£20 for GP appointments, says thinktank

A charge of £20 for a local GP appointment should be introduced, according to the Social Market Foundation.

The thinktank has said the NHS needs to “change dramatically” and has introduced a new report which argues three possible approaches for the service.

They are to raise money, use existing resources more effectively or “somehow slow the inexorable growth in healthcare demand”.

David Furness, the co-author of the report, said: “The core principle of the NHS should be that it is fair. But fair is not the same as free at the point of use. Free care for all will end up making the NHS less fair.”

The report argues that charging for healthcare is standard in many European countries and could be used to encourage “healthier, wealthier people to avoid using the NHS except when absolutely necessary”.

It also said anyone receiving tax credits would be exempt and the system would reflect income, not category (such as retirement). The charges would also be capped at £100 a year.