Why do people think the NHS is so special?

[SnowBells]

There are always people around who proclaim the NHS is some sort of holy grail. It can't be touched, and don't even think about reforming it. The government may be offering free healthcare through the NHS, but nothing is really free, is it?!

My gripe with the NHS is that just like most institutions funded by the government, it becomes a big bureaucratic mess, where people are more concerned about ticking boxes than the actual patients. Most other developed countries have some sort of free healthcare that can actually be more effective than the NHS. I have lived in countries where, for example, health care insurances are mandatory, so that everyone has one (and a lot of times, employers contribute the bulk or the government subsidises it). Hospitals may be subsidised by the government, but GPs run their practice like a business, and rely on clients to earn their living (this means, they actually have to provide a bit of "client service" that's almost elusive here in Britain). You can make appointments with specialists directly - no need to waste time at the GP's practice when really, you needed to see, say, a gynaecologist.

Why is it that some hail is as the holy grail?

It saved my life and the lives of three of my children. At no point was I worried that I couldn't afford treatment. That's enough for me.

It has literally saved my life numerous times and also the life of my dd.

I imagine most people value it because it is free at the point of use and can be used by everybody.

I think it is an amazing institution that we should be proud of but I think it is grossly mis-used. People not ringing to cancel doctor's appointments should be fined a small fortune IMO.

I agree that it's being run, and managed, badly. I agree that it needs to be reformed in order to continue.

However. I've had three pregnancies with the NHS. Two live children and twins I lost in the third trimester. Not once, not even for a second, did I receive anything but the very best kind of care, support and kindness from any member of staff I came into contact with. Not once did they try and rush me out, brush me off or tell me I couldn't have treatment. When I lost the twins every single midwife, nurse and student in that ward treated me with dignity and respect. Would I have had that in the US without huge care bills afterwards? Absolutely not.

Our NHS is one of the very best things about this country. As I said before, if it is to continue successfully, it needs changes. But in comparison with many other parts of the world, we're luckier than we know.

Yes, free at the point of use for everyone, rich or poor which is something many developed countries do not have.

Has always responded when my family has needed it. Not perfect but then nothing is.

because your insurance doesn't run out, it covers pre-existing conditions,
you don't get refused care because the hospital doesn't work with your insurer.

Mainly we compare it to the insurance offered here, and experience of America.

I probably am biased, I have only ever worked professionally within the NHS.

We turned down a lucrative job offer in the USA for DH as I could never practice there. Well I could if I sat the exams but I disagree so profoundly with how they practice medicine and the ethics behind their healthcare provision that I would never work in the states.

I believe that for most people the NHS provides very good care, but for the most vulnerable, those who couldn't afford to pay I believe it is the best healthcare system in the world.

Of course the NHS has huge problems but I remain hugely proud of it.

I completely agree about hating the gp referral part of the NHS system.

Personally I'd much rather take my DC to a paediatrician. Go to a obgyn for 'women's problems'. Etc etc

Why don't they trust us?

If we find a lump surely we should be able to make an appointment with an oncologist rather than waiting to see a gp then waiting for a referral?

IMO GPs have far too much power. They are self employed business people. They have no obligation to take on patients. I think this is a disgrace.

They should be employees who work for us. Open at convenient times etc.

Google medical bankruptcy. That's why.

so if you go to the wrong specialist, because it isn't often that simple to know, who pays for the 'wrong' visit?

this is the thing people doesn't understand even with insurance, you still have bills:

"Despite having year-round insurance coverage, 10M insured Americans ages 19-64 will face bills they are unable to pay"
from zlpit link

When you live somewhere that has no NHS, it can be quite a shock. Need an epipen so your child won't die at school? That will be $120 for the appointment so the doctor can sign the form every year and $40 for each epipen.

Need to take a day off work to look after your sick child? $120 for the appointment so the doctor can sign your form.

That you can even write thisbpost demonstrates your privileged position (that is, to have unlimited access to good health care).

Certainly, the NHS has it's faults, mostly due to being abused/neglected by certain governments.

But I wouldn't be without it. Saved our bacon a few times, and did an excellent job, too.

I think that our expectations of it are unrealistic these days.
It was designed to stop people dying of easily treatable conditions due to lack of money but now many people take it completely for granted and as it's free it's not valued.
I don't think that the NHS should start charging again but ideally we would move to a system where people earning a certain amount would pay a small monthly amount ( like NI) as a health insurance policy. This could come directly out of wages and most people wouldn't notice it. The NHS could the be a safety net for people who couldn't afford the insurance.
However, we are so used to the NHS being " free" that this would never be accepted and the danger would be that under this system the NHS wouldn't be the amazing organisation it is now.

"we would move to a system where people earning a certain amount would pay a small monthly amount ( like NI) as a health insurance policy"

This system already exists. It's called your taxes.

We do always compare the NHS with the US system. I'd be genuinely interested in people's experience of other healthcare systems, e.g. in other parts of Europe. Are they better?

As for being able to go directly to a specialist, well yes and no. What if you go to an oncologist but the lump you're worried about is actually a dermatology problem? The GP is a gatekeeper, yes, but also a generalist who should be particularly skilled at diagnosis. For many common things, the GP can do the whole treatment. For less obvious diagnoses, the GP should be able to narrow down what it might be and what it probably isn't. The GP also has the advantage of knowing not only the whole of the patient's history but also in many cases that of other family members. I know it doesn't always work like that, but it often does.

i believe it is the best healthcare system in the world.

You do know that other countries have free healthcare, right? France, Germany, Iceland and Scandinavian countries, for instance. Have you experienced the healthcare in those countries?

If you live in a place where there is no NHS you realise how amazing it is. There are loads of things that could be improved and the way it is managed now is probably unsustainable but it's great and I miss it so much

SO I expect it has a lot to do with it being set up after WW2 and the way it was put to people, plus it is free at the point of use, plus the way it is handled in the press and by politicians all add up to it being beyond criticism!

I think the NHS is so special because it is.
We shouldn't compare with the USA; try comparing it with France or some other European country.

It doesn't matter if you use it once or a thousand times, it's the same price, which I think is pretty fantastic. My mum is evangelical about them now, after decades with private insurance she wouldn't consider an nhs hospital as a viable option until she was rushed in to A&E with sepsis and they saved her life. She saw how amazing the people there are, how purely focussed on caring for the patients they were. I do think intensive care wards are something special though, the one to one nursing, the level of care was amazing.

International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2014: Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States is an interesting read. NHS England is ranked 1st overall, with some interesting successes and failures on different metrics.

AllMimsy I live in France and think the free healthcare, including free ivf, that I've recived here is fantastic. I'm not British, so I've had no experience of the NHS, but an English friend who lives here was shocked at the treatment her father got on the nHS when he returned there after initially falling ill on a visit to her in France.