Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As many of you know we Americans are having a big debate over whether to adopt Universal Health Care for our people. Our debate centers around Canada's system, but we rarely hear about health care in the UK. So I must ask...
1. What is your opinion of Universal Health Care (Good? Bad?) and the NHS?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the British system?
3. What would you say to Americans who are contemplating going toward Universal Health coverage?
As many of you know we Americans are having a big debate over whether to adopt Universal Health Care for our people. Our debate centers around Canada's system, but we rarely hear about health care in the UK. So I must ask...
1. What is your opinion of Universal Health Care (Good? Bad?) and the NHS?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the British system?
3. What would you say to Americans who are contemplating going toward Universal Health coverage?
I look forward to any answers you have
Thanks
Mackinac
1. When my knee dislocated I was taken straight to the nearest hospital by competent and well mannered professionals. The doctor at A&E (ER) immediately diagnosed and resolved the problem and scheduled an x-ray for within 15 minutes for good measure. The plasterer arrived within 10 minutes to make a cast for my leg, and I was given an appointment to see the emergency fracture clinic the next day.
Up to this point, the system is good. Then it falls down a bit.
I went in to see the fracture doctor. I had an appointment time of 10:15. I was not seen until 11:30. The fracture doctor was efficient in checking the injury and forming a correction plan, but I then had to go to the plaster room to have the cast removed. This was efficient. I was then made to wait for 20 minutes to see the doctor to have a removable cast applied.
The waiting room was overcrowded and noisy, the nurses on hand were surly and ignored the patients unless they were forced into dealing with you, and the whole wing of the building was run down.
Once I was told to remove the cast after a couple of months, I was referred to my local Physiotherapist. They were excellent and prescribed effective muscle strengthening exercises. However, I was told that I should only have a course of treatment with the physiotherapist for three months to monitor the injury, and then I would have to attend a gym to practice the exercises after that point.
I was told on more than one occasion by the physiotherapist that there was an NHS discount for the gym. Just before I attended my last appointment with the physiotherapist I was told that he had made a mistake and there was no NHS discount for the gym.
He also forgot to tell me that the insoles he prescribed to correct my leg position would wear out, necessitating a return trip to the physiotherapist a few months later.
A year on, and I have only just been given an appointment (this jan) to have custom insoles made that hopefully will not wear out as fast. I have been told now that the insoles will take three months to make as the factory was closed for the Christmas period.
So, in conclusion, the NHS is great for the basic and emergency care, but falls flat in after-care.
2. Advantages: free, good A&E (ER) treatment
Disadvantages: overworked after-care, NHS is forced to treat everyone, even if they have been in a gangland fight or if they are drunk and abusive.
3. Go for it, but be careful to keep lots of money going into the system.
I am an american with british parents. My dad lives in the US but my whole extended family is in England. My dad was visiting England year before last when he had a hernia. OF course he went to the doctor, doctor asked him what his level of pain was and said he could get him in for surgery the next day. My dad decided that if it was safe, he wanted to wait until he got home. He only had a week left of vacation and didn't want to ruin the rest of his vacation. So he comes back to the US and it took six weeks to find a surgeon that could fit him in.
Last time I was visiting my son broke his arm a few days before we were due to fly home. Of course we had to go to the emergency room. Everyone was extremely pleasant. We had to wait about an hour but I don't think the wait would have been any more in an emergency room in the US. A few years ago I was visiting and had some sort of virus or the flu. After a few days of a high fever I went to the doctor, got right on it. Of course it was just a virus so not much they could do but there weren't a zillion people in the waiting room and everyone was very nice.
My grandmother in the UK has private insurance. She NEVER ever uses it. Why she pays for it I don't know but she uses the NHS. My dad and uncle have tried to talk her into just dropping it because she honestly never uses it. I guess it gives her some security, I don't know. Now she is 80 something year old and hasn't had anything major happen to her. My grandfather on the other hand had emphezema but he was in spain for the end of his life so I'm not sure if he used the NHS (they do have NHS doctors in Spain) or the private, I'll have to check.
I don't know why they don't look more into the UK and France system. Because they work. You do sacrifice some convenience I would imagine but France has a higher cancer survival rate with some cancers: Cancer Survival Rates Vary by Country (the US also has a higher cancer survival rate with some cancers too). It also specifically says that Canada and the UK have a high survival rate contrary to popular belief.
