While we all love our National Health Service and are rightly proud of it, the present strain on its resources is not a new phenomenon.
In 1949 Fifers had local health chiefs gnashing their teeth over the spiralling cost of replacement dentures.
It was the Fife Executive Council of the NHS, at its September meeting in Kirkcaldy, that stepped up to the plate and gave the community something to chew over.
The issue was the rising number of claims for replacement dentures, and it prompted one doctor to proclaim, “If we don’t do something to deter people from losing their teeth then there is going to be no end to the claims, and no end to the cost of the service.”
And how Fifers were losing their wallies made interesting reading.
According to the Fifeshire Advertiser one man who swallowed a mouthful of salt water while swimming was duly sick and lost his top and bottom set in the briny.
Another managed to smash his false teeth when he tripped on some rocks, and then there was another claim from one man who simply lost his dentures on the “extremities of Leven pier”, with no explanation as to how he managed that.
In some cases the executive council was expected to pick up the full cost of replacement sets; in other instances the gormless gummies were asked to come up with half the cost.
Given the sums involved it was agreed to look at the financial options but ex-Provost Blamey (Cowdenbeath) cut to the chase, giving the committee something to chew over.
“The people don’t appreciate the service,” he said. “If everyone who lost their teeth had to pay at least 50 per cent of the cost then there would be less cases.”
The issue was the rising number of claims for replacement dentures, and it prompted one doctor to proclaim, “If we don’t do something to deter people from losing their teeth then there is going to be no end to the claims, and no end to the cost of the service.”
And how Fifers were losing their wallies made interesting reading.
According to the Fifeshire Advertiser one man who swallowed a mouthful of salt water while swimming was duly sick and lost his top and bottom set in the briny.
Another managed to smash his false teeth when he tripped on some rocks, and then there was another claim from one man who simply lost his dentures on the “extremities of Leven pier”, with no explanation as to how he managed that.
In some cases the executive council was expected to pick up the full cost of replacement sets; in other instances the gormless gummies were asked to come up with half the cost.
Given the sums involved it was agreed to look at the financial options but ex-Provost Blamey (Cowdenbeath) cut to the chase, giving the committee something to chew over.
“The people don’t appreciate the service,” he said. “If everyone who lost their teeth had to pay at least 50 per cent of the cost then there would be less cases.”
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