What’s the point in the NHS?

I think the issue is that people in the UK still act like the NHS is a brilliant public health service. The reality is that it is well behind the public health service provided in countries such as Australia. Its only advantage now appears to be compared to the US, as emergency life saving treatment won’t bankrupt you. If you need any less urgent care done well though, you’ll have to pay for it just like in the US.

PS we are in our 40s. My husband has paid a lot of tax in the last few decades and will hopefully be paying it for decades to come.

I’ve given birth on the NHS and my children have been vaccinated on the NHS. Now my husband is receiving cancer treatment on the NHS. He has had CT, MRI and PET scans, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, appointments with consultant oncologists and surgeons. Without the NHS I would be a widow.

Spanish state healthcare is dire, I don't know why people say this (Many years in Spain)

I have!!! DH had a pet scan in May, $124,000.00. Fortunately he didn’t have to pay.

I know the NHS is struggling but fight for it every day of your life! You do NOT want for profit healthcare!!

The NHS is there if you’re about to die, luckily. They’ve saved three of my close family members who were unexpectedly and critically ill. The level of care was second to none.

If you aren’t at deaths door realistically you need to go private now. Even then, so many people go private now that you still have to wait for an appointment. I’ve found a few unscrupulous private consultants too who say they’ll phone to give your results and you think oh okay, not realising they’re going to charge you 150 for five minutes of their time.

People need jobs that offer private medical now and just pray they’re okay when they retire and can’t afford to pay for it themselves.

@younknow wait did they tell you that you need a boot and crutches and they didn’t provide either? Do they not do that now? Or have I got it wrong

friend recently had surgery on her leg and was told not to bother with physio. I think that’s because they don’t provide it. I’ve found physio really important with injury.

I diagnosed a 46 year old woman with 2 small children with breast cancer on Monday. She had a staging CT scan on Wednesday. She was discussed at weekly case meeting on Thursday and treatment plan made. She’ll meet with her surgeon next Tuesday and she’ll have her surgery in another 10 days or so after that.

On the NHS.

That’s the point.

HTH.

What's the point of the NHS ?

Just people I know personally, and sticking to the last couple of years

57 yr old had a stroke. Ambulance. Initial assessment. Transfer to a bigger hospital. Operation on brain. ICU care. Move to high dependency ward care . Moved to general medical care. Moved to a rehab centre for 13 more weeks of care. Came home, after OT had assessed home. Equipment provided. Carers provided. Physio provided. Person is not only alive, but functioning magnificently considering the initial prognosis.

51 yr old diagnosed with a rare cancer. The whole diagnostic process took a while and different scans and tests as was tricky to diagnose. A year apart, had 2 different operations each lasting 10 hours. Recovery in hospital from that. District Nurse in once home. Chemotherapy. Drugs and injections that cost 10s of thousands of ££ a year. Person still doing well and has attended two of their dc's weddings and has become a Grandparent

Expectant Mum - all the pre natal care, then needed transfusions at birth. Went home safely with their baby

Several people who have had all sorts of ongoing treatment for life long conditions such as diabetes, and epilepsy. People who have needed hearing aids. People who have all kinds of conditions connected with aging - including, but definitely not exclusively dementia. People treated for UTIs. Person treated for dementia. Person diagnosed with ADHD and now getting life changing medication.
People getting dental treatment - and also check ups. DC getting eye tests and glasses. People getting speech and language therapy.

Person who broke their leg and was assessed, x- rayed, treated, and referred for physio.

Person who has had a hip replacement (and follow up physio)

I could go on, and on, and on.

The NHS is FAR from perfect, but asking what the point of it is completely ridiculous.

My mum was treated for cancer, she's still here, alive and kicking.

I've had broken bones set and fixed, my sister had her kidney disease treated.

My late wife had some of her organs donated to others

But on a more general terms

"The NHS provides healthcare to everyone, free at the point of use, according to clinical need rather than ability to pay"

Essentially, one of the main things a government should do is to keep it's population healthy

And I had X-rays, and 2 appointments to have my dressing changed. And some advice from a Nurse Practitioner about dodgy roof contractors.

Torn ligaments do not show up on an x-ray.

They x-ray if there's a suspicion a bone has broken.

All a boot does is immobilise it.

Your mum may have had a more severe/complete rupture of ligaments. Bruising & swelling, pain on weight bearing are unpleasant but do not always necessarily indicate a more severe injury.

its not free, its free ar the point of delivery

You shouldn’t have to go private for things the NHS is meant to treat.

I had to go private for a broken leg the NHS failed to pick up - if I hadn’t had insurance through work I would have been left permanently disabled.

Exactly the same happened to me six weeks ago. Had an X-ray at A&E, told it was a bad sprain with torn ligaments. A tight bandage put around my ankle to stabilise it and told to walk on it regularly. The nurse who did the bandage said it wasn't broken.

A couple of days ago I had a notification of some results on the NHS app. Turns out they'd looked at the X-ray and there were signs of a break. Meanwhile I've been in a lot of pain when I walk and it hasn't been getting better. Not a single mention of follow up care.

From now on I'll be going private and managing my own care where possible. Thankfully I can afford it.

It’s not always easy to access private healthcare even if you can afford it, you often need a GP referral.

If you're not happy go private, the NHS is not mandatory.

When I sprained my ankle the ambulance driver took me home after treatment.

NDN is having a party now I can hear - two months ago the nhs saved her life when she had a heart attack.

Few weeks ago, I ripped my hand open in a gardening accident. Seen straight away by emergency. Referred to plastic surgery. Had my handstitched. 3 weeks later I can go swimming again and strum my guitar once more. Cheers NHS.

I am so heartened to read these responses.

The only people that want to run down the NHS are people that will make money via privatisation.

No it isn't perfect, nothing is. American healthcare is often subject to litigation, there is no panacea.

But everyone is treated due to their condition, not their ability to pay.

My friend went to a&e struggling to breathe and was seen & treated in minutes.

My child needed steroids for severe croup. Again... seen in 3 or 4 mins.

A sprained ankle with torn ligaments is a mild/common injury that doesnt need a lot if medical treatment and responds well to self care eg Rest Ice Compression Elevation, and will recover on its own. It doesnt need physio.

Two anecdotes :

A friend injured his ankle on a cruise ship. To do anything at all they wanted an immediate deposit of close to £600. He didn’t have that lying around il the insurance would refund him, so he hobbled. On return the nhs diagnosed a severe sprain. He’s had a boot, surgery and multiple clinic follow ups. He’s now been told he’ll be off work for up to a year, and given a temporary blue badge by the council (in Scotland). He sees his team every eight weeks and is following an online physio programme and free gym sessions every week.

Last year I received an organ transplant. Since then I’ve seen my transplant team every week at first and now every month. I get a whole battery of blood and urine tests, and for a couple of “slightly suspicious “ results have been given two ct scans, an ultrasound, thyroid tests, four courses of antibiotics, referrals to counselling, dieticians and skin cancer specialists- all for purely preventative care-‘ just in case.

The nhs is incredible, I have been treated politely, professionally and extremely well.

My child has had top level cancer care.

We would not be able to access this even with insurance.

We don't have to take a loan to give birth

We don't get charged to call an ambulance

And other countries care isn't all that- I know because I'm not British by birth

I’m quite grateful for it actually. It saved my life during childbirth, and I didn’t cost me a penny!