on the day). When comparing these charges, she contacted her surgery quoting the price difference only to be told comparing surgery to surgery was not possible and her complaint could only be placed on record.
We contacted today (Monday 3 July) the secretary to a local doctor and after stating our case were basically kicked into touch and told to re-contact my wife's surgery. I have further discovered three surgeries charge £13 (pay on the day) and another charges £12 (pay on the day).
My question to the surgery is how can this be justified and for any person due the same procedure, check before you attend, as if you are unlucky enough to be a patient of my wife's surgery, be prepared to pay through the arm.
I would be grateful for any comments.
Name and address withheld
Editor's footnote: Dr Brian Parkin, media spokesman for the BMA Guernsey, replies: I am sorry that your correspondent feels that he has had an unsatisfactory response from his wife's surgery.
All surgeries try to keep charges down and apply them fairly. However, charges for different procedures will differ between different surgeries.
This is a consequence and indeed an aim of the competition law. (At one time there were local recommended fees for all procedures, but these were outlawed by the competition law).
If anyone feels that the overall package offered by one surgery is inferior to that of another, they are of course free to follow market economics and change.
