NHS IS NOT FREE
Mar 10th 2010, 5:32 am
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: permanently locked down
Posts: 733
Re: NHS IS NOT FREE
Having worked in the NHS & the NZ health service & have been a receiver of treatment in both, give me the NHS any day.
At least in the NHS you don't have to lie to get treatment for free. To get ACC funding for various issues you are encouraged to say I fell etc. otherwise you have to pay for everything. People who are genuinely ill shouldn't have to worry whether they can afford an ambulance, a visit to the GP etc.
I would rather pay NI contributions from my salary & have the NHS at "free at the point of use" & have an honest relationship with my GP/ Consultant.
At least in the NHS you don't have to lie to get treatment for free. To get ACC funding for various issues you are encouraged to say I fell etc. otherwise you have to pay for everything. People who are genuinely ill shouldn't have to worry whether they can afford an ambulance, a visit to the GP etc.
I would rather pay NI contributions from my salary & have the NHS at "free at the point of use" & have an honest relationship with my GP/ Consultant.
Mar 10th 2010, 9:46 pm
#17
Queen of the Underworld
Joined: Dec 2007
Location: In NZ!
Posts: 4,785
Re: NHS IS NOT FREE
I must agree that I would rather have the NHS and pay via NI and taxation than a system of needing to purchase health insurance to get treatment. I would not like to be in the situation where I had the additional worry of whether the insurance company was going to pay up for my treatment and whether I could afford it if they didn't. The fact that some people are not paying into the system yet receive the same treatment does not bother me at all, that should be something to be proud of-that you live in a country that doesn't base its healthcare only on the ability to pay. That your bad health is not used by an insurance company to make profit. There will always be a limited amount of money in the pot when it comes to the NHS but that does not mean insurance and private medicine is the answer. Your argument seems to be about those who are not working or interested in work rather than just about funding the NHS. There should not be the ability to opt out of funding the NHS either - everyone pays whether you're paying for additional health insurance or not. After all you cannot opt out of paying tax for something that you may disagree with or not use whether that be defence, social security, education etc etc
My grandma had hip surgery at the age of 100; she didn't work for much of her life having brought up 5 kids though my Grandad was in work. She must have had my Mam at around the age of 40 and then pretty much reached retirement age and onto the pension. Should I resent the fact that £1,000s would have been spent on her [or indeed anyone else's grandparents] at that age when she certainly would not have put that amount in?
I am lucky in that I haven't had need to use the NHS very much. I cannot think of a single time when I have had any cause for complaint though. I have always received exemplory treatment and can't thank the team at Hull's plastic surgery unit enough after a disagreement with a GSD
My grandma had hip surgery at the age of 100; she didn't work for much of her life having brought up 5 kids though my Grandad was in work. She must have had my Mam at around the age of 40 and then pretty much reached retirement age and onto the pension. Should I resent the fact that £1,000s would have been spent on her [or indeed anyone else's grandparents] at that age when she certainly would not have put that amount in?
I am lucky in that I haven't had need to use the NHS very much. I cannot think of a single time when I have had any cause for complaint though. I have always received exemplory treatment and can't thank the team at Hull's plastic surgery unit enough after a disagreement with a GSD
Mar 10th 2010, 10:48 pm
#18
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 0
Re: NHS IS NOT FREE
