To hesitate to move back from US to UK because of terrible state of NHS

Some places do have private GPs but it's not that prevalent. But I have an NHS GP and don't struggle to get appointments- it really varies.

Everyone uses A& E, even with private cover, but it makes you part of a bigger system, where you know that everyone will be treated. I think that's worth something.

One of my dc lives in the US.

they hate US healthcare. They have good insurance apparently, but navigating it is a nightmare, they’re never sure whether they’ll end up with a massive bill, and getting further treatment and referral on is a nightmare as even if a dr recommends you have to get insurance approval.

they much prefer the nhs. Much easier, point of care access, no fear of bills, and referral to any appropriate specialist if indicated. A dr says you need it, you get it.

plus the option to pay privately if they want. Blood tests etc are quick and easy, same day, and less ££ than the co pay on their insurance.

the disposable income there compared to here is much the same when you factor in healthcare and other bits. £200/month in NI is nothing compared to paying insurance premiums and 401k in the US. Plus lose your job you don’t lose your healthcare.

You're also forgetting the U.S govt employees are currently without pay, since 1st October.

I went to my GP concerned about a hereditary heart condition in August - 2 months later I have had 2 x ECGs, a 40+ health test including probability testing for various conditions including diabetes, advice on preventative health care, a heart ultrasound and a blood test, all with results within days.
My MiL and FiL have both had operations in the last week and recovered well.
Both my parents have had timely health investigations recently.
DH had back pain and was seen by a GP within 24 hours and had a prescription a day later.

I’m not saying there aren’t issues with the NHS - it does need more funding etc - but I don’t really see it’s on its knees? And the current government - like them or not - have clearly prioritised the NHS because waiting lists are down and they have put a lot more money in.
Honestly the NHS is a reason I would stay in this country, not leave it.

NHS is better than the non free health care in the U.S. Either use the NHS or get decent private care similar to the U.S.

We have private care, absolutely brilliant.

Private GP (and some NHS ones) work weekend. Pharmacies can prescribe antibiotics, pneumonia can be treated before it develops, and there are Minor Injuries and Acute/Urgent Care Centres. Again, cuts should be seen before they become infected.

Yes, a broken bone is likely to require A&E or Minor Injuries. However, if you expect to break enough bones to need to go on a regular basis (I’m almost 50 and have never broken a bone, despite being an adrenaline junkie in my youth) then perhaps there is an underlying health condition that you have which also needs to be seen to separately.

I think if you have a lot of money it is probably better in the US. If you have less money, it is probably better in the UK.

If you are planning to have kids here it might be worth budgeting for private schooling as well as private health care.

I'm a very solid labour voter and have always believed 100% in state medical care and schooling. However, the knock-on effects of the covid years mean that we are now payiing £8k annually for health care and our child has been moved to a £35k school. I really never never thought I would say that.

I think it depends if you want really expensive medical care and live shooter drills in the US, or cheaper slightly shoddier health care in the this country and potentially home schooling or private school here.

As things stand currently in the UK there is no way in a million years I would choose to leave the US to live here.

Well all the interactions I have had with the NHS have been just grand - it may be worth checking specific areas - we can get a doctors appointment same day for urgent and within a week for anything else , I know it’s harder elsewhere

our a and e does struggle at times but the two (!) people I know who have been there this month all have nothing but praise

The horror stories always float to the top of the news / social media.

Like ......school shootings.
Having your country run by a ...what is that exactly ? Peadophile, fraudster..misogynistic... Whatever ..so round of applause for voter iq.
Raging inflation.
Partisan local law enforcement.
Military law in peaceful places.
Loss of women's autonomy over their own bodies.
An obesity crisis

And you are concerned about free healthcare not being quite "up to scratch" ..google uk healthcare v U.S. on virtually a standard and its better.

My mother in California has Kaiser - she pays deductible, co payment and god knows what else to see a primary care physician. She had cataract surgery last year and ended up paying something around £2500 despite being fully insured.

Me: in the UK - had several admissions for gallbladder issues; emergency admission and then on waiting list which ended up being 3 weeks. Key hole surgery done and dusted. Obviously zero cost at the point of delivery.

yes, the NHS has issues, but oh my god I'd rather roll the dice here...

Our private healthcare over here isn’t that brilliant either to be honest. There was a recent clinic in Glasgow that took on procedures for the NHS and majority of the patients ended up needing emergency treatment on the NHS because of failures!

Like many things in life, you hear more about the bad than the good. I'm not going to pretend the NHS is perfect, or that I haven't been frustrated with them on many occasions. But personally, when it's been needed, it's been amazing.

