is health care that bad in the uk?

Well, I do know one thing: this just is not true

he said that the health care in the uk is different then the US, that if he needs an operation he will have to wait really long time to get that, and even then they do a poor job..so he said he needs to pay out of his own pocket to get it done sooner and better..

I know people do moan about the NHS but the fact is that Britains health service, which is free to the patient, is world class. I don't know why this guy is telling you this, what his reasons are, but I feel you should know what the truth is.

Well, I do know one thing: this just is not true

I know people do moan about the NHS but the fact is that Britains health service, which is free to the patient, is world class. I don't know why this guy is telling you this, what his reasons are, but I feel you should know what the truth is.

I would agree with this. Bearing in mind that most Brits (I'm assuming that guy the OP heard this from is a Brit?) make a hobby of complaining about the NHS --it's almost de rigeur to moan about it. But the fact is, THANK GOD there is an NHS. And yes, it actually is pretty world class. I'm also cynical about things being behind the times/behind the US developments -- there are world class research and training entities in this country, and if I recall correctly, there have been some breakthroughs that came about here first and then were taken up in the US, it's a two way street. One may have to hit the big cities to avail oneself of the results hot off the press, but they are here just as in the US.

what can I ask to catch him out, ill ask him why so long...im confused now what if its all  a big lie. its not somthing to joke about.

what can I ask to catch him out, ill ask him why so long...im confused now what if its all  a big lie. its not somthing to joke about.

He's probably not intentionally lying or joking -- it could be he's just indulging in the national pastime of whining about how bad things are! It may be true that he has been given a long wait-time for the particular procedure he needs, for one reason or another, but then there are wait times for some things in the USA also, even for those with good insureance sometimes...

alright, ill seee what happens ill ask him some more..

Your friend may just be a glass-half-empty kinda guy where services like the NHS are concerned, while myself and contrex are being glass-half-full about it -- it's almost all in the attitude, to get a bit "Zen" about it, lol. Perhaps the best thing for you to form an opinion with is to take a little bit of your friend's negative take on it, and a little bit of our more positive take on it, mix them together and figure that sometimes the NHS works very well for many people, and sometimes things don't feel so smooth. 

Like a lot of things in life, both can be true and not true at the same time; it all depends on each case, where someone is, even the particular doctor or hospital they are dealing with.

The NHS do priorotise, and emergency treatment gets priority.  If your ex has a condition which can be treated with drugs but could be cured by an operation, it is reasonable that they will stick him on a waiting list for the op and treat him with the drugs in the meantime.  As long as the drugs continue to work and his condition doesn't get worse the operation is not considered an emergency.

Vicky

ah ok yea he did tell me they gave him alot of meds...maybe  he is just scared..and thinking the worse..

The target is 18 weeks from referral to start of treatment: http://www.18weeks.nhs.uk/Content.aspx?path=/ Emergencies will be far less as there is a separate referral system for things like suspected cancer. It's a target, not a rule, but in my experience the NHS is pretty good at meeting that target.

I work for them and I can assure you, it's a pretty damn good system. Nothing is perfect, it has flaws. But I for one am damn happy to have it (and I would say that even if they didn't provide my paycheque!!)

I work for them and I can assure you, it's a pretty damn good system. Nothing is perfect, it has flaws. But I for one am damn happy to have it (and I would say that even if they didn't provide my paycheque!!)

Damn! 

Damn! 

 

I would say that the standard of care is generally pretty darned good, so don't let him wind you up.  On the other hand, the NHS has an inbuilt economic conundrum - always more people taking out than putting in, which must result in a shortfall, putting doctors and nurses under some extra strain that doesn't generally happen in the US under the private healthcare-as-a-business model  (i.e. less funding for expensive procedures, limits on time allotted for spending with individual patients).  Some sacrifices and compromises have to be made, just as they would in the US under an HMO.  And occasionally this can mean that early diagnosis doesn't happen with rare conditions.  But individual quality of care varies widely - I wouldn't make a blanket statement about the NHS being awful, just as I wouldn't about the US medical system.  There are outstanding doctors in both places and there are awful doctors who will fob you off in both places.  The best thing you can do, in either country, is take personal responsibility and be a good advocate for your own healthcare. 

Havent heard from him since so not sure whatsup, I tried to contact him but no reply..Hope he is ok.

It's not so good when it comes to long term conditions that aren't life threatening though.  People do have to wait a while to see specialists sometimes. 

Yeap! Since I live where you do, that's my experience. Though if I had something urgent, it would be taken care of pretty quickly.

Healthcare in the U.K. is just as it is in America; if you have money, you can get great care, but if you don't, you can get screwed.

The NHS covers many more treatments than Medicaid in the states does.  However, you may find yourself waiting weeks to be seen by a NHS doctor, as opposed to days on Medicaid.  This, as I think you can see from this thread, is the biggest point of frustration for NHS patients from all backgrounds.

Many of the treatments used in the U.K. may seem archaic to a U.S. patient, but on the other hand, many of the latest treatments that are still not covered by Medicaid or private insurers in the U.S. are available to NHS patients.

Your best bet in either nation is private health insurance.