Alternative to NHS?

[tex111]

OK, can someone educate me please. I'm American and I've been in the UK for 12 years. I've had my ups and downs with NHS during this time but now that I have children I'm finding it very difficult to put up with the long waiting lists for appointments, inability to get seen, overworked and often insensitive staff etc, etc. What are the alternatives?

We're fortunate enough to be able to afford private health and have a policy through DH's work but this only covers treatment. It does not cover 'investigation' or general healthcare. Is there such a thing as private A&E, private GPs, etc and how do I find them? What insurance companies provide such cover?

This has all come to a head after a very long day in A&E with 4 month old DD. She's been having blood in her nappy for ten days, this was my second trip to A&E and I've been disappointed in the treatment (or lack of it). What else can I do?

"you can stick you head where the sun don't shine"

that's really informed debate uwila.

and - i never said you didn't value time with your children, i merely said that your motivations aren't the same as everyone else's.

I am sorry about your cholesterol I really am! If you were in america and poor you would not have had it checked so perhaps their ignorance is bliss...

But there is a role for the NHS, even the healthiest people require health care, appendicitus still occurs in healthy peopl, health people still have car accidents, people still give birth. These are things outwith our controll that we need help with. However we could reduce the strain on the NHS by leading healthy lifestyles in the first place

Hang on only browsing, but in the NZ system I thought that people had to pay per night that they stayed in hospital (unless they were very poor- but basically caught loads of people who coulodn't afford it). May be why their hospitals aren't overun?

The alternatives for the NHS are to pay individually. For anything important I've given up on the NHS. A 2 year wait for speech therapy was enough. In the end we paid. Actually my son does now receive SALT but because he's at a special school so its funded via education. My Dad who has always been anti private medicine paid in the end for a scan to check his lungs- NHS consultant appointments kept being cancelled because they didn't have the scan result). After 6 months (he really was quite patient) he rang and was told he'd have to wait another year, but not to worry because it was most likely to be a benign form of asbestosis. At that stage he decided that rather than find himself incurable in a year they would find the money to pay for a scan.

My friend was bleeding very badly - her sister had died from cevical cancer so she was paranoid. her GP gave her medication and told her she had to be scanned within 2 weeks as she could only take the medication for 2 weeks. The wait for urgent appointments? 8 weeks. She paid to go privately.

My friend- an Argentinian who had lived here for years-moved back to Argentina early to get heart surgery performed on her youngest child as the NHS wouldn't operate until her little boy was very poorly- surgery performed successfully in Argentina- where the surgeons prefer to operate whilst the child is still well (the need for an op was 100%).

I'm no fan of the US system, but the NHS is a joke. In many cases (eg meeting with a paed for a developmental assessment) you will get a far superior service if you pay. I've done both and the service doesn't compare.

The Japanese system seemed to work quite well when I was there- don't know much about it, just know that I never had any problems being seen. It was quite costly though (but came out of my wage packet - I never had to pay at the time of treatment).

The point about paying for superior service- not just true of appointments with consultants true of SALT, OT, and physio in my experience as well. In the 4 years ds1 was on NHS SALT caseloads he never actually received any hands on work at all, not one session. He was observed on a handful of occasions and a "communication programme" left. For a child with a severe communication disorder. A joke.

correct me if I'm wrong gbiyjj, but I'm sure I read a post from you somewhere that implyed you felt like allot of money was channeled into 'fsionable' diseases. What would be your view on prevenative medicine becomin social policy making the lay person healthier and leaving the service fot the people whos problems cannot be prevented?
and for the record th hosp in nz are public as far as I'm aware.
again appoligie if i picked you up wrong.

I was in NZ when they introduced the system whereby if you earned over a certain (small) wage then you had to pay to stay in hospital- iirc it was 55 dollars a night- which was quite a lot then. Now this was in 1991 so the system may well have changed again- but the news at the time was full of it, and the people I was working for (farmers) were talking about it a lot (the wife had just had to stay in hospital and they had struggled to meet the cost- most NZ farmers struggle since the UK joined the EU- they lost a huge market). These were still state hospitals- but the system was like SS care here- where you have to contribute to the cost of your care.

