Pay as you don’t go

“Free at the point of entry”: laudable words, words that we hear time and time again from politicians expounding the “world class” care offered by the NHS. Aside from any debate, though, about whether this is sustainable in the long term, should this actually extend to “free if you don’t enter”?

Working through a clinic, one cannot help but be struck by the number of patients that don’t keep their appointments without even a telephone call. And why should they? There’s always a receptionist at the patient-friendly …