Gunfitter

Hello all,

could any one tell me if they feel that the general standard of health care, in Canada, is of a better standard than in the UK.

By this I mean booking an oppointment to see a doctor, operation waiting lists or dentist waiting lists etc.

iaink

Dental is all private, so seeing a dentist is never an issue.

Finding a GP to take you on is a hassle in many parts of the country, but appointments to see consultants seem to be pretty fast, and can be got through the urgent care clinics or hospital emerg department.

I think its probably a little better in Canada, especially for non urgent things...at least you can get in to see the specialist in a not unreasonable time, but then my interaction with the NHS is ten years or more old now. Somehow I doubt things have improved much in that time. I have been impressed with the service on the occasions Ive had to deal with it in Canada.

The odd things relative to the NHS is that Canadian hospitals have to raise all there own capital for equipment..the government doesn't help out there, so things that you might think essential in a modern hospital like MRI or CAT scanners need a lot of fund raising. The second thing is that prescription charges are not covered, unless you are still in the hospital... but thats what benefits are for

Gunfitter

Thanks,

in the past I have found it a bit difficult to visit the doctor, and usually have to book 2 weeks in advance.

Ofcourse this allows me to plan for time off work to enable me to see the doctor.

iaink

Ours will squeeze us in the same day or next day for sudden sicknesses, but apointments for routine maintainence are usually more likely to be next week or next month if hes really busy.

daft batty

Thats not true regarding the funding. Federal government provides some funds to the provinces via CHST funds and some of this is towards buying new equipment. Hospitals also apply to the Provincial government for capital funding. When it isnt allocated then the hospitals do the same as the UK and start an appeal for charity funds. There is also a history here of city councils funding hospitals, these are the ones that have "Civic" in the name. But this method of funding is being phased out.

As well as prescription charges you pay for Out Patient physio services, unless they were related to an IP treatment. OP physiotherapy. If you have an njury you buy or hire the crutches. If you want a lightweight fbreglass plaster on your fracture you pay for that otherwise its a plaster of Paris cast.

Doctors are not employed by the government/hospital/clinics. They are individual practitioners usually paid on a fee for services and so the system works in much the same way that private medicine does in the UK, with the provincial government as the main insurer.

iaink

I stand corrected. I guess there just isnt enough federal / provincial funding in practice. I was under the impression even stuff like beds and furniture, incubators etc was all pretty much the result of auxiliary find raising.

Gunfitter

Interesting., and probably expensive.

However I would not be contributing to the UK National Health Service. So I could class this as a rebate to pay for some of the Provincial health Care costs.

daft batty

I think the fund raisers give that impression. Maybe as a method of generating more funds, a guilt trip etc, and maybe, perhaps as a method of self agrandissement. But that would be a cynical suggestion.

Perhaps the hospital board like to give that impression??

Somewhere in my course notes I have a section that says capital funding is Provincial and operating costs are Federal, but I have also seen references that say the Federal funding goes towards new equipment.

Basically Canada has 14 heathcare systems with the basic provisions that each province, territory must provide outlined in the Canada Health Act. The provinces, territories, correction services, and military, administer the health service and decide what they will provide over and above this.