Should we have annual medical check-ups?

Question

Preventative check-ups could reduce unnecessary costs of cure. That being so, should we all have annual check-ups? If yes, could the NHS sustain this extra burden?

Answer 1

over the age of 50/60 .definitely,it would reduce unnecessary visits to the g.p and it would help diagnose ailments before they went too far, and therefore make illnesses easier to treat.it would be taken out of taxes.

Answer 2

I think it is a good idea, but as you suggest, I don't think the NHS has the resources to cope in the short term, even if it would save in the long-term. Our government is ALL about the short-term in any case and so this would hardly get a look in as a potential policy. It would also not only be the cost of taking the annual check up on but if things were found wrong the NHS would be under a duty to follow up the required medical care - again burdening resources. It think the kind of things that an annual check up would reveal would not in any case lighten the burden on the NHS because the majority of things for which people use the NHS are short term illnesses and accidents which are not necessarily related to general or underlying health.

Answer 3

Everyone should have annual check-ups, yes. Since you said "NHS" I'm assuming you're in UK. I know that in the USA, the national healthcare systems (federally and state funded programs, like Medicaid) actually encourage annual exams because of the reduction in high dollar output for conditions that are difficult to reverse if allowed to progress too far. I know that NHS is fairly understaffed across the board and they're recruiting constantly so it's hard to know if they could currently sustain the extra burden of labor, much less expense.

Perhaps consideration of a "buy-in" program for those who can afford it would be helpful. I know of several UK families who've had to wait extraordinary lengths of time for surgery due to no slot available with surgeon, no slot available for operating theatre, etc. Cases are prioritized well, but still urgent conditions that will progress without surgery are being left to wait for many months because there are more urgent cases ahead of them.

I had assumed originally that the problem was lack of funding for the healthcare system, but if they're recruiting healthcare professionals from other countries, it seems that it's more a lack of qualified providers graduating from UK universities. To back the problem up entirely, I would start by promoting healthcare education at a secondary school level and trying to get those students interested in healthcare professions so they would study those fields in university. Hopefully within 10 years time, the recruitment process would ease a bit, with more qualified candidates coming from UK universities, NHS would have more providers, funding would increase, more patients could be seen.

Achieving world peace should be so easy...

Answer 4

Yes I think we should an annual check up, but at the moment the NHS system do not have the infastructure in place to justify this, nor do they have the money to implement the required to make the neccessary changes.

Annual check-up will save many lifes, and will ultimately save a lot of money, since people would possibly be healthier, and problems such as AIDs and Cancer would be caught earlier in a lot of people, meaning an increased changed that they can be cured.

Answer 5

I certainly think so, think of all the cancers etc that could be prevented with regular check-ups. However I don't think there is a chance in hell that it could work.

Think about it firstly everyone has to have the check-up annually. Thats gonna cost so much and increase the work load by a huge percent. and then if anything is wrong with you, they have to find the funding to treat you. This is something that we struggle to do at present.

It would be something so massive, they would have to start a national campaign to get enough medically trained people to do the work, and build new medical centres to carry out the tests and all the machinery/apparatus it would take to perform the tests.

Answer 6

We should have preventive medicine check-ups but they should be age, gender, and risk-specific. In some cases, an annual check-up might not be enough, in others, a check-up every 2-5 years may be enough. It depends on the risk factors. Having an annual check-up that is just driven by the calendar is a waste of money. It's important to talk to your doctor, learn your risks, and the recommended frequency for the necessary check-ups.

Answer 7

Yes I think its a good idea for an annual check-up. If the NHS did foot the bill, wouldn't they of saved money by doing a check up in the first place because they've caught things early or prevented them?

Answer 8

Yes, it is in their best interest to, because it is a greater burden when you become sick of something that could of been cured. You will need more medical attention and use more money once you are sick. The financial responsibility of people who is not proactive in their health care is a strain on our country. The emergency room should be used for emergencies and if we took better care of ourselves then it might cost up some money now, but save us a lot more in the future.

Answer 9

I'm not sure who the NHS is.. But medicare is now paying for PREVENTIVE medicine. So I think it would work. It would save A LOT of money on the other end.

Answer 10

ya i think so there is a lot of us who feel ill all the time and wont go to doc just to find out we always think the worst well i do any way so it would be good if everyone got a good screening once a year think about it im in ireland and we bring our cars for n.c.t.to make sure there road worthy we should do the same with our bodys good question but who's going to do anything about it??