Firstly I have to say here in the UK I am exceptionally grateful for a NHS and have so much admiration and respect for how difficult the past 2 years have been for everyone but especially those in clinical, care or medical settings. I clapped on our Thursday's here (clap outside your home every thursday to say thank you was a think here during lockdown) in the UK for a reason to show respect and thanks. To anyone on here in one of those professions thank you for all your dedicated work in the most difficult of times.

That said...is it the same all over the world that GP's now seem to see their role as a get past the receptionist to get a telephone appointment no matter what it is. They really really do not want to see people face to face at all. I don't really want a f2f where not needed as prefer to be safe and if it can be done on the phone well ok....but there are somethings that need a f2f and they seem very reluctant to offer this ever. Without details a recent one where after the call I had to upload pictures (not at all as saucy as it sounds I am afraid) to a secure site which I didn't like doing, couldn't take the pictures myself as on my back so had to wait for partner to get home then upload then wait for a call back 2 days later! All of the calls have been with GP's working from home. I want them to be safe and not leave themselves open to getting covid but I just feel the line is too far the worng way on this one. Anyone had similar xp's? Not asking for anyones medical info btw just curious if this is just a uk thing or even just my doctors in the UK or a wider thing too?

The NHS model of free at the point of use is not sustainable and the NHS is failing.  The NHS model when originally establised was very different compared to the moster we have today which for political reasons cannot be reformed.  If something is free at the point of use, economics tells us that there will be unlimited demand and people give it no value.   There are better ways of implementing public health in other countries (not US) and the UK should look at how others do it. 

We should individually pay through NI contributions an amount for health insurance (which would be several thousands per person per year but would reduce other taxes), and we should contibute to cost at the point of use whilst social welfare schemes for poor people unable to pay would be implemented.

I have to agree, if the NHS will continue the services it offers in general people will have to make a choice, a few more pence in the pound on the tax bill, or going down the private medical insurance which i have had to in the past so not to wait 2 years for an operation.

At present i am 2 and a half years into a 6 month wait and told, no idea if and when i will be seen due to how covid has thrown things in the air and now people delayed before me, higher priority etc are ahead in the queue.

In my short lived administrative time with the NHS to cover someone else on maternity, what annoyed me was private and NHS operations were at the same hospital thanks to PFI's, consultants and managers cared more about how their offices looked for customers(i thought they were patients) over machines that could save lives on wards.   I also learnt that if we needed things like ecmo machines the difficulty in checking if had trained nurse on hand, and then getting the equipment from another hospital 150 miles away.

The systems been broken since thatcher made it hospitals should specialise and broke even further with PFI's and austerity.   We been short staffed for over 60 years, and not enough change to education, training and pay, to fix the problems.

Wow! That is really different there. I have been seeing my doctors face to face again for a couple of years. They screen for covid and request you and them wear a mask, but they still see you. They request no guest in the room with you but they still see you. Though my gp, if you come and sick, they screen for flu and covid before you can enter the building. If positive you have to go to urgent care instead, and the they the strictist i know in this area. I hate that it is so strict over there, that your health is suffering. Hopefully they will see the places that opened up   aren't having major cases still. 

I'm sorry but the NHS is absolutely necessary because of the socio-economic issues facing our country

It has been criminally underfunded and left to rot by a succession of grifters who want to blame it not succeeding so they can privatise to wealthy US insurance firms.

It needs saving, it just needs investment

The only way for the NHS to work as it was originally intended is to reform how it is paid for - switch to compulsory insurance for everyone through a specific National Insurance charge for health but with social support for those without the means to pay themselves. Stop it being completely free at the point if use because demand for a free good is essentially unlimited; and people do not value it or the people who work in it. Making people contribute towards the cost of their treatment, with social support for those genuinely unable to pay, will mean that people get treatment if they need it but stop the frivolous use of the service which is so damaging.