[Vocabulary] extra money given to a doctor

[heyt]

Hello,

I would like to ask for help about the following:
In my country there is a special name for the amount of money that some patients like to pay (voluntarily) doctors after a visit or a successful medical intervention.This money is usually given directly to doctor in person.

I wonder if there is a name for such amounts of money in English as well.

Thank you for your help.

heyt

 

[Gillnetter]

I am not familiar with this practice, but it sounds like what we call a tip. A tip is what you give to a waiter or other person who gives you personal service - a valet, a bartender, a barber, etc.

 

[Tdol]

It sounds like a tip to me too, but we don't tip doctors in the UK.

 

[Rover_KE]

You could call it a 'gratuity' - a posh word for 'tip'.

Rover

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Heyt:


I just thought that you would like to know something that is somewhat related to your question.


Here in the United States of America, some doctors are becoming concierge doctors. For example, I used to go to

Dr. X. I did not pay any money, for here in the United States the government usually pays for old people, such as I.

He was a very nice doctor, but one day he told me: "I am becoming a concierge doctor." He said that he would be glad to

continue being my doctor, but he would give me extra services if I paid him $1,000 a year. These extra services would

include: same-day appointments, access to his cell phone number, etc. (I now go to another doctor.)

*****

It is only my opinion that most American doctors would be offended if you used the word "tip," which seems to be

a word for money to service people (waiters, taxi drivers, etc.). If I wanted to give money to a doctor for extra great

help, I might say something like: "Doctor Hippocrates, I have been feeling really well since you operated on me. May I

please give you this small token of my appreciation?" (I would then present him with an envelope containing a tasteful

card, in which a crisp, new $100 bill was enclosed.)


James

 

[Tdol]

Here in the United States of America, some doctors are becoming concierge doctors.

I don't know about other BrE speakers, but you introduced me to a new term. ;-)

 

[emsr2d2]

In the UK, we do not pay for public health services direct so we would certainly never hand money to a doctor. If we choose to use private doctors, they already charge so much that there is very little chance that we would want to give them any more on top!

 

[Barb_D]

I've never heard of a "concierge doctor" either.