How long have you been in your role, TAI? I’m interested to know how things have changed. How many patients do you have on your books now as opposed to, say, 5 or 10 years ago and what was/ is the GP-patient ratio? Are you obliged to take on new patients when you believe you are at capacity? (Yes, I know people need to go somewhere). How does the amount of face-time with patients compare with the past? What treatments/responsibilities have you lost or gained in that time (for example minor surgery seems to have moved to the hospital in my area)? I was interested to read what you see as the causes of the current crisis: It’s driven by lack of education on self limiting conditions, by demanding employers expecting their staff never to be ill, by the DWP effectively hanging out the sick and disabled to dry and by an aging and increasingly chronically unwell population, not someone who’s travelled from somewhere else so they don’t get shot. And, yes, I do disagree on some points, but welcome hearing a view from somebody working within the industry.

It seems to me to be madness to throw money at the NHS without tackling waste and inefficiency first. If you had a tap at home that was gushing water and could not turn off, would you ring a plumber or just leave it and accept that you will have to pay higher bills? I cannot believe it would not be cost-effective to recycle equipment like crutches etc, even taking into account the necessary disinfecting process. One of my relatives had a wheelchair specially ordered for them. They died before it was used, but there was no request for its return. I, however, delivered it back to the office. The same for other items. Patients could be requested to leave a deposit. The NHS has enormous clout to get the cheapest prices not just on drugs, but numerous other items, like light bulbs, surgical gloves and so on, because it can buy in bulk. I don't feel that it uses its position well. How much money is consumed by doctors using NHS facilities for private work? I know this happens. I also know that many managers were given computer equipment that was not recovered when they left the organisation.

I'd go for the silver on the desk. Black is less conspicuous and more easily concealed.

I'm not sure I'd ever opt to have all my teeth removed, however much pain I was in, without thoroughly researching what impact that would have for bone loss in the jaw and other consequences. It's not only cutting out fizzy pop that is important, but your entire diet and, of course, oral hygiene - long-term. I hope it all goes well.

Cannot think why not if it's only for your personal use, although I'm no legal expert. Many people have security cameras around their homes now (I'm guessing you only want audio) and we have seen that relatives, concerned for vulnerable relatives, are increasingly installing them too. Are you intending to ask permission? Personally, I would keep it covert, just in case it caused a problem that would affect your care. I've often struggled to understand the logic of the NMC decision making. It seems to prefer persecuting justified whistleblowers, than trying to solve real issues.

How do you know he would not? How can we have any faith in the new proposed policy of doctors giving patients 'all the options' when they are not sufficiently knowledgeable and are too busy/unwilling to seek out the answers? The private doctor, after all, was most likely trained and employed by the NHS. Quite frankly, I would have questioned the doctor's initial response that the NHS does not remove warts. I can find no reference to this on NHS.UK to say that this is the case. Quite the reverse. If pharmacy treatments haven't helped, your GP may try freezing the wart off with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). This will take a number of sessions and can be painful. It can also sometimes lead to blistering, infection and scarring. If this doesn't work, they may be able to refer you to a skin doctor (dermatologist) for specialist treatments such as a minor operation, laser therapy or stronger creams. Never just believe. Question everything.

I’m not sure I agree with you BazzaS, without knowing the breakdown of the costs. I’m assuming part of the fee is the private doctor’s consultation fee, which could have been avoided. To adapt your anaology, if I went to a (legal-aid) solicitor and he sent me to another (fee charging) solicitor, when another solicitor in his own practice could have provided the information free of charge, I would be annoyed. Never just to take the doctor’s word, but use every other resource at your disposal to find a solution.

I think they have to send you two warning letters beforehand. That said, they could just say they have and there's little you could do to disprove it. Not sure where you'd stand if you insisted on being re-registered (I know my own practice is heaving at the seams) and trying to get the Ombudsman (or anyone else) to listen would be time-consuming at the very least, useless at the very worst.

Hi Belinda1066 I think it has now been established that covert recordings pertaining to a case can be accepted in court, and quite rightly. It is perfectly legal to covertly record a consultation in this country and there may be many reasons why a person would choose to do so. On a different subject, I see the NHS is issuing some staff and Guys and St Thomas' with bodycams. It is not clear to me whether they will be operational all of the time or only when things get a little hairy with abusive patients.

Well, I was able to obtain my deceased parent's medical records as the next of kin, a short time after their death, under the same Act. It was rather like reading somebody's diary though and felt 'wrong,' although it was for a particular cause.

The problem is that most people will accept the DWP's rules and not have a recording to take to court - exactly as the DWP intended.

Yes, I do think the DWP are being obstructive. My guess is that they know they cannot ban audio recording outright, so have made it so difficult for people that it becomes impossible for the majority. Still, I want to know, is it legal? I know what my advice would be to anyone attending such an interview - record covertly. I know it's difficult to predict our legal system, but I hope that if it ever came to it, a court would accept the recording as evidence. More likely, is that the DWP would cave in prior to any hearing to prevent a precedent. Cowardly, but predictable.

