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Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 8:46:54 AM   
rulemylife


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Status: offline 		 Britons defend their health care system from US criticism


LONDON – Britons reacted with outrage Friday at American criticism of the country's health care system and defended their cradle-to-grave medical coverage on Twitter, television and in the tabloids.

Right-wing attacks on President Barack Obama's health reform plans have struck a nerve in Britain, where residents broadly take for granted their universal coverage under the state-funded National Health Service — and look askance at the millions of Americans without insurance.

"Land of the Fee," declared the Daily Mirror in reference to the United States' high-charging health model. The London newspaper called the "lies and distortions" being circulated in the United States about the National Health Service "truly sickening."

"Jaw droppingly untruthful," said the British Medical Association's chairman, Hamish Meldrum.

"NHS often makes the difference between pain and comfort, despair and hope, life and death," Prime Minister Gordon Brown tweeted. "Thanks for always being there."

Even British health campaigner Kate Spall — who criticizes NHS failings in U.S. television ads produced by Conservatives for Patients' Rights, a lobby group that opposes Obama's plans — declared that the group had misled her and was distorting her true views.

Spall's mother died of kidney cancer while waiting for treatment.

"There are failings in the system but I'm not anti-NHS at all," Spall told the British Broadcasting Corp.
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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 9:55:32 AM   
Starbuck09


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Joined: 6/7/2009
Status: offline 		I woud not have survived past the age of ten ift was not for the N.H.S. It is n pefect like most services in all countries are not perfect but on the ehol it does a magnificent job in my opinion. Certainly I would not be posting this view if Britain did not have the system we do.

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 10:29:57 AM   
FullCircle


Posts: 5713
Joined: 11/24/2005
Status: offline 		I can't really think of a time I needed hospital treatment apart from that time someone stabbed me in the hand with a pencil and even then they caused me more pain by further stabbing me in the hand trying to get the lead out. So in the end they left it in, I think they must have developed better techniques since then.

The other times I used it I have to say it was very good indeed (doctor/dentist etc.).


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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 10:52:03 AM   
mnottertail


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Status: offline 		Well, I wouldn't even get in the argument, OP...........

Soon we will be recieving hypethetical horror stories of British Healthcare from Sedgewick the Plumber.  (Your version of Joe, I assume).

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 11:05:13 AM   
stella41b


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From: SW London (UK)
Status: offline 		The NHS may be far from perfect but it's there, it does the job and it's something that the majority of people in the UK quite rightly are proud of. In fact I'd even go further and say that lots of people from outside the UK would have if given the choice.

In fact after reading Sarah Palin's arguments I'm quite proud of our politicians too and glad we don't have anyone like her her in our politics. The woman strikes me as being as thick as two short planks.

I fully support Obama's healthcare reforms and feel it's about time the US joined the rest of us in the 21st century in having health care universally available to everyone. These reforms sound quite similar to the reforms in the Polish healthcare system implemented by both the post-communist and Solidarity governments which basically was to set up a system which was a hybrid between the UK and US systems. In order to get healthcare you need to be paying into your ZUS medical and welfare insurance plans which covers you for everything but where you aren't covered the government covers the cost of your treatment and subsidizes certain medications known as 'ryczalt' so you only pay 30% of the costs.

Again, it's not ideal but it would appear to be far better than a system where the majority are paying higher premiums to subsidize those who cannot pay, a system also where it would appear that access to healthcare is not always guaranteed, available, or affordable, and even a system where it appears that even working people who have insurance have to go without basic healthcare because they cannot afford either to see a doctor or the costs of their medications.

These reforms would benefit not just Democrats, but all Americans, and I feel that this is an issue which goes way beyond party politics. Had it been Bush who was proposing such reforms I would support him too.

But it just goes to show just how misinformed Republicans such as Sarah Palin are on this issue. While there may be waiting lists there is no 'rationing' here and all you need to do to get decent healthcare is to turn up and see the doctor.

You see only 12% or so use private healthcare in this country, which I feel makes a statement as to how good the basic standard of healthcare is in this country and how popular the NHS really is.

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 11:09:41 AM   
mnottertail


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Status: offline 		But it just goes to show just how misinformed Republicans such as Sarah Palin are on this issue. While there may be waiting lists there is no 'rationing' here and all you need to do to get decent healthcare is to turn up and see the doctor.


So, Americans:

Have you ever had to wait to see a specialist?  How does that square with the other obviously sky is falling sort of usual shit we see?

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 11:20:25 AM   
servantforuse


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Status: offline 		Are they defending their dental plan to ?

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 11:49:50 AM   
FullCircle


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Status: offline 		Everyone should learn to be their own dentist I mean you wouldn't go to a third party to get your hair cut would you?

