Quote:
Originally Posted by EnglishDave
Hi Neuroproblem,
I do not wish to seem to disagree on the Forums, but I must ask where you get your information from? You state that "the NHS has horrible service". We have JUST had a General Election here where the Care/Protection of the NHS was a major Policy. Millions of us voted for those we think will best protect this great Institution. Would we bother to fight, would our Politicians campaign, if it was "Horrible"?
Your Quote:
even if you have insurance here in the states, the type of medical facility you can go to is determined by the policy of your insurance.
Quote.
What a terrible way to live, I have seen this portrayed on tv - No Insurance/Wrong Insurance, ship them out asap.
Here, I can go to ANY NHS Hospital in the Country for emergency and continuous care, then be transferred to an Hospital near my home if condition and space allow. If I, or my GP, chooses I can be referred to ANY Consultant or Clinic from Land's End to John O'Groat's. If I am away on holiday (I wish) and have a non-emergency illness, I can access a local GP.
There is also the non-emergency NHS111 phone number, where you can access a Nurse Practitioner on callback within a few hours. They can give advice, diagnose, accelerate the call to a Doctor, alert a Paramedic/Ambulance (also free on the NHS). This is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Many Private Hospitals/Clinics now bid to perform NHS treatments. I have this with my Lidocaine Infusions, a local Private Hospital carries out the procedure under the NHS, freeing up money, space and personnel for other things. Would the Private Sector bother trying to outbid Inhouse Clinics if the NHS was bad?
Further, because of the NHS, and reciprocal agreements, if I am travelling in the European Union and become ill or have an accident I can use local Healthcare as I use the NHS.
You say that those on Welfare are entitled to free care (at selected Hospitals and Clinics), well that means Tax dollars are already being spent on Healthcare. From the figures I have seen on the Forums of Member's Insurance Premiums and Prescription Costs, I can guarantee the NHS costs less per head than your system. And Service/Treatments are on a par - if not better, my Local Politician doesn't tell me what I can take for my severely painful conditions. The two BEST Oncology Centres in the Country, Liverpool and Castle Hill, are NHS. I was lucky enough to have my ongoing treatment and checkups at Castle Hill.
You say you access Welfare Healthcare, so you have to wait? Here, you would be treated equally if you were a millionaire using the NHS. It is not about status or money, it is about need and being human.
From Psychiatry to Podiatry the NHS looks after all equally. Sure, there are failures (but Neuros are all over the World), and there is waste. There are treatments I would not provide and charges I would levy. There is a drive for fewer Managers and more Consultants/Doctors in charge of everything - I would increase this and accelerate the process. I do not think an 18 week wait for a Consultant appt is excessive. Of course, Cancers and the like are MUCH quicker, and emergencies are near instantaneous.
What would YOU expect from the NHS?
Dave
|
Yes thats how insurance in the states are managed, and these is one of the main problem with our system. before i turned 26, i was under my family insurance plan with an HMO(health management organization, with a group called Kaiser), Basically they only allow you to see doctors that are from kaiser, hospitals,medicines are only from kaiser and not out of network doctors, let say from another insurance group.
Then there are some insurance in our country, depending on what region you are in. The insurance may or may not cover some procedures,medication, treatment, hospital visits, or they only cover part of it. It depends how much preniums you are paying.
Some services i heard were very poor the: the insurance drops your network doctors, or other services and they never tell you.
Without insurance, unless you are under a government plan or homeless, you are stuck with whatever bill the hospital charges you with.
a few years ago i read a magazine, TIME, on the cost of using private hosptial equipment, Using a few gauzes, or having an interpreting read you a result will cost you several hundred dollars alone.
Furthermore, most people wont seek medical care, because its too expensive or it makes them look weak, when they do get sick they end up paying alot because thier disease or symptom have become chronic or an emergency. The wait time for government based healthplan is considerabally long. I havnt looked at MEDICARE system, but i thought it was an insurance based format.
Insurance here in the states like thier system: have alot of healthy young people who are not chronically ill, or go to the doctors frequently, while paying thier preniums/deductibles monthly or yearly. This way they have a profit and be able to cover the cost of people who have chronic diseases:cancer, HIV,autoimmune diseases, diabetes, obesity.
Most of our tax money goes to the government, and a large part goes to "defense" as in the military and country security. Taxs dollars practically pays for the healthcare (100%) of the military and you know how big our military is, about more than 1million people are in there, and 10s of thousands ready to join each year.
The cost is the biggest issue for healthcare in the USA. You would think better technologies and techniques would lower a cost, but is exploited for profit instead. Private hospitals can charge alot more than public ones.