Hurray for the NHS

On Saturday afternoon I went to my eye doctor because my eye hurt after clumsily taking out my contract lens.  After looking at my eye for 30 seconds , he said I needed to go to Moorfields eye hospital right then!  He sent me on my way with no charge (Thanks Vision Express).  I was not looking forward to spending Saturday night in Central London in the A&E especially when the sign said there's a minimum of a three hour wait. 

The good bit is that I was seen straight away and on my way home in less than 1 hour.  Total cost: £8 for the prescription. 

The bad news is that I never actually saw a doctor, just a nurse practitioner.  They don't even want to check me after the anti biotic course is over.  Not sure about that. 

Hurray for the NHS!

So you poked yourself in the eye.

I would go with punch from young punk trying to steal a purse.

After a checkup with an optician some years ago it was discovered my wife had slightly high pressure. As there is a family history of glaucoma, she ended up at Moorfields being seen by one of the top eye guys in the country. She takes drops now to keep in it check, and is invited back regularly to keep an eye on things. Imagine seeing the top anybody in the States without paying through the… nose.

Speaking of the National Health Service, here's a link I came across today: Derailing the NHS

I would go with punch from young punk trying to steal a purse.

I think it's more like wearing lenses too long and leaving them in while swimming in our filthy local pool.

Did you guys know that there's a massive green stripe painted on the sidewalk that goes all the way from the tube exit to the eye hospital?  What a cool idea.

I herniated a disk a few months ago and could barely walk/function from pain. After my chiro got me upright and moving, I finally hauled my ass across the street to my GP, who issued some Naproxen and nerve pain pills (amitryptiline) and ordered an MRI after I explained numbness below the knee. Missed MRI due to either reherniation or severe muscle spasms, rescheduled for two weeks later (total wait of 4 weeks), went back to GP who issued Valium. Got MRI, went to see him a week later for results - he had already referred me to the top neurosurgery center in the country the week before as soon as he got the results. Now waiting for an appointment, and he issued more pills that at least keep me functioning and able to get to work and get stronger and I can always have a phone consult with him if I need a refill or something else. At no point have I been touched or inspected physically by ANYONE, which makes me wonder a bit.

Ok, so the copay for the pills is a bit much (considering they are long time generics) but its so nice to go to the doctor and not get out money to pay OR try and figure out the copay/in network OR do the insurance tap dance of proving you really do need help. I could also literally crawl the 300 yds to my doctor's surgery if I had to, and they got me in twice for emergency appts same day. The waiting is a bit annoying - I now have private insurance through work and wonder if it is worth messing up the system.

Currently in the US doing daily battle with the insurance company over husband's chemo, no one can get a bill or a claim right the first time. Insurance company regularly gives incorrect info on what is covered and where to get treatment, and there is seemingly no comeback for the insured.
Oh for the NHS where at least I know where to go for the shingles immunization - my latest oddessy in the saga that is US health insurance!

I had to have a test in October that wasn't covered by the NHS, which cost me the nice little sum of £469.  I could have had an extremely invasive, old school test on the NHS for "free" which I'm sure would have cost the NHS a heck of a lot more than £469.  I want so badly to like the NHS but it just doesn't seem to want to like me back!

We can take it back!

After my son was hospitalized in the ICU twice with chest infections, we went back to teh US for a visit. His respiratory specialist, who is also one of the top in the country, gave us his PERSONAL CELL NUMBER to call if we had any trouble. Well we ended up back in the hospital in the States, and he talked to me for over an hour on a Sunday night to discuss his treatment. (We brought him back a nice bottle of bourbon to thank him.) I can't imagine that happening in the US.

Not even going to mention the time and stress of dealing with the US hospital's financial folks and the travel insurance.... (Which did cover everything, thankfully!)

Glad to hear everything ended well.