I Feel your pain CWT. Keenly.

Pen, have you ever lived in the US and had to go through the health system here?

I would like to hear more about the NHS, if you have anything to tell.

johnson:

Pen, have you ever lived in the US and had to go through the health system here?

I would like to hear more about the NHS, if you have anything to tell.

I haven't even visited the US let alone lived there. I would love to come over and visit my relations who live in several different States there. I think I would hate to live there though and probably the US would hate to have me because I would be considered a terrible lefty. We see masses of American TV here, and so we get the picture to some extent. Funnily enough, I think it is The Simpsons and Family Guy which give us the truest picture.

We do see horrendous instances in your hospitals where road accident victims or vagrants who are at death's door, being asked if they have medical insurance cover before they are given any treatment.

This doesn't occur here.....yet. If someone is taken to Accident and Emergency needing treatment, it doesn't matter whether they are a Duke or a homeless vagrant....they are just treated automatically, the medical staff have no decision to make, as there is no question of treatment being refused.

Of course, this means the system is open to abuse, and it is abused. Never-the-less it has worked for many years and is only in decline now through mis-management. There is a vast disparity in salaries of specialists, doctors, surgeons compared to ordinary nurses and hospital orderlies. Still, my niece is a nurse and is now at the top of the ladder in her profession and receives an excellent salary. She has only ever worked for the NHS. We are a family of Socialists but in the US there doesn't seem to be seen a difference between Socialism and Communism and there is a great deal of difference.

There are horror stories about the NHS, ie long waiting lists for vital surgical operations (people with private health care cover, queue jumping??) and when Tony Blaire was Prime Minister he vowed to cut waiting times to less than three months for any op., but that, it is alleged, was banjaxed. I can only speak from my own experiences and they have all been good. Our GP's surgery here in the village consists of a group of four doctors and usually one or two locums. We can telephone for an appointment before 9.00 am in the morning, to be seen the same day if the case is urgent. The doctor will prescribe medication and there is a prescription charge of something like, £6.00 per item, unless you are registered unemployed, disabled or elderly (a pensioner) then it is free.

If the cost of the medication would be less than £6.00 to buy over the counter, the doctor will just tell you what to buy and what dosage to take.

As I have said, there is abuse of the system. I sometimes think that a lot of fertility treatment for couples who are having difficulty in conceiving a baby is costing the health service dear. I mean, I don't know that it should be a person's right to have a child.....maybe that should be paid for? Also, there are people in hospital having sex-change operations, costing thousands......seems wrong when there are children born with congenital abnormalities which need lifelong treatment. But, since I haven't ever met a person who wanted a sex-change, I shouldn't judge.

When I was 12 years old, I passed the exam called the 11+ and so was able to go to Grammar School - where kids were given a more academic education. Ordinary Secondary Schools were for training kids to be plumbers and electricians, cooks and housekeepers. Then they brought in the comprehensive system of education and the Grammar Schools were abolished.

Well, I passed for Grammar School but didn't want to go. My mother finally discovered that it was because I would have to wear a felt hat which emphasised my sticking out ears. Our doctor, who was like a family friend, referred me to a plastic surgeon and I was taken into hospital in the city of Manchester and my ears were pinned back. Cosmetic surgery, I suppose. Anyway.....when I saw some of the burns cases in there in the childrens' ward being given plastic surgery...I was thoroughly ashamed of myself for my vanity. Even though I was only 12 years old. But, remember, all this treatment I am mentioning is free. Free, in that we all pay an amount in National Insurance from our wages.

When I was growing up, I suffered from epilepsy. I lived in a one-parent family, with just my Mum. But my epilepsy was treated with drugs until I reached adulthood - the fits began quite mildly in infancy and then became worse as I reached my teens, then disappeared completely as I reached maturity. My condition was continually monitored and my medication altered accordingly until no longer needed. This, however, is what I meant when I said I didn't think I would be alive today without the NHS.

What a long post......sorry.....it is difficult to put some things into few words.

thank you for this.

If you get the impression that the media over here is garbage noise, you are right.

The best sources of news here are satirical comedy shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and Colbert Report.

Do you see these guys over there at all? They are doing good things here. Regular cable news is pathetic. IF you want to be really informed you have to seek the info out yourself. Democracy suffers under an ill-informed public. Americans feel isolated, like the rest of the world doesn't matter, and that is probably the source of all our misdeeds.

We ARE undereducated as a country. Superstition and fear are the order of the day, sadly. But some of us try to turn this giant-ass boat around with some common sense.

johnson - don't put the US down too much.

We are all influenced by our media....to a greater or lesser degree.

All of Europe has a similar National Health Care system as the UK but America stands against it......propaganda rules...

I haven't seen the TV programmes you mention but I do often think....'Fox News...Boooh...hoo.....'

We were talking over lunch (just), OH and I. Did you never see the Michael Moorcock film 'Sicko'? Did you think it was all a lie? Spread by some Commie bastard? Well, it isn't. It's true.

We watched it in this house and were very impressed with ourselves.

There is a lot we grumble about on this grey little, overcrowded island, but if you get ill, you get fixed, no messing. Honest.

PS - Watergate would never have happened here.

Everything would have been kept undercover........for the duration....

and I bet we will be a long time before we get a black Prime Minister....

There are some fine things about the US......

Don't despair!! It is different for a large continent than for a small island.

haha,

i believe it is just Michael moore. Leave out the cock. It sounds... suggestive.

Sicko exposed me to details about health systems that i was not familiar with. The media i was talking about was mostly Faux news and other cable "news" channels.

Penelope, your posts are so helpful. I appreciate you helping us understand the pros and cons of the UK system.

johnson said:

i believe it is just Michael moore. Leave out the cock. It sounds... suggestive.

Freudian slip???

Chris said:

Penelope, your posts are so helpful. I appreciate you helping us understand the pros and cons of the UK system.

Just so long as I'm not boring you all. Those to whom it would not be profitable to set up an NHS can warp the facts. To be honest, we didn't realise how great the system was until we saw 'Sicko'.

I do remember my Mum's great admiration for those Labour politicians who set up the NHS though. That would be in the days when people admired and trusted their MPs. I often remember how she used to say, 'Mr Bevan' with such great reverence in her voice. Recently I read a biography of 'Mr Bevan' written by Michael Foot. Both of these were Labour politicians of the 1940-50's. It is a book by a man who can write well, about a man who was worth writing about.

no doubt, America needs to take the profit motivation out of caring for the sick.

I go back to the example of the Fire fighters who would extort you for all you own in order to save your property.

That is EXACTLY what happens with health care in america.

It does sound like dog-eat-dog. However, I do maintain that people are the same the world over - given the oportunity. To do good or ill.

I don't know whether this might interest you:-

http://www.labour.org.uk/history_of_the_labour_party

When I attended college recently to do a course called - Advanced Literacy - we did American Studies. It is felt that by looking at our History, and by looking at the History of other countries - we could come to better understand what happens in our own country and times.

A bit like the TV Series 'Mash' which was ostensibly about the Korean War but really, was talking about the issues raised by the War in Vietnam.

It is difficult to see what is happening to a Country whilst you are living in the times - much easier to make sense of it with hindsight.

I would be surprised if all firemen were as mercenary as the ones you describe. We certainly have doctors (and dentists) who choose to stay working within the NHS, even though they could earn much more working in the private sector. Of course, most do both and work for the NHS but also act as consultants to private practices. Ho Hum.....