[exgaffer]

A while ago, I rang for an appointment with my doctor in the morning. I saw him at 11.45 and told him about the chest discomfort I was experiencing. He rang my local radio clinic and made an appointment for 2.30. He also sent me for a blood test (2 pm). I had the blood test and went for my X-ray. Before I could finish getting dressed afterwards, the radiologist/doctor was waiting outside my cubicle door with the news that there was no problem with my lungs. Blood test results were online next day.

If you know of a better service than that, please tell me.

Turns out I had developed an allergy to dust.

That is good service Cunning, but just because you had such a good experience doesn’t mean that all users are as satisfied.

I had a similar experience to that in the US but that wouldn’t prove that the US system is the best would it?

Suffice it to say, the NHS is a very long way from such lofty standards and the problems will not be solved by chucking money at it. A root and branch reform is called for.

We spend far less per capita on health than other countries such as France and Germany. The old clichés about too many managers in the NHS isn't true either. Of course, systems can always be improved but the NHS is more efficient than most; the problem is we don't invest enough in our health and care system.

Well we can debate that and some changes have been made for the better but I still don’t think it’s anywhere near as efficient as it should be.

I agree that we don’t invest enough in health but that is due to the ‘it must be free’ mantra that everyone gets hooked up on. The French and German systems use health insurance and we should move to that too. People are more than happy to insure their house, their car, their pets etc. but seem strangely reluctant to insure their own health. Funding the system from general taxation is not the way to do it because people are not personally invested in it and it is open to abuse.

Insurance leads to more funding in the system, better efficiency, better outcomes.

[Tufnell_Chimes]

Insurance leads to more funding in the system, better efficiency, better outcomes.

Bollocks it does. Look at pet insurance - if you've no insurance, its the needle and a long lie down, but if you are insured the vet will recommend the most expensive, gold-plated treatment plan. With the subsequent rises in future premiums. In America, medical bills are responsible for over half of all personal bankruptcies and that includes those who had insurance, until it was capped or refused or the premiums raised to a level that was just not sustainable.

As soon as you rely on the insurance industry you put a profit motive into healthcare, and then its no longer about healthcare - its about those two worse words in the world 'shareholder value'.

[brian bromley]

I know from the experience of a close friend who lived in France and the insurance systen worked well his was a terminal case but the service was incredible. I even had a chat with the district nurse whike she was visiting him. 

Both he and his wife spoke highly of the whole thing.

As I recall the Germans pay much more in income tax to fund thier system, it's twp tiered, basic krankensine (sp?) and privatr at extra cost.
It's light years ahead of the NHS.


You get what you pay for IMHO

[Tufnell_Chimes]

Trouble is, the tories aren't discussing an insurance-based NHS with Germany or France - they're discussing it with the American healthcare/insurance industry.

[Bluestow]

A while ago, I rang for an appointment with my doctor in the morning. I saw him at 11.45 and told him about the chest discomfort I was experiencing. He rang my local radio clinic and made an appointment for 2.30. He also sent me for a blood test (2 pm). I had the blood test and went for my X-ray. Before I could finish getting dressed afterwards, the radiologist/doctor was waiting outside my cubicle door with the news that there was no problem with my lungs. Blood test results were online next day.

If you know of a better service than that, please tell me.

Turns out I had developed an allergy to dust.

That is good service Cunning, but just because you had such a good experience doesn’t mean that all users are as satisfied.

I had a similar experience to that in the US but that wouldn’t prove that the US system is the best would it?

Suffice it to say, the NHS is a very long way from such lofty standards and the problems will not be solved by chucking money at it. A root and branch reform is called for.

We spend far less per capita on health than other countries such as France and Germany. The old clichés about too many managers in the NHS isn't true either. Of course, systems can always be improved but the NHS is more efficient than most; the problem is we don't invest enough in our health and care system.

Well we can debate that and some changes have been made for the better but I still don’t think it’s anywhere near as efficient as it should be.

