ChaoticMusings

Magica · Go Outside

RE: The NHS.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
Don't be silly.

But to further give credit to the NHS, I just got a phone call from the clinic, asking if I am doing well and booking me in for a post op examination checkup...which would have been a month from the op, as I am away they have arranged it for 6 weeks after.
I'm glad you are getting a checkup. Some hospitals don't bother.

I know, they should after any op or surgery, but they dont.

A couple of years ago, I had a complete hip replacement. I had one night in hospital, then a few days later I had to travel 2 towns away to see a nurse to remove 30 odd stitches....then nothing.

I paid for private physio, then weeks later, still in pain, I phoned up the hospital because I still hadn't heard from them.

I eventially saw a Dr who apologised profusely, said my case had "slipped through the net" and I should have had physio, Xrays and after care after the op.

Magica · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
Don't be silly.

But to further give credit to the NHS, I just got a phone call from the clinic, asking if I am doing well and booking me in for a post op examination checkup...which would have been a month from the op, as I am away they have arranged it for 6 weeks after.
I'm glad you are getting a checkup. Some hospitals don't bother.
I know, they should after any op or surgery, but they dont.
A couple of years ago, I had a complete hip replacement. I had one night in hospital, then a few days later I had to travel 2 towns away to see a nurse to remove 30 odd stitches....then nothing.
I paid for private physio, then weeks later, still in pain, I phoned up the hospital because I still hadn't heard from them.
I eventially saw a Dr who apologised profusely, said my case had "slipped through the net" and I should have had physio, Xrays and after care after the op.

Same happened to me after my spine operation. No follow up or physio. My GP got in touch with hospital and they phoned me. What happened to seeing the surgeon for a check up to make sure spine is ok, stitches good and a scan to ensure all went well. Nothing anymore, just a phone call. 🤷

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

I am in awe that you actually have a GP that helps. Most of my complaints, and everyone I know, is they cany get to see their GP.

I have had all my stuff done without ever seeing a GP.

We have a standing joke here, that the only time we see our GP is on TV. (something happened in his personal life and he campaigns for justice)

Magica · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
I am in awe that you actually have a GP that helps. Most of my complaints, and everyone I know, is they cany get to see their GP.

I have had all my stuff done without ever seeing a GP.

We have a standing joke here, that the only time we see our GP is on TV. (something happened in his personal life and he campaigns for justice)

I'm very lucky Syl, I know it.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
I am in awe that you actually have a GP that helps. Most of my complaints, and everyone I know, is they cany get to see their GP.

I have had all my stuff done without ever seeing a GP.

We have a standing joke here, that the only time we see our GP is on TV. (something happened in his personal life and he campaigns for justice)
I'm very lucky Syl, I know it.

You get what you are entitled to.

There is no doubt that some areas are more fortunate with their NHS services than others.

Magica · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
Syl wrote:
I am in awe that you actually have a GP that helps. Most of my complaints, and everyone I know, is they cany get to see their GP.

I have had all my stuff done without ever seeing a GP.

We have a standing joke here, that the only time we see our GP is on TV. (something happened in his personal life and he campaigns for justice)
I'm very lucky Syl, I know it.
You get what you are entitled to.
There is no doubt that some areas are more fortunate with their NHS services than others.

Shouldn't be so Syl, the whole country should be entitled to descent doctors, and NHS.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Don't be silly.

But to further give credit to the NHS, I just got a phone call from the clinic, asking if I am doing well and booking me in for a post op examination checkup...which would have been a month from the op, as I am away they have arranged it for 6 weeks after.

I thought the clinic was private, not a NHS hospital?

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Don't be silly.

But to further give credit to the NHS, I just got a phone call from the clinic, asking if I am doing well and booking me in for a post op examination checkup...which would have been a month from the op, as I am away they have arranged it for 6 weeks after.
I thought the clinic was private, not a NHS hospital?

The clinic is private, they obviously also take NHS patients, which is how I came to be treated there.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Don't be silly.

But to further give credit to the NHS, I just got a phone call from the clinic, asking if I am doing well and booking me in for a post op examination checkup...which would have been a month from the op, as I am away they have arranged it for 6 weeks after.
I thought the clinic was private, not a NHS hospital?

