I am scared of the state of healthcare system

[Notsurewhattheansweris]

I am going to start saying that I respect all the clinicians and doctors and my personal experience has generally been positivie (with the exception of one case which likely led to a physchological trauma).

Whenever I see things on Mumsnet, there are so many stories of negligence, people being fobbed off, missed cancers etc. etc.

I find it really difficult after my own experience to feel safe anymore. It did leave me with a health anxiety that I am in therapy for but I cannot see the end to it because ultimately, I do not feel safe anymore.

What do you do, how do you cope? Or is it just my anxiety talking and we only see the scariest stories here that are still rare and not the norm?

I completely understand your frustrations my ex hasn't taken care of himself physically and now he is a drain on the NHS. Ironically he always demonised people in his position years ago but now he's sick he says he entitled. I struggle to get an appointment with my GP my HRT hasn't been reviewed in 3 years I struggle to book in. But he can get an appointment quite easily beggers belief.

I haven't seen my rheumatologist for a year. My 6 month review was cancelled with no explanation.
I have been waiting 7 months for an urgent gynae appt. The only communication was to ask me if I still want an appointment.
I am in constant pain.
Not great.

It’s still free. An ambulance in the US costs minimum $700 and if you’re happy to pay that much, private ambulances are available in the UK.

It is not free and has never been free. It is free at the point of delivery.

Of course it is not free!

It is paid for through National Insurance and taxes.

Yes, I’m fully aware of that. It’s free at the point of use. As with any insurance system, be it travel, car, house or health, some claims will cost the insurer (for the NHS, the UK taxpayer) more than others. That’s how insurance works.

The French system isn't based on insurance.

Many aspects of healthcare are free, emergency care, most hospital care, long term conditions and others. .

For any additional cover, you can take out a mutuelle. Cost isn't based on your health, just age. Employers have to cover at least half of the cost. If you are on a low income, everything is covered for free.

The mutuelle can also cover you for private care if you choose.

I've worked in the NHS for almost 30 years. I've since had healthcare, routine and emergency, in France. Sadly there's no comparison. France is so far ahead of the UK.

If only we could move to European countries without EU passports.

Of course you can.

But that's not the point really. The point is that there are better functioning heath systems across the world that are worth looking at.

Exactly.

The NHS is not the envy of the world nor is it the Gold Standard of healthcare in the world and this craven attitude that we must just accept all the faults with it because it is free is a huge part of the problem with it, it makes it unaccountable and stops it improving.

Incredible how other countries with the same size or higher populations manage to run efficient, excellent public health services with far fewer employees than the NHS. As I said earlier the NHS is the FOURTH largest public employer in the world and yet it cannot (or will not) provide a consistent, high quality standard of health care.

The not for EU labels on meat are due to the slightly different paperwork requirements for export. Abattoirs and markets dealing with meat for export require farms to have an annual inspection and a VAN number. Meat for domestic consumption doesn’t require this.
Some abattoirs require all animals going through to come from premises with a VAN number, some will take a mixture, some mainly take animals from premises that don’t have a van number.
I suspect there are more paperwork requirements that differ during the processing stages especially with pork products

Yup. It’s an utter disgusting shit show

If you are aware, may I gently suggest you refrain from saying it is free when it is not.

Yes, it is scary. I wouldn’t want exhausted burnt out doctors doing my care. It’s bad. I think we have to take our own health into our own hands now

I said it’s free at the point of use and gave an example of a country where it isn’t free at the point of use.

I personally found that a life changing diagnosis got rid of any anxiety and put everything into perspective.

Your post, where you say, and I quote "It's still free". It has never been free.

I’ve made the difference between free and free at the point of use perfectly clear. Find someone else to argue with.

It also means waiting on the pavement in the pouring rain with two bad breaks one of which needs surgery, for two hours. And then waiting another 12 in a filthy ED to deal with rude, dismissive and discriminatory staff. At which point the ability to be able to pay gor an ambulance and then entry to ED seems significantly preferable.

And that's an acceptable standard because it's free (even though it's not) is it @TaraFalls ? Seriously?

There are plenty of countries where healthcare is free at the point of delivery where the above would not be tolerated, it would actually be unheard of. Raise your expectations of what should be provided by the sainted NHS, no other European country would tolerate the standards of healthcare that is seen as acceptable in the UK.

If you read the full thread, which I encourage you to do, you will not find a single instance of where I’ve said waiting two hours in the rain with broken limbs is acceptable.

@TaraFalls I'm not arguing, I'm stating a fact. You said "it's still free". There is nothing to argue about, it is what you said.

It's really quite funny.

You commented It is still free after the poster posted that about waiting two hours in the rain suggesting that because it is free we have to put up and shut up.

Just for contrast, I was on a ward within 2 hours of a break requiring surgery recently. And back on that ward post-op within a few more hours. Not the UK.

I’m amazed you haven’t bored yourself to death.

Yet another thread having go at the NHS - there 's one over on AIBU.

Anyone would think they're making this shit up.