the bat

after it was on the new's, they dropped the price down, i bet nobody got a refund.

bcworld

Nothing like a bit of sensationalism eh!

One retailer tries to take advantage of a situation and 'UK Petrol hits £1.99' - I don't think so. This was even in the Aus media - 'UK Petrol hits $4.17 a litre'. Great journalism. OK, I've got some petrol, I'll sell it to you for $10 / litre. 'OMG - Aus Petrol hits $10 a litre!!'.

Time to leave the country? Get a grip.

littlejimmy

WILD Generalisations there, I'm afraid. I've been a frequent user of the NHS and have never had anything to complain about.

Border Reiver

No way would I live in the UK without private health insurance, so I would end up paying the premium out of income that was already taxed (or, if my employer provided the cover, it would be a taxable benefit). I have heard from a lot of people who have had excellent service from the NHS but sadly I have also heard from too many people who haven't and where my health is concerned I wouldn't take the risk.

I don't have children so the schooling wasn't an issue but certainly in the areas I have lived nobody who could afford not to would send their children to the state schools. Maybe that is just a reflection on the areas I used to live in.

Eeyore

Really? Ask the millions of people for whom it's a (literal) lifeline every year, and see if they agree with you.

And how about all the incredibly dedicated staff who train for years and still go on to work for the NHS rather than in private medicine because they believe in public healthcare?

Sure, the NHS makes occasional mistakes. So does every other medical system in the world (you don't seriously think that by paying for private healthcare you're immune from medical mistakes, do you?). It doesn't even come close to meaning that as an overall institution, it's "near to incompetent".

And trust me on this, should you ever find yourself in the position of needing critical treatment for a condition that is not covered by a private policy - and unless you're rich, there will be *plenty* that a private policy won't cover - you will be very very grateful that you've always got the option of scuttling back to the NHS to keep you alive.

What, falling standards in *all* schools? Every single one of them?

Yes, there are failing schools out there. No, they don't come close to making up the majority. And of course, there are many hundreds of superb state schools that are the equal, if not the superior, of many fee-paying schools.

Of course, most people with private medical policies aren't paying for them out of their own pockets. They're on corporate insurance, which the company gets at a discount, partly because there are plenty of expensive-to-treat conditions that are excluded.

If individuals had to pay out of their own pockets for private cover that offered everything the NHS does, they'd probably suffer a coronary on seeing the cost of the premium. Indeed, only the rich could afford it at all.

Do you realise just how much it would cost you to fully fund private healthcare and education for a family?

Anyone who can afford to do that really doesn't need to worry about the cost of petrol. Seriously.

weescot

Private health insurance is fine for "bog standard" operations and treatment, but anything major or conditions that are serious and/or rare, then you will end up at an NHS hospital anyway - for which they charge your insurance company.

With the NHS, you may get a "no frills" service but at least the policy is not to debate your treatment with underwriters.

Eeyore

Indeed. The fact that all medical insurance companies employ people whose job it is to find any reason at all to reject a claim - and who are incentivised appropriately - is, to my mind, absolutely abhorrent.

Those people are the reason why medical bills are the second biggest cause of personal bankruptcy in the USA.

Daz968

I agree it is all to do whith what's important to me. I have no kids, I have full medical cover, I like driving, I am not happy at all with the way the UK is being run by a bunch of overpaid lefty liberal sops, I hate the way that I pay a lot of tax for what? (NHS? - I pay for private (my choice I know - but what is the option...however I do support the NHS 100% they do a great job, have a hard job to do with no reward (compare MP pay with a nurse - I go private because I am trying to do my bit in not using the NHS for 'minor ailments'), state of the roads / gridlock - don't get me on that), rubbish - get the bloody criminals to pick it up , I hate the way the country is being overrun by children who have no respect for anything and there is no deterrent, I could go on...

I have vocalised my opinions to my MP - fat lot that does. I am very proud to be British and the UK will always be my home. But I have had enough of being the downtrodden middle aged normal English white male with no disabalities working hard to end up with not a lot left in my pocket.

And yes, there is a deliberate statement in saying proud to be British and being a downtrodden English man.

...and no, I won't be wearing Union Jack swimmers on the beach in Muscat

Eeyore

There will be plenty of critical conditions and expensive treatments that your private insurance won't cover, and should you ever be unlucky enough to find yourself needing them, your expensive private cover won't be worth squat.

That's the point at which you offer up a fervent prayer of thanks for the existence of the NHS and all the taxpayers who fund it

Or, of course, if you come from a country that doesn't provide comprehensive healthcare to all regardless of ability to pay, that's the point at which you die.

If you don't like gridlocked roads and you despise incompetence in traffic policy, for Gawd's sake, don't come to Dubai...

That's largely the parents' fault. When you've got a generation of parents raised with the "me, me, me" and "why should I care about anyone else?" attitudes, they're inevitably going to bring up selfish kids.

weescot

Full medical cover is still limited by the capability of the private health care provider's facilities. You will find they have limitations - driven by profit margins.

[QUOTE=Eeyore;6477671]There will be plenty of critical conditions and expensive treatments that your private insurance won't cover, and should you ever be unlucky enough to find yourself needing them, your expensive private cover won't be worth squat.

That's the point at which you offer up a fervent prayer of thanks for the existence of the NHS and all the taxpayers who fund it

QUOTE]

Plenty of critical conditions - plus complications that can set in after rountine surgery that private facilites cannot handle.

Coxy the Bear

It's actually THE biggest. 50% of bankruptcy claims in the US are attributed to medical costs.

Coxy the Bear

The government here announced the launch of it's own 'National Health Service' to allow healthcare for all.

Daz968

Agree, but nothing in life is guaranteed - particulary with insurance - I know that. Hence my comment as to my reasons for using private when I can - so I don't use NHS resources for stuff that my insurance does cover

...of which I have been one for the last 30 years...



I won't be... But I am not naive - where there is a concentration of people / cars - there will be problems. It's just annoying that when the majority of my driving charges (petrol and tax) is suppose to be pured into transport (be it public or otherwise) I see no progress.


I completely agree, problem is we are now getting to 3rd generation selfish scroungers who really know no different. If you speak to the parents about their kids trashing the community (which I have every day where I live) - all you get is abuse from the parents - if your lucky. If you're unlucky the whole family will turn on you and you will end up in hospital relying on the under- resourced NHS.

It's all crazy and that is why the petrol cr@p is just another reason (not the only) why I am glad to be leaving.

littlejimmy

The grass is always greener on the other side...

Daz968

...there ain't no grass left in this paddock and the farmer hasn't got a clue how to succesfully culivate the land.

Maybe when he has learnt how to tend the land and care for his hard working farm workers, I might return...