Cat versus human a&e

[catmummy22]

My cat was a bit poorly last night so I took her to the out of hours cat hospital. I called them at 8 pm and within 1 hour, I had booked the appointment, had her checked over and was back home.
My friend’s mother also took a turn for the worse last night. They drive to a&e at the same time as I went with my cat, but had to wait to be seen until 4 am. Suspected heart issue so quite serious.

I paid 350 pounds for my cat to be seen. I have pet insurance. I really wish I could pay £350 to be seen if I needed a&e too. I rather pay that than wait a. Ight to be seen.

My AIBU is in the different health care offered to pets versus humans in this country. As a human you can’t even pay your way to be seen in an emergency. Brits seem to think as long as it’s free, it’s good, but is it time to start thinking about charging in the NHS too? I think so!

Once you start down the road to private medical care you end up like the USA where millions of people cannot afford basic medical treatment even when dying. No thanks.
Big Pharma is rich enough.

Vet bills have gone through the roof in the past decade because the profession was deregulated and now any business person can run a chain of veterinary practices with vets as employees instead of running their own practice.

Many poor people can no longer afford to bring their pet to the vet.
They don't have £350 to spare even for themselves.

Also, more vet practices to human hospitals.

One A&E department where I live. Loads of vet practices.

I know. I am also for assisted dying. Pets have the upper hand again…

Nope. Look at European countries. I already said I am Scandinavian.

@XenoBitch my a and e is ages away down treacherous country lanes esp at rush hour

For some of them (I'm not talking the nails, I mean people with a condition that needs attention, but not from AE) they can't get help elsewhere. Our GP tries to send people to the walk-in ten miles away, so lots of people who can't drive/afford a taxi just get an ambulance to AE because they feel that's the only way they can get help.
I know we're supposed to be grateful for the NHS, but like you, I know people who work in it who are sick of their old loved ones, who have willingly paid tax all their lives expecting care to be available when needed waiting literally days, in a chair (that would be uncomfortable for fit healthy 20 year olds). Would I be happy that some people can pay and get better treatment? No, but I'm not happy that the GPs we used to see easily are now running private clinics and that so many people can only get a GP (or dentist for that matter) by paying.
Pets are treated much better than many of my family have been, We also need to change the way we treat the dying. Of course a person isn't a cat, but it's wrong they're left in agony and miserable, instead of having a quick dignified death with the people who love them present. Yes, the system makes me angry.

The NHS has more money, more personnel, more equipment than ever. Productivity is still falling. In other words they are doing less with more. At what point exactly do you say enough, and reform the whole crappy system.

I don't understand what you are suggesting. Yes a lot of people can afford to pay a token amount to attend ED, to use your examples of £50, £99, or even the cost of your vet bill £350. But that really is not going to get you much treatment. Once you start to factor in medications, x-rays, scans, staff, equipment, procedures, specialist treatments, potential admissions to wards or the extremely expensive ICUs, theatres, recoveries... Your £350 soon snow balls into thousands, tens of thousands if you are unlucky enough to find yourself in the latter. Then I would imagine not many people can realistically afford that. You say you go private when you can. Then you must have some grasp on the actual cost of human healthcare, a lot of people can not afford that.

I agree the system is broken, I'm working in a broken system. However it is not comparable to visiting the vets.

"Pets have the upper hand again... " is such a weird take.
It is not pets vs humans.
NHS and vet care are totally different things. You are comparing apples and oranges.

I mean, we could look at ways in which humans have the upper hand. If your dog has a stroke or funny turn in the middle of the night, no one is going to come and take them away in an ambulance, treat them as best they can in the ambulance and take them to the vets. No vet is going to come and visit you unless you pay serious £, and then it will be a euthanasia case.

Thank you for the answer earlier. At the risk of turning this into an AMA 😀 how would you change care of the dying?