Did anyone hear the R4 You and Yours broadcast? The subject of audio recording PIP assessment interviews came up. These are the DWP's rules: You can request to audio record your consultation by calling our Customer Service Centre, but you will need to provide your own equipment. Inform us beforehand that you wish to record your consultation, which can be done by calling our Customer Service Centre. Please let us know as soon as possible, as we may not be able to accept requests made on the day of your consultation. Your recording equipment must be able to produce two identical copies of the recording at the end of the consultation, either in audio cassette or CD format. You will need to give one copy of the recording to the Health Professional undertaking your consultation, at the end of the consultation. Devices like PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones or MP3 players are not acceptable recording devices. You will need to sign an agreement that sets out what you are and are not allowed to do with the recording. Now, I don't know anyone who requires this service, (or who on earth has a tape machine), but nobody asked the question whether the DWP's stance is legal. How is it legal to record a consultation with your medic, covertly or otherwise, but not with the DWP? What happens if the assessed records covertly and then needs that evidence (maybe the assessor was rude or gave incorrect advice) at some later stage?

Sadly, he did not get referred to Macmillan and none of us were aware that such a service was available. In desperation, I 'phoned the local hospice and, after all the horrors of the NHS, they were excellent. Unfortunately, he never came out.

Now that sounds scary. Someone close to me had terminal cancer and I would have liked them to have been referred to a pain clinic as I could see how it was affecting them. It never happened, but from what you way, it probably wouldn't have made any difference or perhaps made them worse. I will do everything in my power to stay fit and healthy so I can avoid healthcare...forever hopefully.

Sounds terrible. It shouldn't be like that. I think of all those people who may be suffering constant, unbearable pain and wonder how they cope both physically and mentally.

In parallel could your OH ask his GP to be referred to a pain clinic, so whatever the outcome, there is a way to manage any continuing pain.

I think the question is, as always, what outcome are you looking for? So what is One Health? It looks as though it is a private company staffed by NHS-trained medics. Surely though it is not obligatory for patients to be referred to them by their GPs. Was your OH offered a choice? Who pays for transport/overnight stays/expenses for the patient (and possibly their carer) if the location is the other end of the country? One Health say they get the same fees per patient as they would in the NHS, so it must be down to working hours/conditions or maybe they are moonlighting. I see what's in it for them, but what's in it for the patient? Quicker referral, but how much quicker? I also think the GP should 'own' this problem. If he doesn't know what is going on in your OH's case, he should make it his business to find out. Before you can complain to the Ombudsman you must exhaust the local complaints process, but where to start? Do you complain to the GP, One Health or your local hospital? If you are not satisfied with their final response, you can take it to the PHSO who, perhaps months after receiving your information, may reject it as 'not for further investigation.' A fragmented health service is not ideal. It'll be like the trains, when you complain to one company, they blame another and you end up going round in circles and eventually give up. The NHS complaints process is bad enough as it is. I'll be interested to know what happens next. In the meantime, I wish your OH well. Constant pain must be draining. At any future appointments it may be worthwhile recording, covertly or otherwise. It will help you keep track of who says what and replaying can enable you to pick up things you missed at the time.

I do not have a problem with the SC record per se. However, there are four issues: - will it be referred to?: I have seen medics not reading patient notes, even on pre-planned appointments - will it be accurate?: It is very difficult to get data changed even when it is found to be wrong, but who has sat and read through their health records lately? - how secure is it?: The NHS has a poor record on data security and these records really are a fraudster's dream come true - will it be sold/passed on?: I want to be sure my data is not given to any third-party outside of the NHS without my explicit consent. Right now, I'm not confident that this is the case.

It's a worry, isn't it. What happens to those people cognitively impaired or unconcious? Perhaps they do not live to tell the tale.

At the risk of sounding like I have a chip on my shoulder, access to the best schools, jobs and health comes down to how deep your (or your family's) pockets are. It is a fact of life that we can strive to change, but never really alter.

Aren’t your medical notes part of your identity, containing your NHS number, your name, your address, your dob. You and I are not vulnerable, but may well be one day. Spam and cold calls may be just an annoyance to you to just bat away, but many others will be sucked in/scared into buying insurance or ergonomic armchairs that they cannot afford and/or do not need. The CIA, Talk Talk, the NHS, Sony (the list is long), all who thought they were impenetrable, have ‘lost’ data one way or another. I have seen how feeble some companies network security is. There is too much complacency, a deficiency of skill and a startling lack of integrity when it comes to organisations protecting personal information. Remember, once out there, it’s out there for life. There’s a difference between having a loyalty card (not a fan myself, but still cannot be legally sold on without consent) knowing that you are being profiled for a few pounds off your shopping bill and private information given in confidence being disseminated without your consent. Personal data is a gold-mine for companies, which explains why every Tom, Dick and Harry is trying to get hold of it. Even a DIY store wanted a dob to buy a bathroom. Why? Even life insurance companies cannot carry out a Subject Data Access without your explicit consent. And when was the last time your work's network security was tested?

No problem if they are secure, although as I've said in another post, I doubt whether they are ever read properly or even at all (by the medics treating us). What would you feel if your information was stolen/leaked and then sold on (and on and on) to be exploited by everyone from charities to insurance companies and the like?

Medics don’t seem to read your notes before a pre-planned consultation and I can’t imagine they would even have time in a medical emergency. They will be relying on you or those with you for details. However, it is never right to presume consent (to pass on your details to a third-party) when you hand over, probably because you have no choice, your personal details and especially those relating to your medical history. It seems to me that most organisations’ network/server security is poor and then there’s the disgruntled/avaricious employee angle. Our data is valuable and can be exploited. I do not want to be mopping up the consequences when things go awry. Fine, if you are asked and agree on the condition that the possible benefits/consequences are explained and understood – although would A&E be the time/place?

Care.data may have been killed off, but our private medical data is still being handed over to third-parties without our consent or knowledge. This is unacceptable.