Nu-Shooz

Do they think they are emigrating for a better health service? Canada, USA or OZ!
I think they will be very disappointed.
Just read a thread on the Canada forum, someone complaining they couldn't get a doctor in the UK out to their child with a tummy ache/ear infection. Causing a song and dance about how disgusting it was that a doctor wouldn't drop everything to attend to them.
Get real....
Why do they slag it off? are we that selfish?

dunroving

I was sat in a doctor's waiting room in Caerphilly with a stack of other people, all sniffling and coughing (typical British winter ailments). The wait was proving to be VERY long as one doctor had been called out on an emergency and the other was off sick or on annual leave. Anyway, this guy kept walking up to the window and complaining loudly about having to wait and his kids were sick and they shouldn't have to wait, blah, blah, blah. He obviously thought his emergency was more important than anyone else's.

Long story short, he had come back from several years in Canada and loudly told anyone who was bothered to listen to his bleating that this wouldn't be tolerated over there, blah, blah, blah (he was really starting to p*ss off everyone within earshot).

Eventually, he made such a fuss that the clinic manager let him jump the queue in front of everyone else because his poor little lambs were getting fed up of waiting and were wimpering away (all the poor little Welsh kids who were sick were just sitting on their Mam's knees, stoically waiting their turn).

As he walked down the hallway he told all assembled what a bunch of sheep they were and we should stage a revolution and "see what happens if you kick up a fuss, you shouldn't let them get away with it ..." I don't think he thought about the fact that if we ALL complained about it, we'd ALL have to carry on waiting. It's only because he was the ONLY person making an *ss of himself that he got special treatment.

Anyway, I learned two things. One was that Canada obviously has a better health system than we have. The other was that if you are really selfish and noisy enough you get what you want - but everyone thinks you are a tw*t.

Dorothy

As a Canadian who worked for 20 years in healthcare over there, I can tell you this particular poster is in for a very rude awakening when she gets there.

Sunshine Girl

Hi, we're in Canada, have been for nearly 5 years now. I have to agree with the last poster, insofar as a rude awakening (hope they can even get a G.P.)!
I am so fed up in Canada, but we are stuck until an insurance claim is settled.
I never post on the Canadian Forum, for a reason.
We're just praying to get home sooner the better.
As for the N.H.S. it's a diamond.

Elaine B.

A few years ago I was back in Northern Ireland for a 10 day holiday. I was visiting my sister with my 18 month old son when he had a seizure (turned blue, started shaking etc.) Anyway the Ambulance arrived in less than 1 minute, we were so well looked after at the hospital. I told them we would be flying back to Canada a few days later so they scheduled an EEG and a CT scan for the next day. My son was born in Canada so I was surprised when we didn't get charged for anything.

As far as Canada goes we have been treated very well here too. Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto have been really great. But as far as I can see it's no better than the NHS.

Danny B

Well I am in Canada and we cannot even get registered with a Doctor! Plus we have to pay about $1,200 per year for health care so don't be slagging off the NHS. It may be slow but you do get seen...eventually!

englishrose

after a short 16mths in canada,we were SO happy to get back here ,and back with the NHS !! what a difference.
All the people in the uk who moan about prescriptions going up 10p ought to live in canada where every different item is a different price.
six nasal sprays for migraines????? without health cover they wouldve cost 100 dollars,with cover they were still 20 dollars.
if you are poor in canada you are stuck,at least here you get help.
women were being flown from alberta to montana to give birth,the corridors were full of sick people,the viruses caused by germs (like here) were still around.no better at all.
the uk beats canada hands down in healthcare,no matter what problems we have over here.
it certainly opened our eyes.

manc1

Australia used to have a brilliant health system compared to the UK 20+yrs ago but I'm afraid it has gone backwards very quickly over the last ten years or so (thanks jonny)

Wendy

I can't understand it either A doctors, a doctor is a doctor.

