AIBU to think that most of us take the NHS for granted?

[Kampeki]

My niece has recently given birth to twins. They were born prematurely, and both have had breathing difficulties. She and her husband are from a small rural community, and they have very little money. So far, they have exhausted all of their savings to keep the babies in intensive care, as well as all of the savings of her husband's extended family. If we were not able to send them money from here, she would have to take them home.

My dd spent a week in the special care baby unit after she was born, and it was a horribly stressful time, but I didn't even give a second thought to how much her medical care was costing. I took it for granted that she would get the support that she needed.

My niece and her babies will get the help that they need, but I wonder how many other women around the world are forced to take their premature babies home because they can't afford to stay in hospital.

Made me realise how very lucky we are. We must never let the government take our NHS away.

I have 9 different prescriptions per month. I pay just over £10 for them all with my prepayment card. It's brilliant. It's, what, £9 per item or thereabouts now? Medication is expensive, as has already been pointed out. Surely scrapping the free prescriptions bit would, OK ruffle a few feathers, but at a maximum of £10-11 per month payable as a nominal cost who can complain really?

Realistically for those with chronic conditions that £10 a month would make absolutely no indent into the cost of the medication to the NHS so I don't see how it would make any difference to things in that sense at all.

Well for a start it would be £10 more than they're currently getting...

£10 off how much though? Could easily be £100s or £1000s worth of drugs so is it really going to make a difference? Not in the slightest. What it could do is stretch someone's already very stretched budget even further. Yes £10 is nothing for a lot of people but for some people it is everything.

The OP is comparing a place which has a form of universal healthcare free at point of use, with a place that doesn't. Certainly if you compare European healthcare, or Russian, or Cuban with, for example, Zimbabwe or the US, European, Russian and Cuban come out better in many ways, such as perinatal mortality and personal bankruptcy due to medical costs.

Within Europe there are graduations, so you will get different results.

My sister and bil are very well off.
They both get free prescriptions because they both have type 2 diabetes.
(Caused by diet)
It annoys me.
They brag about it.

True but it's a nominal contribution

I have this great app on my phone about the European health care card whatsit. Tells you how to access medical help and the costs you'll incur in various European countries. It's quite interesting reading through the variations

The nhs can't continue as it is.
It was designed to serve the people of a different era.
We live so much longer now, ivf, diabetes, obesity, dementia....these things just weren't issues in the 1940s.
I don't know what the answer is :(

Also why do type 2 diabetics get free prescriptions but asthmatics don't?

I don't know
It's so wrong

One appointment and two prescribed drugs in Florida this year cost me 300 dollars. I'm VERY grateful for NHS.

OK then its not faultless or perfect but thank God for it!

Not sure charging for GP appointments is a good idea. I know that I wouldn't go for a lot of things - which in some ways is good, no trivial problems, but also anything potentially serious would be missed for an awful lot longer, which would then cost more in the end. And some of the things that I wouldn't go about are actually quality of life things that can be dealt with, but I'd feel that I couldn't afford to go just for that. None of that would be good for mental health in the long term either, especially if only better-off people would choose to get treatment/help for some things.

I'd pay more for an insurance type system for GP service but I guess that's really just saying an extra charge generally, whether it's through income tax or whatever - but the idea that it isn't rationed so that you have to choose whether your symptoms are worthy enough to go or not.

It would be good to encourage more self-care or use of other resources, though.

I very much appreciate the NHS after needing some emergency treatment lately. But at the same time, the utter inefficiency and chaos of the department I saw was shocking - so much wasted time, resources, duplication of effort, nobody knowing what anyone else was doing, complete disorganisation that nearly resulted in a bad outcome for me. The management side of it really did need an overhaul. But I say that at the same time as being profoundly grateful that it was there and that I was treated for free and the treatment was good.

I'm strongly in favour of keeping the NHS, but I do think that there is potential for better organisation and management.

"I'd pay more for an insurance type system for GP service"

We all do.

lunchpack I think because Diabetes affects so much of the body if not controlled - circulation, eat, kidneys, pancreas, liver, eyes etc. I think. It is the same reason low thyroid funtion qualifies for free prescription. It is a life long condition which, if uncontrolled can affect heart, brain cholesterol, circulation etc.