Nothing is perfect and I don't know what the answer is. I just know that something needs to change.
I'm not sure what they showed on PBS, but I'll tell you this there are millions in the US who love the system here. It's not a 100% perfect, but takes care of you. I had an MRI scan in less than a week after I saw my doctor and have to wait a month to see a specialist at a private hospital that the NHS is paying for...not sure how long I'll have to wait for an operation if we go that route, but at this rate I don't think long, besides it's not life threatening. Oh and medication? How can you say no to $13 for 2 months supply of medication?
With so many people being laid off it would be welcomed. Last week I went to pick up my glasses from Optitians mine came to £280...distance glasses were Giorgio Armani , reading were chepos, but I saw an unemployed gal get her glasses free.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 02-23-2009 at 08:37 PM..
Reason: orphaned material removed
As many of you know we Americans are having a big debate over whether to adopt Universal Health Care for our people. Our debate centers around Canada's system, but we rarely hear about health care in the UK. So I must ask...
1. What is your opinion of Universal Health Care (Good? Bad?) and the NHS?
It depends where you live, if your in a poor area you can expect waiting times.
Though we have never experienced any negatives and are thankful that we have "free" care and do not have to pay for medical insurance. Furthermore, the care is just as good the health professionals have all undergone extensive training so its just the same really. I'm training to be a nurse.
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the British system?
Well again that depends where you live, some areas have long waiting lists so do not. But again people here take it for granted.
3. What would you say to Americans who are contemplating going toward Universal Health coverage?
My fiance is American and has found nothing negative to say about the NHS since living here for 3 years. What may work here may not work in the U.S though, please keep that in mind.
I look forward to any answers you have
Thanks
Mackinac
I posted my answers in bold. But honestly we were talking about this in university and there is nothing wrong with the NHS, ok its not perfect but everyone is entitled to care.
I always say at least we do it not for profit unlike the US. BAD OUTLOOK!
How does it work for transplants and donors with the NHS? Do patients wait years for a kidney or liver transplant as they do in the states?
That's not really an issue of the healthcare system - more of there not being enough people either willing or able to donate. Even today there are 1000s of people who don't put it on their driver's license that they are willing donors. Sometimes a person's family won't allow it. Sometimes you don't have any family members that are compatible - assuming you have family. The waiting line for donors is immense in both countries and let's face it, in some cases you are literally waiting for some other poor bugger to die so you can live.
In answer to the original question, I think the NHS is fabulous. It's not a perfect system, but then nothing ever is. Whenever I needed emergency care, I' received it the same day. Whenever I needed a general appointment I got it pretty quickly. I've never had to worry about being denied treatment because my HMO didn't think it worth the expense or because my deductible ran out. BUT when I needed an MRI after a riding accident I got it straightaway - and then received a statement of how much it cost the hospital to do that ($3000!). I couldn't get an x-ray one time tho because the HMO wouldn't pay for it and it would've cost me $600 which I didn't have. So every experience is different.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 02-23-2009 at 08:38 PM..
Reason: This thread is NOT about US healthcare
Location: in a nice house my wife is trying to take from me
71 posts, read 209,027 times
Reputation: 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by cobolt
How does it work for transplants and donors with the NHS? Do patients wait years for a kidney or liver transplant as they do in the states?
I was reading on a site that mentioned longer waits for British people waiting for organ transplants had to also compete against other European Union nationals coming to Britian for a transplant. How can that be?
I'm not sure what they showed on PBS, but I'll tell you this there are millions in the US who love the system here. It's not a 100% perfect, but takes care of you. I had an MRI scan in less than a week after I saw my doctor and have to wait a month to see a specialist at a private hospital that the NHS is paying for...not sure how long I'll have to wait for an operation if we go that route, but at this rate I don't think long, besides it's not life threatening. Oh and medication? How can you say no to $13 for 2 months supply of medication?
With so many people being laid off it would be welcomed. Last week I went to pick up my glasses from Optitians mine came to £280...distance glasses were Giorgio Armani , reading were chepos, but I saw an unemployed gal get her glasses free.
My question is, we all know that there is no such thing as FREE UHC, so how much do you pay in taxes to pay for it?
And I pay 24 dollars for a three month supply of my meds and it doesn't matter if that's 30 pills or 90 pills per month.
And the PBS show was comparing UHC plans around the world and if any would work here and it seems that most would be to costly.
You can get an MRI scan here the same day the doctor orders it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