In my area of the UK, I can always see a GP same day, guaranteed. With the A&E, The longest anyone in my family's had to wait was 4 hours, and that was waiting, x-ray, seeing a doctor, interim treatment and coming up with a plan. A few months ago, a parent required an ambulance - it wasn't immediately life threatening, but reasonably urgent, category two to three. Within 3 hours of calling 111 for advice, they'd had a call back from the doctor, ambulance called, arrived taken to hospital, in a bed, tests taken and some interim treatments started.

A child of mine has a serious health condition, and is under about 9 different departments. I have niggles about efficiencies, but from past experience I'm confident that if I need to speak to a doctor about something that cropped up urgently, I could do so immediately, and have done on many locations.

If you years ago tests were conducted so quickly for my mother, that we all assumed she was under the suspected cancer pathway. Nope, they turnaround time was just very quick. Equally my sister sent a message to the GP to get on a waiting list for a test last week, expecting it to be months. She's got a date for a few days time.

When you look at the statistics, most people think that everyone's waiting for 12 hours plus an A&E, but 75% are treated, admitted or discharged within 4 hours, and only 7% 12 hours plus. That's 7% too many, but it's not some epic trip for most people. But because we only hear about bad and not the good, people don't realise this.

There are big regional differences in care. In SE England you will be fine. Elsewhere not so much.

Makes me laugh when I hear all this nonsense from the US about the NHS. I worked in the states for a number of years ( in several large hospitals , where incidentally, I learned to treat gunshot wounds ) and I knew good friends who avoided going to hospital or even calling an ambulance because of the cost. And they were pooh bear scared of losing their job because of the healthcare problem. It controlled their lives.

If you are already paying for private healthcare you will be fine, private healthcare is fine here, it's the nhs that's in crisis. It's very rare that you will need to use A and E if you have private healthcare. A lot of A and E visits are because people struggle to get care from their GPs.

Budget for private health insurance or get a job with it, there’s some stuff it won’t cover and there are no private a and e (but how often are you expecting to be going) it’s something I wouldn’t want to be without, I’m staying with my current company for the health insurance

A&E can be a nightmare. Or it can be OK. Someone I know was bitten by a dog recently. I took them to “urgent care” a they were given antibiotics (for free) and a tetanus vaccination. I was in the carpark for less than 20 mins, so I didn’t even have to pay for parking . People don’t tell you the good bits. I don’t have difficulty getting a GP appointment. I have been told there are no ambulances available when I’ve phoned 999, and been told to take the patient to the nearest A&E.

There are lots of reasons someone might not want to live in the UK, rather than the US, but I’m not convinced it’s healthcare. I’ve heard horror stories from relatives in the US. But of course, they don’t mention the good stories so much!

My mum had a stroke last year, an ambulance arrived within 30 minutes, she was taken to a regional centre of excellent where a team of Drs, nurses and consultants worked on her, she had scans etc, she was then moved to another hospital for 6 weeks were a team of Drs, nurses, physios etc tried to get her healing.

I have had 2 biopsy’s in the last 12 months, having had symptoms of cancer. I was seen assessed, operated on a diagnosed within 12 weeks.

My sister has had knee surgery, within 6 weeks of being seen by a consultant.

My diabetic friend gets regular insulin, without having to worry about paying for it.

The NHS is not perfect, but we don’t leave people to die with easily managed conditions like Diabetes. Health Services in the US are fine if you have money.

How often do you really need A&E which actually isn’t that slow most of the time when you really need it - those who wait usually aren’t triaged correctly or else really aren’t in a life or death critical situation.

You’ve got to be paying for private healthcare at the moment so just continue to do so here. At least the likelihood of being shot on your way to the hospital is far lower in the UK!

Its a false equivalence

Youre comparing private healthcare for those who can afford it with a public free at point of use for all system

Go and compare the NHS with the healthcare experience of poorer, less privileged americans than your parents then come and tell us if you still think its a barrier

I think you’d have to pay anyway. You wouldn’t be entitled to nhs care and neither would your parents, I think for two years. So do look into that.

I do agree with this- the uk is in terminal decline and few people accept it. As a result they scream for better better better because they deserve it without ever questioning who will pay for it

If you have a postgrad in a STEM subject then I would think you're highly skilled and the sort of companies you'd work for would almost certainly have private health care included their package. Unless you're planning to be self employed, in which case you can still pay for private health care directly yourself.

So you'd be fine. The only time you'd need the NHS is if you have to visit A&E or you get pregnant. Even the latter you can still pay for private maternity care here, it just isn't covered by health insurance, because its not an illness. Don't even get me started on that one.

How healthy are you? Do you often need urgent care?