What’s the point in the NHS?

Yes. What I'm not prepared to do is to pay more and continue to have the same old NHS. We have a home in France. French healthcare (and Austrian, German, Swiss, Scandinavian) is leaps and bounds better than the NHS.

Then I hope you will not be voting for Reform or the Torys and will lobby your MP and the government to start spending more on the NHS in line with other European countries.

I think you have a very rosy idea of what privatised healthcare looks like.

I don't want more spent on the NHS. I want a social insurance service mirroring those in Continental Europe.

I'm so grateful for the NHS. I rang my surgery one morning last week, and had an appointment two hours later. Doctor referred me for an X-ray, I had a phone call three hours after I left the surgery from the x-ray department with an appointment the day after. Back to docs on Monday for x-ray results.

Similar happened for my hysband a couple of months ago, from initial GP appointment is was less than a week for his appointment with an orthopaedic specialist at the bearest hospital.

We are lucky to have the NHS.

So you expect to pay the same despite the coat of everything increasing? That makes no sense to me.

The NHS is clearly struggling, and costs are going up, yet we expect an improvement in service without paying more.

Just one point worth mentioning.
Lots of posters were signposting the OP to ' the private sector'.

Private health care is rarely walk in for things like a sprain.
Yes, there are private GPs (most are £100 for an appt.) You might have to wait a day or so for an appt.
Yes, there is private physio. Ditto. Cost around £80 .

Private health cover will sometimes include a private GP appt (online usually) and some large private hospitals do have a walk-in 'A&E' type of clinic.
Most private cover is for diagnosis of symptoms and surgery/ treatment if needed.
It's not on demand for accidents.

Ifyou sprain your ankle it's highly unlikely you will get to see a private GP on the day, unless you live in a big city with a walk-in clinic at a large private hospital.

I don't think you are unreasonable at all OP. I've have ligament problems for the best part of a year now and it's only just healing now with custom orthotics, via a ultra sound to diagnose then and private physio/chiropractic treatment. I could barely walk for the first three months and I didn't even bother with the NHS.

I do think it depends on area, my sister has had all sorts of scans and referrals for things, via a GP referral. I really do think a torn ligament should require investigation.

@QuietComet no, of you had read my words, you would have seen I am not prepared to pay more for the NHS. I am prepared to pay more for a social inurance co-pay system like those in Continental Europe, where healthcare works.

Well then, I guess you should start figuring out how to change the system, or move abroad then.

Or are you happy to sit on your arse and complain but do nothing?

Did you actually get physio or a list of exercises? I got a list of exercise which I did do but they didn’t help. Maybe they did a bit as I recovered in a year and they say it can be 2-3 years Certainly no hands on physio. Had to pay privately for that. I think the hands on stuff helped more than the exercise. I wish I’d been six weeks.

As someone with a current broken ankle and numerous other problems with it (this has now been going on for 2 years) if you needed a treatment plan they would have given it you. I have been under trauma and orthopaedics for a long time they don’t leave you with nothing if you need it you will get the referrals but it sounds like you don’t.

Lets stop a moment and think why its struggling? Maybe its all the doctors/nurses ect going on strike demanding xxx payrise, wheres the money coming from to pay such a wage? There is a cost of living crisis and the nhs is spitting their dummys out insisting on a ludicus payrise.

Nearly all those countries spend more on healthcare than the UK.

Well I have asthma as does my cousin who moved to Texas a few years ago. We have pretty similar trestment but my costs me the price of a prepayment prescription (£120 ish) and she has to pay about £1300) she pays a bit less tax than I do when you take into account her insurance but over all costs more.
Its a bit like vets where the excess fucks you over.

My friend was diagnosed with "health anxiety " when having diarrhea 26 times a day and asking for GP appointment 3rd time the same week. She was later diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

I'm on the fence with the NHS. It's been wonderful and life saving for me, literally from the day I was born extremely prematurely at three months old and weaned off heroin... the NICU was world class and exemplary. I literally wouldn't be here without it.

On other occasions, I've been fortunate to have emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy, and an EMCS, and my ante and post natal care has been fantastic.

But... my health was ruined permanently after a concussion a decade ago, when my GP polydrugged me and prescribed an off label antipsychotic for severe insomnia and anxiety after the head injury. I've got a neurological involuntary movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia as a result, and it lowered my opinion of the NHS considerably as a result.

Yes, absolutely, it's brilliant for many things. But if, and when it goes wrong, it seems some of us have the misfortune to suffer dreadful things. 😢💔

Why shouldn't the staff there get paid a decent wage?!? They work long hours, have to put up with all sorts
Would you be happy busting a gut and not getting paid enough to live on?

... And it's "ludicrous" btw

I had three physio appointments. The guy I saw was brilliant. It was hard work but I went from not being able to get my hand any further than my hip to being able to do my bra up behind my back in six weeks. The Naproxen was vital.

ETA Sorry, I quoted the wrong post.

Yes, I agree. Most who don't have insurance will probably either suffer from many untreated conditions, and sadly quite a few will probably die. 😕

Quite. Everyone talking about how wonderful the continental models are are completely ignoring that in those counties people usually pay more tax - and their citizens government uses that to spend more - sometimes a LOT more on their healthcare system.

Then in addition most people will still need to top up with monthly private healthcare premiums PLUS co-pays at point of service.

If the UK had been funding the NHS to the same levels as France as been funding their system for the last 30-40 years then the NHS would be so different.

So you want a different system and pay more in taxes and premiums to get it but you (not you Quiet Comet the poster you replied to) don’t want to fund the NHS to the same amount to get a better system?

@Reluctantlyonhols my point was that the service I received was quick, personal and efficient.
This is a small unit in a semi rural town.
Without this I would have had to travel 40 plus minutes to a larger town.
They knew where I lived and suggested I went home and came back, instead of waiting.
I was happy with that, and don't resent staff in a small unit having a lunch hour.
What an odd thing to say...

There are many things I’d improve in the NHS before I started messing around with the funding model. The cost would be extortionate and the money would be far better spent on improving patient care.

My daughter had food poisoning in Mexico and was hospitalised for 24 hours. Abdomen scan, antibiotics, paracetamol and saline drip. Total bill $15,000 !! Thank fook for the NHS. She was insured thank gawd.