Honest, unbiased review of British healthcare system

[danwxman]

I've heard it's in horrible shape...but this is what I hear from Republicans who are against any form of socialized healthcare. Can anyone clear this up?

[Tory]

Labour wants to throw money at it, the Tories want to scrap it, and the Lib Dems want to leave it the way it is. No one wants to fix it.

Yes it's in terrible shape.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I have to use the NHS a lot... it isn't in terrible shape at all. Over the past 6 years things have improved a lot from what I've seen myself (and that's a lot). It's got some problems because of some bizarre/deranged policies towards it by the Thatcher and Major governments (the bed problems were caused by an insane decision to get rid of IIRC half of them to "save money"...)

It's not on the point on financial collapse or whatever... U.K health spending as a % of GDP is less than most other western countries and the NHS provides a better service for working class people and people with chronic illness (the two have a tendency to go together) than most countries.

[Tory]

Just because it functions doesn't mean it's in good shape. It could be much better.

[Richard]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/10271940?source=Evening%20Standard

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Lovely.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Just because it functions doesn't mean it's in good shape. It could be much better.

True, but it's not on the point of collapse. A lot of damage got inflicted in the '80's and '90's and it'll take a while to recover.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Labour wants to throw money at it, the Tories want to scrap it, and the Lib Dems want to leave it the way it is. No one wants to fix it.

Yes it's in terrible shape.

*This just in-Brit admits that UK healthcare is a mess-*

tory, this and your thatcher comments have made you the official best british poster

[Bandit3 the Worker]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

[John Dibble]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

Wrong, they spend less on health care.

[John Dibble]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

Wrong, they spend less on health care.

And we make more money than they do.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

Wrong, they spend less on health care.

yeah, they spend less but what percentage of taxes do they use, not to mention all the local taxes they have that differ from area to area

[Sam Spade]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

The best health care costs the most, always.

That would be the US.  All foreign patients who have money come to the US for medical problems; that should tell y'all enough.

And it could be even better if we got rid of all of these government controls.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

Wrong, they spend less on health care.

And we make more money than they do.

And we still spend more as a fraction of GDP:

http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

[The Duke]

The US has the best quality of care, and Switzerland probably has the best overall system, but Japan probably has the best health.

The UK is in bad shape, and since the US provides free care to the poor, they can't even say their system equals ours overall.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I don't know where you get the idea that the U.S. has the best quality of care.

The U.K. system is in far better shape.

[Sam Spade]

The US has the best quality of care, and Switzerland probably has the best overall system, but Japan probably has the best health.

The UK is in bad shape, and since the US provides free care to the poor, they can't even say their system equals ours overall.

Good points all.

[opebo]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

My problem with US health care is there seems to be a terrible undersupply of it.  I only rarely get ill, and even more rarely ill enough to bother with a doctor, but on the few occasions I have, I have found that one gets well before one can get in to see the doctor in the US.  It is astonishing how far ahead most doctors are booked - weeks in advance!

Here in Thailand, if I have any whim to see the doctor I just go right in - maybe a 10-20 minute wait, no appointments, and even if I go to Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok (the fancy 'medical tourism' one staffed with Ivy League educated doctors) it only costs about $20.  The only appointments are for actual major procedures.

Btw, if you want a $1,000 facelift, boob job, or child-birth (with a full 4-5 days in a private room), come on over to Thailand.  Bumrungrad is quite impressive.  Even the most backward rural Thai hospital is quite servicable, though I wouldn't go there for a cosmetic surgery!

[Tory]

The U.K. system is in far better shape.

How would you know?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

*sighs*... the NHS is not, repeat not in a bad shape. I have to use it a lot so trust me on this, alright?

The U.S healthcare system is excellent if you are rich and good if you're well off (like most internet users). It fails the poor (yes I am well aware that people with no insurance can get free healthcare, but I am also well aware that hospitals that do that spend outragous amounts of money on lawyers, debt collecters and so on to track down people with even a bit of money in the bank or dodgy insurance that they didn't mention etc. That's inhuman).
It's not as bad as it's often described over here, but if you think it offers a better service to working class folks than the NHS, you are kidding youreselves.

What the NHS needs is more investment to fix the problems (some of them very serious) caused by 18 years of neglect and outright vandalism (1979-1997). It is not falling apart and should not be compared to healthcare systems in most other European countries.
I understand that a lot of you don't like it because it really is Socialist, but can we keep ideology out of a debate like this?
Can we keep nationalism out of the debate as well please?

[Michael Z]

The U.K. system is in far better shape.

How would you know?

Good point, but equally how can John Ford say that the US provides the best healthcare overall. Both viewpoints are flawed because they provide absolutely no evidence whatsoever as to why somebody should accept them.

The U.K. health service does need fixing, although it bears pointing out that people can choose private health care if they so desire (a fact many people outside the UK seem unaware of), and judging from personal experience that side of things tends to be of a very high standard.

[David S]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

My problem with US health care is there seems to be a terrible undersupply of it.  I only rarely get ill, and even more rarely ill enough to bother with a doctor, but on the few occasions I have, I have found that one gets well before one can get in to see the doctor in the US.  It is astonishing how far ahead most doctors are booked - weeks in advance!

Where do you encounter this problem? I can usually get a doctor appointment within a couple of days, or even the same day if I tell them its urgent. Also there is always the emergency room if the situation is truly dire.

Here in Thailand, if I have any whim to see the doctor I just go right in - maybe a 10-20 minute wait, no appointments, and even if I go to Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok (the fancy 'medical tourism' one staffed with Ivy League educated doctors) it only costs about $20.  The only appointments are for actual major procedures.

Does Thailand have socialized healthcare? How much of the low price is due to the low cost of living there?

[opebo]

You want a health care system that's in terrible shape?

Try the American health care system.

My experience with the U.S. system is all good. It's far more efficient than the socialist ones tend to be. Is it always affordable - no, but the socialist ones seem to keep costing more to maintain, so the money just ends up coming from taxes.

My problem with US health care is there seems to be a terrible undersupply of it.  I only rarely get ill, and even more rarely ill enough to bother with a doctor, but on the few occasions I have, I have found that one gets well before one can get in to see the doctor in the US.  It is astonishing how far ahead most doctors are booked - weeks in advance!

Where do you encounter this problem? I can usually get a doctor appointment within a couple of days, or even the same day if I tell them its urgent. Also there is always the emergency room if the situation is truly dire.

Does Thailand have socialized healthcare? How much of the low price is due to the low cost of living there?

I suppose I may encounter this problem because I'm usually a 'new patient', and don't have a regular doctor.  Going to the emergency room takes hours!  Usually the place is packed with poor people.

Thailand does provide socialized healthcare, I believe, but only for Thai citizens.  The prices I quoted were from the private hospitals, which are patronized by rich and upper middle class thais, as well as foreigners.  I believe they're unsubsidized and their low price reflects the cost of living.

I've heard that at the government hospitals Thai nationals pay some token amount - like $5 for having a baby.  I'm not certain but I believe the ratio of doctors and nurses to patients is somewhat less in these.  However when I visited the friend of mine who had the baby, it looked perfectly fine.  I suppose they would treat a foreigner in an emergency, but otherwise you would be sent to the unsubsidised private hospital.

[AuH2O]

How about this review of British healthcare: have you seen their teeth? No, it's not a stereotype, dental care is pretty terrible+ over there. American dentists never cease to be amazed how bad Britain is in that regard.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

How about this review of British healthcare: have you seen their teeth?

Have you seen the teeth of most people in the good ol' U.S. of A.? I don't know anyone who's 30 and still has all their teeth.