I agree that we don’t invest enough in health but that is due to the ‘it must be free’ mantra that everyone gets hooked up on. The French and German systems use health insurance and we should move to that too. People are more than happy to insure their house, their car, their pets etc. but seem strangely reluctant to insure their own health. Funding the system from general taxation is not the way to do it because people are not personally invested in it and it is open to abuse.

Insurance leads to more funding in the system, better efficiency, better outcomes.

Houses, cars and pets are nothing like health. They are possessions and a matter of choice, people generally do not have a choice over whether they get ill or not.

[exgaffer]

A while ago, I rang for an appointment with my doctor in the morning. I saw him at 11.45 and told him about the chest discomfort I was experiencing. He rang my local radio clinic and made an appointment for 2.30. He also sent me for a blood test (2 pm). I had the blood test and went for my X-ray. Before I could finish getting dressed afterwards, the radiologist/doctor was waiting outside my cubicle door with the news that there was no problem with my lungs. Blood test results were online next day.

If you know of a better service than that, please tell me.

Turns out I had developed an allergy to dust.

That is good service Cunning, but just because you had such a good experience doesn’t mean that all users are as satisfied.

I had a similar experience to that in the US but that wouldn’t prove that the US system is the best would it?

Suffice it to say, the NHS is a very long way from such lofty standards and the problems will not be solved by chucking money at it. A root and branch reform is called for.

We spend far less per capita on health than other countries such as France and Germany. The old clichés about too many managers in the NHS isn't true either. Of course, systems can always be improved but the NHS is more efficient than most; the problem is we don't invest enough in our health and care system.

Well we can debate that and some changes have been made for the better but I still don’t think it’s anywhere near as efficient as it should be.

I agree that we don’t invest enough in health but that is due to the ‘it must be free’ mantra that everyone gets hooked up on. The French and German systems use health insurance and we should move to that too. People are more than happy to insure their house, their car, their pets etc. but seem strangely reluctant to insure their own health. Funding the system from general taxation is not the way to do it because people are not personally invested in it and it is open to abuse.

Insurance leads to more funding in the system, better efficiency, better outcomes.

Houses, cars and pets are nothing like health. They are possessions and a matter of choice, people generally do not have a choice over whether they get ill or not.

You don’t take out house or car insurance for eventualities you have a choice in do you? You take out insurance in case something happens, it should be the same with health. The German and French systems cater for people who are on their uppers don’t they?

The trouble is, people take ‘free’ things for granted and have no concept of the cost of things.

[brian bromley]

To add a little fuel to the fire, some years back, I was having a series of ops and got to know the consultent fairly well. We discussed the point of efficiency and he stated without any prompting "if the NHS was a private company, it would have been liquidated years ago".

from the horses mouth so to speak.

[exgaffer]

To add a little fuel to the fire, some years back, I was having a series of ops and got to know the consultent fairly well. We discussed the point of efficiency and he stated without any prompting "if the NHS was a private company, it would have been liquidated years ago".

from the horses mouth so to speak.

Dead right BB.

The NHS is very cavalier with taxpayers money too, taking the attitude that it is their job to treat patients, not take money into account. People get treated free by the NHS when they are not entitled to it.

Australia has a reciprocal arrangement for treatment with the UK but Aussies can get free treatment here far easier than UK citizens can get free care there. The Aussies give you a bill, you have to go to the social security office over there, get grilled on your eligibility, then get a number to take to the hospital cashier. They don’t spunk taxpayer money without asking the relevant questions and obtaining proof of eligibility. Ambulances over there are not free in all states either.

Health care is VERY expensive, a concept that seems to have eluded UK residents.

[essentialmix75]

Jabbed doing well!!

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tonia+buxton+W...WBbqMfiauk

[scouse]

¿Qué?

[Cressers]

The Resistance...

Shall I put on the Mike and the Mechanics song?

[dsmg]

Not sure that Fox News is the right place either

[Bluestow]

Fox Or the BBC....?

Fox hands down.

Some of you lot are, nothing but establishment tools. Funny thing is, you can't even see it!.

https://academyofideas.com/2022/01/why-a...tarianism/

No, you're the funny thing on here.