A and E Paphos

[lincoln]

Can anyone confirm that as a pensioner you do not have to pay the €10.00 at A n E? If so it is news to me as I have always paid it on my visits. As I did 10 days ago when I was sick.

My reason for asking is that this info came to me from another forum

[trevnhil]

Everyone has to pay the 10 Euros including pensioners.

Trev..

[Wee Stumpy]

Yes Trev is definitely right! I have had to pay it on the last two occasions I have visited. What actually happens if you are admitted via ambulance and in no state to pay I don't know though.

[Mike Strand]

Stumpy

I know! They give you an Invoice with 30 days (I think it was) to pay.

I couldn't believe the first question from the Nurse, was €10 please!!

[patray]

My pensioner husband paid €10 before being admitted to A & E on 5th November. Had is EHIC card. He also had to pay €8 to register for the blood test and €8 for stamps.

X Ray, CT scan and blood tests during 3 nights stay were free. Pat

[Jim]

A bargain considering most of have never paid a cent into local health care, although I did complain when all this started, in retrospect I was wrong to do so, good service for not a lot of money, and fast!!

[kazanddave]

When I needed stitches after an accident, I didnt even think about the €10.
The Cypriot health service is struggling and if it needs to put a small charge on visits then so be it.
They should start doing it in the UK it would help financial problems the NHS has, and keep the time wasters away.

[lincoln]

Thank you all for the replies. I also thought I was correct. So I will now try to find the messageto correct the missinformation.

[lion]

I had all the symptoms of a heart attack and I got my wife to take me to A&E at Paphos General.

Before I could be seen I had to pay 10 euros - it could only happen in Cyprus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lefkes]

In the past I have been in A& E and have been only to pleased to pay the 10 euros , to be dealt with almost immediately .What price if it saves your life?.

[lofos-jan]

Having children, I have had my fair share of visits to A&E and have watched several people admitted with clearly more serious problems who have gone straight in the door without stopping at the €10 counter.

Jeanne

[juliesewell]

The main thing it has done in paying the €10 to visit A+E is to cut down on the time wasters and those who use it as an alternative "coffee morning" gathering.

I seem to recall when the charges very first started, it cut the visits down by around 40% as people were thinking twice about whether their need was really a necessity.... this was for the general Clinic visits and the A+E rooms.

There were always massive queues after the first eating of the souvla buffet immediately following the break of the fasting at Lent Never a good time to need an A+E visit!

[Happy in Cyprus]

I had all the symptoms of a heart attack and I got my wife to take me to A&E at Paphos General.

Before I could be seen I had to pay 10 euros - it could only happen in Cyprus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not at all. Same happens in the USA, though the numbers are likely to be a thousand times higher.

[trevnhil]

It is indeed time it happened in the UK..

Trev..

[Mike Strand]

Trev, I think the Triage nurses in the UK should be allowed to say to those who go the A&E with non A&E problems, "Sorry but this is not an emergency or the result of an accident that requires immediate treatment, go see your GP" Yes that would be a big responsibility on the Triage Nurse, but that's what they are trained to assess.

[trevnhil]

The problem is that it seems from what I see on groups and forums, very difficult to get to see a GP.. in certain areas.

Trev..

[Mike Strand]

The problem is that it seems from what I see on groups and forums, very difficult to get to see a GP.. in certain areas.

Trev..

That's very true and it's where trained Pharmacists come in for all minor ailments. Many Pharmacies now have a private consulting room.

Something that not many people know, is that Pharmacists have far more knowledge about medicines than doctors.

[KG]

The problem is that people never seee their own problems as minor. They know that under the NHS they can't get a GP doctor's appointment any time soon, and would think twice about consulting a pharmacist who doubles as a salesperson for the snake oil suppliers. Pharmacists are not qualified to diagnose and medicate patients with prescription drugs.

So they go where they can get the fastest treatment - A&E - where the treatment is free, even if they might have to wait the best part of the day to get it, and delay those who may really be in need of treatment.

The introduction of a modest payment for all-comers worked well in Cyprus and cut out most of the time wasters and all of the freebie collectors. Now if you need a couple of paracetemol or a plaster for a cut knee, you go to the pharmacy and buy them for much less than €10. It also made the hypochondriacs think twice about visiting the hospital.

If the UK was to introduce a £10 charge across the board at A&E, it would raise about £230 million pounds a year, if NHS stats are to be believed. Broaden that to include a £5 fee to see a doctor etc and that would have the same effect as it did here. It would tend to take away the time wasters and would not be so much as to deter anyone who is really sick. I suppose discounts could be available for the chronically ill.

If you include compulsory checking of entitlement to NHS services and up front payment (or provide proof of insurance) by those not entitled to free health care, the NHS might just start to get its head above the water.

[explodingaardvark]

The problem is that it seems from what I see on groups and forums, very difficult to get to see a GP.. in certain areas.

Not if you listen to julieswell on another thread.

[trevnhil]

K G I applaud your post, and truly wish that these charges could be brought about in the UK

KG is right about not being able to see a GP when needed.... And so is Julieswell when she says she has no problems. It depends where you live..
Only about 12 miles up the coast from Julieswell there are big complaints about not being able to get a doctor's appointment. Or for that matter, get to see a dentist. This is why people end up at the A&E.. And then complain of the delays there.

Trev..

[Firefly]

KG

I agree with most of what you say, however, when you are faced with a patient requiring urgent medical attention, I think the last thing should be to start checking that patients entitlement to that treatment, or indeed taking payment before you begin treatment, the saving of life should always come first. Where do you draw the line ?

Jackie

[galexinda]

Since 2013, small charges have been introduced for treatment for the majority of Cypriot citizens and permanent residents. Charges include €3 for a visit to a general practitioner, €6 for a visit to a specialist, and €0.50 for each prescribed medication.
For those who do not hold a medical card, some charges will be higher: €15 for a visit to a general practitioner and €30 for a visit to a specialist. There is also a fee of €10 for emergency treatment in an accident and emergency unit, although this does not apply to pensioners. Under EU law, this exemption also applies to those receiving a pension from other EU or EEA countries.

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcare ... yprus.aspx
then click on 'Health Services and Costs'

[KG]

Hmmm. The Cyprus Health Department web site says:

The Accident and Emergency Departments of public hospitals remain available to everybody. Patients who visit the Accident and Emergency Department pay the sum of € 10,00, regardless of the services they will receive. Some vulnerable categories of citizens are excluded from the above fee, such as public assistance recipients, soldiers, handicapped, residents of specific institutions etc. For claiming exemption from the above fee the medical card has to be presented.

I suppose it depends on whether being a pensioner is sufficient to qualify as "public assistance recipients". The Cyprus Government web sites appear to suggest that public assistance receipients are those vulnerable groups who receive payments over and above their regular income, including old age pensions. This would suggest that simply being a pensioner doesn't cut it, but it would need confirmation from the MOH.