Well you would have to find my quote NHS junkie, because depending on the context it could have meant many things. Sure chanel money into prevention- but that has to be proper money spent on proper help, not adverts that insult the intelligence of the average person, or the withdrawl of services without providing support. For example if you want people to stop smoking in order to save your service money then you have to put something in place to aid in quitting smoking, not just refuse to treat them.

I think you should run for health minister.

got the NZ info from a fiend working in a public hosp over there. perhaps she was exaggerating the truth.

you have your first vote right here!!

\link{http://www.psych-recruitment.com/nz_healthcare.htm\bit of stuff on nz system here}

\link{http://www.emigratenz.org/healthcare-migrants-newzealand.html} bit on NZ here as well- think we'll have to ask a NZer. They state that hospital treatment is free (but is a stay treatment?) but I find it a bit suspicious that they actually bother to state under pregnancy and chidbirth that a hospital stay is free (like it isn't for other conditons??? don't know). Maybe they changed it- it was very unpopular when introduced. GP's visits look pricey to me anyway.

My point was not that this was an ideal health service, but that this system which seemed to be waht uwilla sugested for this country only worked because NZ is a healthier country. I doub this system would work here. In fact most models of health care would not transfer easily because we are such an unhealthy nation.

Goodness me, what have I started?! Very interesting debate though. There are definitely drawbacks to both US and UK systems. I was one of those people who couldn't afford healthcare in the US right after I finished university and have a terrible scar on my left hand because I couldn't afford to have it stitched. Definitely not good. I've already aired my views on my experience with NHS.

I think one of the big differences between the two countries is that in the US the health service is very much seen as a 'service' industry with a need to satisfy its 'customers'. When I think about it, it is the customer service element that I miss the most. Good communication, a willingness and ability to be flexible regarding appointments, and generally cheerfulness and helpfulness that comes from being well-paid and well-rested. I know that when I've encountered rudeness through the NHS it's usually because the doctor or nurse is exhausted and being pulled from pillar to post all day.

When we do get to the point of treatment I've always been impressed with our care. Excellent doctors, excellent procedures, it's just that it's such a long and demanding road to get to that point.

NHSJunkie, I do absolutely agree that preventative care is neglected in the UK. When I first came to England I had some health problems and when I asked the doctor what I could do to prevent it happening again she looked at me as if I was talking a different language! It was only by pushing and pushing that I got some answers on controlling a chronic problem rather than going back and forth to the doctors and taking up appointments for the same thing over and over again.

Oh dear, little one needs me. Thanks to all of you who have given me some phone numbers and things to think about. I'm feeling much more empowered!

GBIYGG, one thing I remember about healthcare in Tokyo was that I was told to always have 3000 yen in my purse because if I needed an ambulance that's how much it would cost to get me to the hospital and they wouldn't take me unless I had the cash on me! No idea if that's definitely true but I know all of the expats carried their 3000 yen just in case.

Tex..hope things are a bit better!
very interesting debate indeed..my OH is from an ex communist state, and i could rant for hours about the healthcare over there...

you go to the same g.p surgery as me right?
i've been in touch with our local primary care trust who you need to speak to to get reffered to a different surgery (this being london no one takes you if you just call direct) and have been recommended one near us..it's opposite tesco..you know where I mean?
they are apparantly the best in the area and very attentive..also they don't have silly appointment booking rules etc..
i'll emil you all the detials.

Tex, if you ever need a fast referral for a private consultant, you can also try www.e-med.com (Dr. Jules Eden). He is in St John's Wood (at John and Lizzie's). It's a real live internet consultation. A bit dodgy really if you ask me. But I've used when I've desperately neede migraine medicind and the NHS didn't consider it urgent. He also does the single MMR jabs if that interests you.