You get crap ones, you get brilliant ones the world over. There'll be waiting rooms full of people wishing that the person who's just gone in will hurry up as you'll only be two minutes compared to their 20 minutes and counting

You'll still have to go on a waiting list for a specialist, unless you can afford to go private. You'll still not want to be in the hospital if you're ill.

All much of a muchness really.

Have to say though that my lovely Mum's cancer team were absolutely brilliant. She got appointments at the drop of a hat, they were always on call for her and the MacMillian nurses were a Godsend in her last weeks. I have no problem at all with the NHS

Well except for the surgeon I got who made a mess of my arm when he was removing an infected gland. I now have a lovely (not) massive scar under my arm from where it got all infected and didn't heal.

Funky Monkey

Hi Wendy.
I'm with you on the NHS.
Yes you wait for routine stuff and casualty may be a nightmare but when it comes on top and you get something like cancer the NHS is an amazing service.
Like your Mum I had cancer and luckily I survived. The drugs I had cost thousands and the care I received was fantastic. I was under a very special team at Oxford that are amongst the best in the country.
Yes the routine care in many other countries may be slightly better but you are also paying for that privellage. If you want the routine stuff done quick pay private.

Please don't knock the NHS is is not perfect in many ways but it is far from rubbish.

crystal23

Apart from the horrendous time I had when I was pregnant due to staff shortages and lack of communication in the NHS the actual care from the Drs/Nurses was fantastic.

I had a great GP in the UK and could get an appointment the same day due to the practice keeping it's patient base small because there were only 2 GPs there. The larger practice in the village took on most patients.

I was due to have an operation in the UK and the NHS moved heaven and earth to get it done before I emigrated but I missed out by a couple of weeks.

I have only praise for the NHS - I have seen at first hand the way people abused the system and staff as I used to work in an A&E dept (not as a nurse).

In Australia I have to say I have found no problems getting an appt within a day or so from my GP and the care is great. I have found a bulk billing practice so am lucky.

What I am shocked at is to discover how far behind Australia is with the stock of medications. I have been taking medication for 5 years in the UK and when I ran out I went to my GP here to get another script. The medication wasn't available in Australia and I was given another brand from which I had side effects. 3 weeks later I went back to the GP and insisted I be given medication that suited me. In those 3 weeks my UK medication had been made available here but I was told I had to pay $42 dollars for it as it was brand new and not subsidised. Even the pharmacist was speechless as she had trained in the Uk and knew the brand had been available there for years.

Only last month was this brand was made available for subsidy and I now pay $27. I am also surprised that kid's scripts aren't free although I would pay any amount of money for my child's health.

Haven't had any dealings with hospitals yet but have an appt tomorrow so will see what that's all about.

I hope this thread doesn't descend into Oz v UK health care but highlights the differences in the system.

dingbat

No....no, no, no. Provincially controlled health care systems are dreadful, and it costs so much in addition to the MSP monthly fee to being able to use it. Prescription charges, birth control, even insulin.....once you add up the cost, the NHS is sorely missed, I can tell you. If you have no job related medical plan, but are not on welfare - don't get sick here, you cannot afford it.

Wendy

Don't worry about your visit to the hospital - you'll be fine. I went a few months back and they were great. I didn't have to wait to see the specialist, and was out again with half hour.

Hope everything is OK.

crystal23

Thanks for that reassurance. I actually hate hospitals. I think nurses are angels though No it's nothing life threatening just a problem that's causing me a bit of pain and really has to be sorted out asap

Nu-Shooz

I agree with what you said about Doctors here in OZ, with seeing you pretty soon. And the bulk billing is excellent if you find one that does it.
My daughter has a problem with her knees and has bad skin on them. Took her to the doc's here and they sent her to a specialist which took 3 months for the appt. Cost me $200 for 10 min consultation and $70 for the cream on her knees.
She went back to UK and got seen by the doc straight away and got more cream straight away. All free of charge. Can't complain.