£10-11 per month payable as a nominal cost who can complain really?

The Newcastle metro was free unlimited for 65+ with a free card. The started charging 20 a year for the card and there was huge protests. Despite getting thousands in value for 20. People like free stuff.

T2d free prescriptions bugs me. I know unhealthy people that brag about it but could afford it.

Why do you get free food in hospitals?

lulu that still doesn't explain why asthma isn't free. Uncontrolled asthma can have pretty bad consequences.

You get free food in hospitals because there are costs associated with being in hospital. It is cheaper for us when I am at home ill, than in hospital. If hospitals charged for food, some would not pay for it and survive in biscuits or something cheaper.

Nutrition is pretty key to health, it can help aid recovery. It would be false economy to not provide free food for the patient.

Apart from the "free" food in hospital is dreadful, usually a microwave meal that most people leave. And this "free" food probably costs a fortune with their fab supply chain.

If you only rarely go into hospital, I don't think you can understand how expensive it can be. Childcare, loss of earnings, car park costs for partner to visit you, it all adds up.
I am sure under a different system I would refuse admittance to hospital and refuse Dr and clinic appointments because of the cost.

Sorry that I haven't really bothered reading any further than the first page of responses, so I may be repeating what's already been said.

I for one have had shocking experiences of lack of care for myself and a close family member. Utterly useless. I can't say that we do take the NHS for granted, because I pay my dues (it isn't actually free).

It seems that the Maternity/baby side of things are quite good in the NHS, as I've had many people comment upon this. But, in saying that, my Mum had shocking postnatal care and now has a giant hernia that is yet to be operated on.

I wish those babies health and a speedy recovery, what a tremendous family you all are to chip in financially

In two minds. We have a home in France. In my experience the French system is better. It is more responsive, more efficient and the front-line staff are generally more helpful.

Some things in the UK are very good; some things aren't. My experiences are rather a mixed bag and too many contradictions. There also seems to be a marked contrast between care in London and care outside London.

A couple of contradictions. I have a chronic auto-immune disease. Very well controlled - dosage unchanged for 25 years. I used to get one blood test a year and one prescription. Perfect. Then came 28 day prescribing. An overstretched NHS suddenly has time to sort out the same prescription 12 times a year. That took 40 minutes of my time every month let alone the time of the Dr, the receptionist, the pharmacist, the updating of records. Utterly bonkers.

My dd presently needs an assessment for CBT for anxiety. She isn't an urgent case and I can pay for this. The GP cannot recommend a counsellor; I am supposed to find a random off the internet (CAMHS can't help with this either). Paradoxically one of the GPs at my practice also runs a private skin care clinic and when I saw him about some white patches which I thought might be vitiligo but are actually sun damage was happy to recommend I visit his private clinic for a sun cream with tint to match my skin tone. Bonkers again and totally contradictory. There is an option but it will cost me £385 just for an assessment to secure a recommendation.

Finally, my autoimmune disease means I get free prescriptions, every single one of them. I appreciate I should get them for that but not for anti-biotics for a chest infection or for HRT. Another bonkers absurdity. This surely needs to be means tested.

Re the missed appointments, I recently was sent an appointment at five days' notice. It was non urgent. I couldn't attend due to another commitment. I spent a total of 4 hours on the phone over three days to rearrange it due to complex auto dialling systems and lengthy pick-up times. On one occasion there were 37 people in front of me with a wait time of 23 minutes and it was taking five or six minutes to get to that point. What of people who cannot afford such calls, have run out of minutes, etc., who are teachers or shop workers who can't get to the phone when they are on duty. I'm not surprised so many people just don't turn up, the system does nothing to make cancelling or changing an appointment easy or convenient.

When I turned up for an appointment a few weeks ago I was told off because I had disappeared after checking in at 12.30. At 12.30 I was still sitting at my desk at work. I received no explanation as to why I had been incorrectly checked in and no apology for the rudeness.

I try not to be entitled and very much appreciate the good parts of the service but I don't appreciate the bits that are disorganised and sloppy and seem to have no regard for the patient at all.

GP practices are businesses. But it was unprofessional of your GP to recommend his skin care clinic.
The French pay much more for their health system.

Yep and we as a population won't realise till its gone.