The clinic is private, they obviously also take NHS patients, which is how I came to be treated there.

Yes, so the NHS provided the money for your care, not your care.

If you broke your toe tripping over Micky Mouse at Disneyland, the NHS would pay for your care in a private California hospital.

They wouldn't actually provide you care..

That's really more or less the way most of Europe provides Healthcare.

It's private care paid for by forced contributions to an insurance scheme.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog, as a NHS patient, the NHS provides the money for our care whether we are treated by the NHS, or treated in a private hospital or clinic....as I was.

If I broke my toe in California, private insurance would pay for my care whilst abroad, that's why we have travel insurance.

Once back home, the NHS would take over the care if needed.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog, as a NHS patient, the NHS provides the money for our care whether we are treated by the NHS, or treated in a private hospital or clinic....as I was.

If I broke my toe in California, private insurance would pay for my care whilst abroad, that's why we have travel insurance.
Once back home, the NHS would take over the care if needed.

I know the NHS provides the money for your care when treated by a private hospital.

That's been my point from the beginning. Care is better when it's private regardless of who pays for it.

When I get treated, United Healthcare pays for most of it. But I don't say United Healthcare gives me great healthcare. They are my insurance company. It's the private doctors that do.

You just experienced how good private care is vs government provided care. You got what most of the rest of the world gets..

I thought the NHS paid for your care everywhere though.

Or was that only an EU thing?🤷

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

No one is arguing that private health care is often better...as in quicker, more options, and possibly better after care.
It's also a lot more expensive, and even though you think the US system is better, millions won't, especially if they can't afford it but are not low paid enough to warrant state aid.

We have some of the best hospitals in the world, Christies for eg, they offer the best care for cancer sufferers on the NHS, and good care for every illness and disease is available in thousands of hospitals here, all NHS funded....no charge, even for citizens who have paid in bugger all....and that imo should change.

Rules for travelling abroad have changed since Brexit, and I should know all the details, but I dont.

We always have travel insurance which I have only ever used once for grandson. If the NHS funded the cost, the travel insurance company dealt with them...and they refunded me.
I think it depends on where you are in the world, what treatment was needed, sometimes all costs will be paid, sometimes it wont.....could be wrong, it's complicated.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

This conversation though has reminded me to renew my UK European Health insurance card for travelling abroad...now called the UK Global Health Insurance Card.

It does say ...

"A UK EHIC or UK GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It may not cover all health costs and never covers repatriation costs. You should make sure that you have travel insurance as well as a UK EHIC or UK GHIC."

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
No one is arguing that private health care is often better...as in quicker, more options, and possibly better after care.
It's also a lot more expensive, and even though you think the US system is better, millions won't, especially if they can't afford it but are not low paid enough to warrant state aid.

We have some of the best hospitals in the world, Christies for eg, they offer the best care for cancer sufferers on the NHS, and good care for every illness and disease is available in thousands of hospitals here, all NHS funded....no charge, even for citizens who have paid in bugger all....and that imo should change.

Rules for travelling abroad have changed since Brexit, and I should know all the details, but I dont.

We always have travel insurance which I have only ever used once for grandson. If the NHS funded the cost, the travel insurance company dealt with them...and they refunded me.
I think it depends on where you are in the world, what treatment was needed, sometimes all costs will be paid, sometimes it wont.....could be wrong, it's complicated.

Every country in Europe, besides you, has private healthcare basically just like you received, for everyone.

This isn't about the US vs UK.

Could be the UK vs Sweden, Switzerland or Germany.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
No one is arguing that private health care is often better...as in quicker, more options, and possibly better after care.
It's also a lot more expensive, and even though you think the US system is better, millions won't, especially if they can't afford it but are not low paid enough to warrant state aid.

We have some of the best hospitals in the world, Christies for eg, they offer the best care for cancer sufferers on the NHS, and good care for every illness and disease is available in thousands of hospitals here, all NHS funded....no charge, even for citizens who have paid in bugger all....and that imo should change.

Rules for travelling abroad have changed since Brexit, and I should know all the details, but I dont.