My husband nearly died from sepsis around Christmastime. The ambulance came within 20 mins, he was seen in A&E promptly, was on a ward within 3 hours and had emergency surgery the next day. We could not have afforded that. Emergency care is based on clinical need, not the ability to pay. There is no profit in emergency care or private hospitals would provide it. They just cherry pick the bits of healthcare that make them money.

We need to build a load of cottage hospitals. Just like the ones we had 50 odd years ago. Halfway house between hospital and home. Some bright spark decided they were obsolete because of modern healthcare, completely neglecting to forsee the legion of infirm old folk.

We actually do have a local one. It's completely full 24/7. Old folk go there to be monitored and get rehab, or to pass away. It's partly funded by the community!

People die needlessly every day due to lack of good care.

But surely you can see that folk paying to "skip the queues" is just going to exacerbate this? If people are no longer seen in order of clinical need.

Actually my neighbour had a stroke. His wife called an ambulance and was told to drive themselves to the hospital or wait. They waited as she could not move him into the car. He died at home that night while waiting.
My cat on the other hand, might also need to get herself to the hoists to be fair, but is seen straight away. I call it in and I have a text (or my cat has except she doesn’t have her own mobile)saying they know she is on her way and are ready for her.

Of course I know it’s apples and oranges, but it makes me think.

I am not sure where you are reading I said skip the queue

I dread to think where we would be as a country without a national health service. All for people paying for private care of they can but I hope the NHS remains.

It's not just universal, free (at the point of care) medical treatment. Its all the other things with go with the infrastructure and ethos of a country with an NHS.

A government who 'pays' for its countries health care has a vested interest in keeping that country healthy. This is what drives public health, screening, vaccinations, health and social research and innovation, preventative medicine, health promotion within schools and across communities to reduce inequalities. if we had a private model of health care where someone profited from illness and unhealthy lifestyles much of this fall away.

The NHS is what keeps those people with chronic illnesses alive and cared for when they would likely not be able to pay or secure medical insurance at the level required. This could be any of us at any time.

It is also comparatively cheaper to deliver than private care due to economies of scale both in the purchasing of equipment and drugs and delivery of services.

Hope it stays.

No doubt this is a driver in people voting Reform. All those that bang on about "we don't take as many refugees as other countries do" usually aren't considering how broken our healthcare system already is.

I think there are more humans that need medical attention than there are cats so with that in mind, the premise of your argument is fundamentally flawed.

I always thought it a scandal that things like air ambulances and hospices only get a tiny bit of NHS funding.

My local hospice has had to turn people away as they don't have the funding. Empty bedrooms that no one can use.

i am not a reform voter. Nor is my cat.

I'll consider paying more tax when the EDI directors are dispensed with, the rainbow crossings disappear and the admin and nursing staff stop shouting at patients.

When I was in a packed A&E with badly broken bones, my husband found me a wheelchair, and stood by my side for 6 hours. However, when we were eventually moved to the next room, empty but for 40 to 50 chairs, there were about 9 staffnat the desk squealing about theor holidays and cake.

The way patients were spoken to that night was atrocious.

So, forgive me, but it's as much about getting organised as about resources.

go private then, one less for the NHS

i already said I do go private, but there is no orivate -‘a&e. I also do not believe going private is the solution. I think nhs straying chafing like other European countries will contribute towards a solution.

Aren’t cats put to sleep when the owners can’t afford the bill?

No, not necessarily.
I live in an EU country.
Health is notionally covered 70% and the user pays 30%.
However those on low incomes don’t pay, those with life long illnesses, diabetes, m.s., cancer etc, don’t pay for treatment connected to the illness.
I pay a monthly insurance according to what options I pick. The insurance you choose always pays up regardless. Scaremongering to say you won’t be covered and end up like the USA is not helpful and insulting to the many countries who run a better healthcare system than the UK.
I plan on returning to the UK soon and the state of the NHS scares me.
Compared to where I live now It’s basic and woefully inadequate in many areas of specialty.

I’m a huge advocate of the NHS but it needs more staff and resources.

Paying a properly regulated insurance would, imo, benefit everyone.