Burning NHS Questions

Moving to London to go to grad school and feel like I have read every post on this forum in preparation.  I still have a few burning questions that have been brought up before, but want some new  opinions. 

Do you think the NHS is as good as US healthcare and would you say the same thing if you came down with a major illness that required specialized care? 

Did you get sick all the time when you first moved here?  I have seen various reports on this and wonder if it is true.

Has anyone been to Harefield Hospital?  What was your impression?
 

Yes, it is as good as the US and yes, I would say the same thing if I were seriously ill -- I have had family members fall seriously ill who received care and attention far above and beyond what was required. I am looking forward to having my next baby here; my prenatal care is much more personal and focused than what I received in the US (at a top hospital through a top OB clinic).

No, I did not get ill all of the time when I arrived. Nor did anyone else I know, or any other member of my family.

Yes, I agree with the above poster, and I also think their emergency care is superb.

Overall my care has been excellent, and I think the quality has been the same for the most part. There isn't quite as strong a focus on preventive stuff though, so some tests and such that are more routine in the States don't happen here without motivation, but that doesn't mean you can't get them. You will sometimes wait a bit longer on waiting lists for things that aren't an immediate concern, but if it's something pressing, you can generally get right in. I also had a lot of experience working with women in prenatal care in the States and believe my care in pregnancy and afterword was better here in the UK.  The infant mortality rate is actually much lower here in the UK than the US with its approach.

I will disagree though that people didn't get more ill right at first.  Previous posters may not have, but I felt like I caught every bug that came my way for a year or two after moving.  I had a slew of colds and ear infections to where my in-laws were beginning to ask if I was sickly, but thankfully those cleared out eventually.  It didn't help that I lived in an area with a high concentration of students, so we were facing things from all over and groups of people that spread illnesses to each other readily.  I got to be friends with my local pharmacist with my frequency of visits, and they told me they had worked in many areas, but that the one I lived in seemed to have a lot more bugs in general, but they felt that the international students and expats got hit disproportionately. It wasn't too bad though, and I got through it eventually

Do you think the NHS is as good as US healthcare and would you say the same thing if you came down with a major illness that required specialized care? 

I've had outpatient surgery in both the US and the UK within the last 6 years, and I'd say the healthcare is as good in the UK as it is in the US.  The only difference I've noticed has more to do with the culture of the system.  In the US it's for profit, so getting health care is more of a transactional/consumer experience, while in the UK health care is run by the government, so it can be a bit like getting treated by a giant bureaucracy that will get you well, but only after all the requisite steps and paperwork have been done properly.  It's not worse, it's just a different feel to the overall system.

Did you get sick all the time when you first moved here?  I have seen various reports on this and wonder if it is true.

I haven't gotten sick any more in the UK than I did in the US.

I think the NHS is better.  I was quite ill in and out of hospital between 8-20 months after I moved (not an expat thing- just my body messing with me with autoimmune issues) and I was a right pain in the ars* for my GP - but I got amazing care and I still do, with my consultant that I see every 6 months.  The nurses were great, the hospital staff were great, very attentive and explained things and did the best they could for me.  
 
I was never too ill in the US ,but I hated how they were always trying to fob you off with some drug I didn't need, do every test under the sun just because I had "good insurance" and make me wait for hours on end to be seen (I will always see a GP here within 15 minutes of arriving. I have never waited more than 15 minutes and I have been in the GPs surgery a lot here.  Meanwhile, I have waited up to 4 hours in the US -for three minute "Why are you here?, Ok, lets give you 10000 blood tests and 85 x-rays and actually all I had was strep throat and needed a swab and antibiotics" ) Of course, your mileage may vary from mine, just as others will as well. 

I actually really like that you can find straightforward clinical guidelines for various conditions the NHS on the web (Scottish Sign guidelines for example) and you can arm yourself with the information you need to have an informative conversation to make sure you're getting the best and proper care.  

And NHS24!  Brilliant. Call up, speak to a nurse.  Get triaged.  They'll even call A&E or your GP surgery for you and make sure you get seen asap if urgent.  

I love the NHS!  

I could write a book about how much I love the NHS. I was seriously ill and spent a fortnight in hospital a little over 3 years ago, and I got all the scans and exams I needed, and some very expensive new meds, all for free, and I still get seen as an outpatient annually, plus monthly blood tests at my GP because of the prescription I now have to take. No wondering how I was going to pay for it, no worrying that my insurance wouldn't cover a charge.
One thing I will say is that generally speaking the NHS in Scotland tends to perform better than the rest of the UK (it's devolved and is an independent system), and fortunately has not been subject to the crap that the coalition government has been pulling down south.

Did you get sick all the time when you first moved here?  I have seen various reports on this and wonder if it is true.

In my case, yes. I got loads of colds and tummy problems and ear infections. Every couple of months there would be something. Now it's about twice a year, which seems more normal.

As far as the quality of the NHS, I'll put it this way. I'd rather be sick here than in the US any day.

I definitely like the NHS better than healthcare in the US.    

My first few appointment in the UK, I kept asking how much each thing would cost.    They kept reassuring me it was free (except the prescriptions which are £7 each or so).    I was so happy!  

In the US I had health insurance for a few years with my employer but I was always wary of the co-pay or extra fees I'd be charged..... so I rarely went (I wasn't usually sick anyway).  Plus, it's no fun waiting hours to be seen if you're going to have to pay, too!  

Here- I arrive, sit in the waiting room for a few minute then my name comes up on the screen telling me which room to go to and 15 minutes later I'm out.    If I forget a question at my appointment, easy schmeasy.... I just book another one for the grand total or free!  Or use the NHS website (NHS Choices) or just call them up and speak to a nurse!  

No complaints here either!  I've had ongoing blood tests to monitor my iron levels for the past two years as I became very anemic.  I've had x-rays done on a badly sprained wrist, and gyno stuff done.  It would have cost a fortune in the US!

On the whole I think the NHS does a good job.  However, there have been times when I wished I was back in the US for healthcare for our oldest daughter.  She has a rare syndrome-when we lived in the States we went to a specialized clinic.  There we were able to see a number of specialists. I had an excellent relationship with her pediatrician and was able to bounce ideas off of him.  I would bring in my research and he would look it over and call me to discuss. 
We have been here 8 years and I have yet to obtain that same comfort level.  When I bring in published papers regarding her syndrome and treatment I am met with indifference.  It is slowing changing with two of her specialists so I am ever hopeful.
I will say that one big plus for the NHS is that I no longer have a filing cabinet full of EOB's and pre authorizations.  I also don't have to get her injectable  recertified every year.  I guess Blue Cross/Blue Shield thought her chromosomes would magically repair themselves.    
There sometimes is a wait with the NHS, but I remember having to wait in the States as well.  One time I was in the waiting room waiting for a chest x-ray on our oldest to rule out RSV.  Before they would take the x-ray they called our insurance to make sure we were covered. 
Our first year here all I did was cough.  Eventually I was placed on the correct inhaler which helped.   

I can't answer any questions about whether medical care is better in the US or UK, as I've always had really good health and rarely see/saw doctors in either country.

4 weeks ago i had an accident, though, and broke my arm in 3 places.
I was seen in A&E on the Saturday, put in plaster, and given pain relief.  On the Monday i went to my own GP, got a line to sign me off my work, got referred to the fracture clinic, and got stronger painkillers.  On the Tuesday I went to the fracture clinic at the hospital, saw an orthopaedic consultant, got xrays, a new cast, and additional painkillers.
For the last 3 weeks, I have been to the fracture clinic every Friday for fresh xrays to see how the healing is progressing, and will go again this Friday.  If it hasnt healed to the consultant's satisfaction, i will go in for surgery.

Throughout all of this, i have not had to spend any money (not even for a prescription), or fill in a single form or have even a moment's concern about how all of this is going to affect me financially or at work.  And i feel like the care I'm getting is really good... i haven't had to wait for anything, I've been looked after and kept informed all along the way.

So i have no complaints about the NHS!

I have only had to use the NHS twice so far, but I've also accompanied my husband on a few appointments.

I am really impressed by how organized they are, the practically non-existent wait times and the overall level of care and thoroughness.

Most recently, my optometrist saw something in my eyes he didn't like. I was sent to a specialist at the hospital. My appointment was at 8:45 a.m. I was seen at 8:45 a.m.!  I had a load of tests done and was out in an hour (due to having to wait for my eyes to dilate, etc.)  I thought surely I'd be charged for all these extra tests - nope.

The lack of paperwork with the NHS is glorious. No more forms to fill out at every office, insurance forms/hassles, etc.  Just wonderful.

I am lucky that the hospital is just across the street, my doctor's office is a 5 minute walk, the optometrist a 7 minute walk and the dentist is 15 minutes.

I have no big complaints. I think I had better care in the US (not miles away better, but a little better), but I was fortunate enough to be insured through my father who had an excellent plan through his employer. However, there are millions of uninsured people in the US. There are countless stories of people who have been ruined financially when they got sick or had an accident. That doesn’t seem to happen here. I prefer the system where everyone is covered.

I was talking with my SIL last week and she said when they have kids, she will continue to work and my brother will be a stay-at-home dad.  I'm sure he's great with kids, but she seemed a bit sad about it. 

She said the decision was made because she gets health insurance through her employer and my brother does not.  They need the insurance for meds she takes, so it's their best/only option.    I'm sure she'd love to stay at home with the little ones when they have them, but the cost of healthcare in the States and their employment situations has kind of set the decision for them. 

I'm very glad to not have to think about paying for healthcare here (besides optometrists and dentists but they're still far cheaper than in the US!) and not having the costs and health insurance coverage dictate who stays home when we have kids.