We always have travel insurance which I have only ever used once for grandson. If the NHS funded the cost, the travel insurance company dealt with them...and they refunded me.
I think it depends on where you are in the world, what treatment was needed, sometimes all costs will be paid, sometimes it wont.....could be wrong, it's complicated.
Every country in Europe, besides you, has private healthcare basically just like you received, for everyone.

This isn't about the US vs UK.

Could be the UK vs Sweden, Switzerland or Germany.

Well, it is actually more about the US and the UK...because that's where we both come from.

I get the distinct impression you think our NHS services are useless...and being a UK citizen for decades, and using the service, I can tell you, in millions of cases it's brilliant.

Yes we moan, and all the bad stuff gets talked about, but like news anywhere in the world, the good stories dont make for good reading, the bad stories get priority.

Take this thread for instance....it was made as a positive thread, it soon turned into a less one.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
No one is arguing that private health care is often better...as in quicker, more options, and possibly better after care.
It's also a lot more expensive, and even though you think the US system is better, millions won't, especially if they can't afford it but are not low paid enough to warrant state aid.

We have some of the best hospitals in the world, Christies for eg, they offer the best care for cancer sufferers on the NHS, and good care for every illness and disease is available in thousands of hospitals here, all NHS funded....no charge, even for citizens who have paid in bugger all....and that imo should change.

Rules for travelling abroad have changed since Brexit, and I should know all the details, but I dont.

We always have travel insurance which I have only ever used once for grandson. If the NHS funded the cost, the travel insurance company dealt with them...and they refunded me.
I think it depends on where you are in the world, what treatment was needed, sometimes all costs will be paid, sometimes it wont.....could be wrong, it's complicated.
Every country in Europe, besides you, has private healthcare basically just like you received, for everyone.

This isn't about the US vs UK.

Could be the UK vs Sweden, Switzerland or Germany.
Well, it is actually more about the US and the UK...because that's where we both come from.
I get the distinct impression you think our NHS services are useless...and being a UK citizen for decades, and using the service, I can tell you, in millions of cases it's brilliant.

Yes we moan, and all the bad stuff gets talked about, but like news anywhere in the world, the good stories dont make for good reading, the bad stories get priority.
Take this thread for instance....it was made as a positive thread, it soon turned into a less one.

I don't think the NHS is useless.

I think private care provides better care than government care, regardless of the funding mechanism for that private care.

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Which is why, for people who can afford private care, they may use it if it's deemed too important to wait in a queue.
For the millions of people who prefer to use the NHS, that is a brilliant system too.

No one here has to get into debt to pay for medical care...it's there for us when needed.

And I think we are going round in circles now.

Maddog · Go Outside

Syl wrote:
Which is why, for people who can afford private care, they may use it if it's deemed too important to wait in a queue.
For the millions of people who prefer to use the NHS, that is a brilliant system too.

No one here has to get into debt to pay for medical care...it's there for us when needed.

And I think we are going round in circles now.

You can fund private care through a national insurance program. That's how much of our care and all care in Europe is funded.

You're conflating service with funding..

Your recent service was provided by a private company and funded with public dollars/forced participation in a government mandated insurance plan. That's the arrangement most of the world uses, for a good reason.

It works better than having medical care provided by government workers..

Syl · FIRM BUT FAIR.

Maddog wrote:
Syl wrote:
Which is why, for people who can afford private care, they may use it if it's deemed too important to wait in a queue.
For the millions of people who prefer to use the NHS, that is a brilliant system too.

No one here has to get into debt to pay for medical care...it's there for us when needed.

And I think we are going round in circles now.

You can fund private care through a national insurance program. That's how much of our care and all care in Europe is funded.

You're conflating service with funding..

Your recent service was provided by a private company and funded with public dollars/forced participation in a government mandated insurance plan. That's the arrangement most of the world uses, for a good reason.

It works better than having medical care provided by government workers..

The NHS in England is not one single organisation. It is made up of hundreds of different organisations of differing sizes, at central, national, regional, and local levels with different roles and responsibilities.

The NHS is said to be the largest employer in Europe. Staff can be directly employed by the NHS, employed by a service provider, self-employed, or provide services under a contract with another, non-NHS organisation.