Can Someone Explain The British Health System Please?

[lauren6]

When I read these posts, I see people saying they have to wait a few weeks for a test or operation. Here are my questions:

Can you pick your general doctor? If you need a specialist, do you call him yourself and make an appointment? Do you have to pay? If it's free, can you pay and get seen faster? Can you pick any specialist from the phone book or does your primary doctor have to recommend them? If you go to the emergency room and you need an operation, will they do it on the spot and also do cat scans, etc. right then and there? Thanks!

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi Lauren

Hope I can answer you.

In some areas of the UK you can pick your General Practioner, but some won't take you on their books unless you live within a certain radius of the surgery.

We have the NHS system over here which is totally free (funded by taxpayers of course), but you can (if you have the money) pay a private health insurance, you would be seen a lot quicker on this than on the NHS. The General Practioner always recommends a specific doctor for whatever ailment you have. Some specialists who work for the NHS also have their own private practice. If we have to go to Accident & Emergency (ER) yes we would get operated on then & there if necessary.

So basically even if you're very poor, you would not go without treatment, unlike in the USA & some other countries.

We tend to complain a lot (well I do sometimes,lol) about the NHS system, but I wouldn't be able to see a doctor if we had to pay & a lot of people would also be in the same boat.

I hope I got it all right :winks: if I haven't, I'm sure that someone will correct me.

Take care
Els
xxx

[bex1970]

We should add that you can't just pick a specialist... the NHS would refer you... well, you can pick a specialist but most require a referral from a GP and if not, you would have to pay. If you have health insurance, you tend to get seen more quickly... but, on the whole, the NHS is pretty good and we're lucky here.... to even have it...

[lauren6]

Thanks so much for clarifying that! What confused me was when I hear people say they have to wait 6 weeks and more to see a specialist. By that time, you would be so sick or your sickness may be gone.

As you probably know, here your job covers you but if you are self-employed or unemployed, we have to pay minumum $300 a month and up to $900 a month. It's crazy! The good part is that we can see a specialist tomorrow (if they have appointments available) but then there is also a co-pay of anywhere from $20-$50 average.

My prescriptions are about $7 each but the ones that aren't generic can be costly and we have a deductible, after that it's cheaper. I know most people in the USA are hoping for your plan but I am concerned about the waits I read about, one post today said someone would have to wait 4 months to see a specialist unless they paid. That sounds so unfair to me, if you're sick, you want to be seen today or tomorrow. Maybe that post was an exception. I hope it doesn't take that long just to see your family doctor.

Looks like both of our systems have advantages and disadvantages and there must be a good reason that our country wishes for what you and Canada have.

[bex1970]

I guess the one main advantage we have is that if we have an emergency situation (i.e car crash or something...) we don't have to have insurance to get treated in hospital.

The waits can be long on the NHS but generally, very sick people, get seen pretty quickly..

As you said, both systems have their issues and their advantages!

[Jan63]

I know we all moan about the NHS but I think it's fantastic really. I had a lump in my breast which turned out to be a cyst but I was referred by my doctor to the breast clinic at my local hospital on a Friday (my appointment wasn't whilst 4 o'clock in the afternoon) and on the following Monday the clinic phoned me up to check that the following Monday was okay. I went and in 3 1/2 hrs had two mammograms, and ultrasound and told everything was okay and the cyst was drained there and then. :)

My O/h had an accident a few weeks ago whilst doing a garden and he fell over a 10ft wall and broke his collar bone. He went to A & E right away and they x rayed him. The accident happened Friday afternoon and he had to go back on the Monday to see the specialist. The specialist decided he wanted to operate and put a plate in so he told him he had a slot free that afternoon and he had the operation the same day and was kept in overnight and then allowed to come home at the end of the next day. He has also had an outpatients appointment to have the staples took out and has another appointment in a few weeks - all for free.:)

I think when the doctor thinks things could be urgent you usually get a referral within a couple of weeks.:)

[countrygirl]

I saw my GP a couple of days ago and she said she would send me to ENT and within 2 hrs I had a phone call tellimg me my appt was in just over 2 weeks time - if the ent surgeon wants a mri brain scan then I know I will get one within 2 weeks.

having said that it does seem to be a bit of a lottery as to which health authority you live in as to how long you wait and what you are waiting for things like routine orthopeadic can take 3 months.

I have terrible health anxiety all my life and have had endless tests and seen loads of consultants and its all for free!

I have a friend in usa who marreid an american and she literally can't afford the health insurance as she cannot work due to health problems so she has to pay and she just daren't see a Dr unless she is at deaths door whereas here all and sundry get free care:mad: