COVID

Clarification -

Every person I met in the UK and most of those who I've talked to over the years believe everyone should have access to basic healthcare, especially in an emergency situation. That care was considered a basic human right, just as much as education and freedom from enslavement.

Well that's a bit diferent to you saying "The people of the UK look at healthcare as a basic human right". Brits know that the NHS can't possible cover every treatment.

What treatment is available in an emergency, depends on which of the 4 NHS you use. This one always sticks in my mind as it was sent to me by a Welsh friend. I used to live in Wales before there was devolved powers (NHS Wales) and when there was  only 1 NHS.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/former-boss-health-board-moves-9404921

"education" yes. Bizarely, illegals can send their children to school because  children who live in the UK must go to school, but they can be get refused free healthcare and the parents can go to jail for up to four years for overstaying their visa (the new law that came into force in June under the Borders Act).

Who the flip pays for it was not part of the equation, other than essential care should not be denied due to lack of financial resources.  Careful, Sirius, your classist tendencies are showing a bit around the edges there. 

But it is denied because of lack of resources in most (all?) countries. How is it “classist” to point out how the NHS is funded and therefore why an NHS can’t cover what some thought it would?

The end result, eventually, will be much as you had before the NHS, only diluted a bit for the poor folks. The rich will still get all the care they can pay for.

I would assume that taxes will have to go up massively to pump the necessary money into the system,

Raising taxes didn't work for Scotland. It seems the SNP hadn't heard of the Laffer curve.

High tax rates in Scotland bring in £200m less, says IFS

Imposing higher rates of income tax on residents in Scotland has triggered a decline in revenues, according to an economic analysis.

Returns are £200 million less than if the Scottish government had remained with UK Treasury bands.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/high-tax-rates-in-scotland-bring-in-200m-less-says-ifs-m6j9szcrh

Mmm.....Liz Truss will definitely make it worse.....

The SNP decide how much they want to spend on your NHS, NHS Scotland. Healthcare and taxation are devolved powers.

The SNP decide how much they want to spend on your NHS, NHS Scotland. Healthcare and taxation are devolved powers.

Yes, and thank goodness for that. 

   "Clarification -  Every person I met in the UK and most of those who I've talked to over the years believe everyone should have access to basic healthcare, especially in an emergency situation. That care was considered a basic human right, just as much as education and freedom from enslavement."

Well that's a bit diferent to you saying "The people of the UK look at healthcare as a basic human right". Brits know that the NHS can't possible cover every treatment.

How on earth can that possibly be read any differently?  And why the obsession with pointing out costs, how much "foreigners" abuse the system, and how sucky things are in Scotland (as if they don't already know)?  Over and over and over.  Seriously, and you do not see the class-ist over/undertones in that? 

How is your daughter feeling, Nan?

She's a bit better, but not 100% - more like about 75%.  Still very tired, but her color looks better. She thinks maybe epic allergies combined with the ever-present-and-can't-get-rid-of-it sinus infection flaring up again. At least she no longer has raccoon eyes. 

She still has some epic brain fog going on, though. So I have to wonder if it's allergies or that bug we had after her friend from Ireland visited a year ago might have actually been Covid. We both were in bed with high fevers within 24 hours of the friend's visit, but got over it relatively quickly, so it could have just been a virus we hadn't been exposed to in the past. No way to know, really.  (My assumption is "rogue virus".)

But the short answer is "improved." Dosing with chicken broth, very garlic-heavy food, and liberal salsa-and-tortilla chips to keep things open and draining. (It works.)

Thanks for asking.

She's a bit better, but not 100% - more like about 75%.  Still very tired, but her color looks better. She thinks maybe epic allergies combined with the ever-present-and-can't-get-rid-of-it sinus infection flaring up again. At least she no longer has raccoon eyes. 

She still has some epic brain fog going on, though. So I have to wonder if it's allergies or that bug we had after her friend from Ireland visited a year ago might have actually been Covid. We both were in bed with high fevers within 24 hours of the friend's visit, but got over it relatively quickly, so it could have just been a virus we hadn't been exposed to in the past. No way to know, really.  (My assumption is "rogue virus".)

But the short answer is "improved." Dosing with chicken broth, very garlic-heavy food, and liberal salsa-and-tortilla chips to keep things open and draining. (It works.)

Thanks for asking.

There's been a nasty "bug" (new variant not showing up on LFTs?) going around here - mildly fluey, makes you absolutely wiped out for 2 weeks and causes a week of vertigo. My husband had it first otherwise I would have just thought it was my usual a bit more severe than I'm used to, he picked it up at the grocery store. Really not fun, have only been able to look at screens for limited times for a week.

ewwwwwww 

Was supposed to get Covid booster and flu shot today, but I'm feeling absolutely garbage - head cold/sinus pressure thing - Not Covid - So have rescheduled to next week

Was supposed to get Covid booster and flu shot today, but I'm feeling absolutely garbage - head cold/sinus pressure thing - Not Covid - So have rescheduled to next week

Feel better!    And congratulations on your vaccination invitation! 

Feel better!    And congratulations on your vaccination invitation! 

+1

Our Bivalent Covid jabs are scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, all being well.

Going for mine a week from tomorrow.  And the flu jab sometime thereafter. They asked if I wanted both at the same time.  (!) I can only deal with so much yuck, so a couple of weeks later I'll get "flu'ed".

My wife and I got our Pfizer Bivalent vaccine this afternoon. The pharmacies around here are doing them again rather than the GP surgeries. I think they are better set up for the cold chain requirements than the GP surgeries.

Our Flu jabs are being done at the GP and we have those booked for 10 days time. Apparently, a common side effect for this year's flu vaccine is a headache so we plan on taking paracetamol immediately after getting the jab.

There are some truly amazing health care systems out there though.  Germany, France, Japan, Sweden spring to mind!  These are some good models to go after.

New Zealand’s healthcare is also a tax funded healthcare system but like Australia, they protect their healthcare service for their citizens.

To get a visa, the applicant must prove they have acceptable standards of health -
"acceptable standards of health", an immigration policy that considers whether a person would cost the nation's special education or healthcare systems more than $41,000. // That's NS$ and is about US$ 23,400
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/family-of-autistic-child-arianna-alfonzo-12-fights-for-nz-residency-visa/WTSO5ZG4T7VW24AGW6WRGI3UMU/


They also protect their healthcare systems from immigrants who might be costly for their healthcare system in the future: like Australia, I think they also have an age limit for a visa. New Zealand also decided not to allow fat people to have a visa anymore.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/angela-meadows/healthy-fat-chef-too-unhealthy-to-live-in-new-zealand_b_3663813.html

Even after being declared they have an acceptable standard of health, some visas don’t give access/full access to their healthcare system.
Those not on a work visa, need to pay.
https://www.govt.nz/browse/health/public-health-services/healthcare-on-a-work-visa/
https://www.acc.co.nz/



Germany has an insurance based healthcare system and it is law in Germany that everybody must have health insurance.

They higher earners and civil servants buy private insurance. It is law in Germany that insurers cannot exclude those with existing conditions, but the insurers can charge these people more.

Those on the state funded insurance pay a percentage of their income and this percentage is decided and changed by the government. These will also likely want private insurance too, e.g. if they have used up their allowance under state funded insurance.

Those who are employed, share the cost of their health insurance with their employer. The rest have to pay all of their health insurance e.g. the self employed, those who are retired.

ATM, the German government allows the health insurance of one person in work, to cover their unemployed spouse and children too, but apparently there is legislation going through.

You can choose which doctor you want, but as these get paid more from those with private insurance, those with private insurance can likely get appointments quicker than those on the state insurance.

France has a good healthcare system but it is expensive to run.  The co-payments can also be very costly.

Our Flu jabs are being done at the GP and we have those booked for 10 days time. Apparently, a common side effect for this year's flu vaccine is a headache so we plan on taking paracetamol immediately after getting the jab.

I had a flu jab a few days ago and didn't get a headache, or any other aches.

Asda is again the cheapest place to buy a flu jab this year, at just under £10. If you have their app, you also get £1 Not sure if you can book onlne.

Boots is just under £17 and you can book online. This year their staff were very good at finding who had to pay and who got the vaccine for free on the NHS.

Over 50s can have a free flu jab on the NHS this year, from mid October.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/?%20utm_source=nhsuk