I ask!

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:27:36 PM   
LillyoftheVally


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Status: offline 		Thing that seems to be totally ignored in this argument is that if we wanted to then we could use private care, we choose not to, because much as the US seems to keep saying how theres is better there are so so so many people who arent insured (and then they have the audacity to hold signs up saying we allow our elderly to die)

As stella said it isn't perfect but no system is.

Oh and the teeth thing really does get old

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:30:14 PM   
RCdc


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quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

Are they defending their dental plan to ?


It's 'too'.
Whats wrong with dental?
I have never had to wait that long.  The dentist I am with was currently one month to wait to get the treatment on the NHS.  That's hardly a long wait.
Before that, when I have moved, the others had sign up months three or four times a year.
The issue isn't NHS dentists, it's people.  The people that complain are the ones who do not attend regular screening.  If you go once every six months for a check, you remain on the list.  If you don't, or have a poor record in no-shows, you have to wait until their next sign up month.  It's not a biggie.  If you lose your place because of poor attendance, that's your own problem.
 
the.dark.

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:33:41 PM   
servantforuse


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Status: offline 		I was just asking  a simple question.

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:35:26 PM   
RCdc


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Status: offline 		And I answered it.
 
the.dark.
(.withteeth.)

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:45:14 PM   
LillyoftheVally


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Darcyandthedark

And I answered it.

the.dark.
(.withteeth.)


And rather well IMO


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'My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fibre, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes.'

Nah I am not happy to see you either

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:50:17 PM   
servantforuse


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Status: offline 		Well, The Brits nave never been known for straight teeth and a nice smile..

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:55:33 PM   
LillyoftheVally


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quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

Well, The Brits nave never been known for straight teeth and a nice smile..



And the Americans have never been known for their wit, sometimes stereotypes are, well stereotypes

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'My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fibre, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes.'

Nah I am not happy to see you either

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 12:59:06 PM   
RCdc


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quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

Well, The Brits nave never been known for straight teeth and a nice smile..

And the americans have never been known for their slim and healthy physique.
Ah well.
 
the.dark.

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 1:03:32 PM   
Apocalypso


Posts: 1104
Joined: 4/20/2009
Status: offline 		Protip:  The British dentistry system has a far higher percentage of private practises then any of the medical professions.  So it's rather silly to use it as an example of why a tax-funded system, based on need as opposed to ability to pay, doesn't work.  It's actually the nearest to the current US system.


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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 1:06:53 PM   
mnottertail


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Darcyandthedark

quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

Well, The Brits nave never been known for straight teeth and a nice smile..

And the americans have never been known for their slim and healthy physique.
Ah well.
 
the.dark.

 
The britons for their spotted dick, and sorry.......regardless of your other heineous acts of imperialism, it is just wrong of you to say you invented haggis before the scots....the shame of it all

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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 1:16:04 PM   
FullCircle


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Joined: 11/24/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: mnottertail
it is just wrong of you to say you invented haggis before the scots....the shame of it all

More of an accolade will be bestowed upon the nation that univents it IMOSVHO.


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RE: Britons defend their health care from US criticism - 8/14/2009 2:07:14 PM   
Aneirin


Posts: 6121
Joined: 3/18/2006
From: Tamaris
Status: offline 		Just to point out regards the dental system, I still cannot get an NHS dentist, I have gone down all the channels, done everything and now I await a response. My current application is eight months old, the one before that, twelve months old, a recent phone call to my area primary care trust revealed they had not forgotten about me, I was on the system, but there are no NHS dentists available, simple as that. So now I am reliant on the emergency dental care system, which operates on a first come first served basis with a  five minute window of application. The  application procedure should be one whole morning, but the demand is so great, if you don't get that phone ringing a minute or two before they open the lines, forget it, for it is a permanent engaged tone after which there are no places left. My teeth are a constant problem, because I brux and have TMD caused by bruxing, gum guards I grind through or spit out at night. No, not proper dental gumguards, but the sports type, hardly the right thing, but the right thing is only available through a dentist, which I cannot get, so have to do my best with what I have  and live on a diet of codeine, and clove oil. Getting kind of desperate now, because the codeine seems not to be working as well as it did.

So the NHS in general, I did possibly wrongly have high expectations of it, I tend to do that, but in reality, and from experience, aside from the dental servive in my area, I find it is ok, not perfect, but it suits my needs. Yeah, it can be slow, but then I think that is a thing in general with British systems, the law and justice system for example, I jokingly think they must be stopping for a cup of tea between every thought and action, quite possibly the British way, have a cup of tea and think about it.


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