looselips

Well when my best mate, who works for the beeb, tells me that she is mad busy so much that she can't get out for a cig anymore and that they stopped having long lunches and now meet after work instead....I can't help think that in the cities at least things are changing. Either that or she is lying and avoiding me in which case I will check my deodorant or verbal diarrhea.

geordiegirl2

I think US healthcare system cons people into believing they have much more choice than they have, yes with some policies you can choose your doc and where your treat, what you have no control over and what happens repeatedly is insurance companies denying elements of care that doctors request, such as rehab after hip surgery.
Insurance companies will have reps who round on the patients, checking charts and calling doctors to say they have to be discharged that day, the doctors have no power to prevent this.
Recently I had a 97 yr old who'd had her hip replaced, told she had to go to a Skilled nursing facility that day, she was barely responsive, both the doctor and I protested, we were told the SNIF could do everything we could, she left at 7.30pm was back in ER at 9pm just enough time for the round trip, she'd extented her stroke.Another hospitalisation, another co pay, another deductible, this would not happen in the NHS!!
On the work front, my husband and his collegues, recieved a memo telling them they were halving there holiday entitlements and reducing the employer contribution to their healthcare, there's no right of appeal.

ladylisa

My in laws visited me for a few weeks in September and they are very impressed by the US as they lived here 30 years ago for 2 years and haven't stopped talking about how great the country is ever since. They wont hear of any changes since then other than England is not the country it used to be. Needless to say I had 3 weeks of this... Anyway my FIL needed to go to an emergency clinic so we called into the local Aurora Clinic. It was like entering the Hilton Hotel, waterfalls and plush seating, my MIL exclaims oh they dont have anything like this in England. I replied Mmm we can see where all the money goes cant we. Anyway my FIL went to see the Doctor and gave some blood samples. The Doctor gave him some fancy new drugs without waiting for the test results to come back, which was not on. He was also prescribed anti biotics. Anyway I knew their trip to the Docs was covered on their holiday insurance so I couldn't wait for the bill to come back as I wanted them to see first hand how expensive the tests and examination would be. However unfortunately we received a call from the Doctor a few days later to say they had screwed up the samples and could my FIL go back and do it again. By then he was only a day away from flying home so said not to worry he would wait to see his own Doctor. So when we received the bill it was for only $150 for the Doctor Consultation only, (his anti biotics were an additional $64) however I was so disappointed because I wanted them to see first hand how expensive medical tests are here. In the end my FIL said he was impressed that the bill was so low, I did try and explain that it would have been more had the tests been carried out but by then his ears were closed and he was back to thinking how rubbish the UK is again.

AmerLisa

All I can say is, I think my husband got pretty lucky. In the UK he worked the standard work week, what is it? 37.5 hours a week or some such thing. He had 6 weeks of holiday time (which had increased with his years being in the job) and he had generous sick time, etc. On great pay, etc. Pretty silly to leave I suppose. But, fastforward to his job now..... He works 3.5 days a week, 12 hour shifts. But, he has 3.5 days off a week, which he's much happier with. We haven't felt deprived in holiday time, because we have so much opportunity to take off for long weekends. His holiday time is 21 days a year. Not sure what sick time is, but I'm sure its nothing compared to his job in the UK. How can you match 6 months at full pay to anything else?

As far as I'm concerned. I left a job that gave me 4 weeks holiday a year, but I had to plan that holiday a year in advance.... I've just started a job with the school district, so I get all school holidays off, though unpaid, of course. But, off nonetheless.

AmerLisa

On the flip side of this.....my MIL who thinks everything, and I mean everything, in the US is rubbish. She's disrespectful and I'm sure if she was more assertive she'd openly laugh in people's faces. Its horrible. I can understand seeing the differences and appreciating the UK for things, especially what she's happy with, but my MIL sees nothing good over here. It can be very depressing.

Chorlton

That explains a lot, and thats not intended to be mean.
My mum took a fall when she was here last (wasn't looking where she was going). We waited just as long as I remember at my old A&E. That was very disappointing. However, she had xrays and stitches etc, basically everything she needed when we eventually did get seen (I remember breaking my thumb and having to travel 30miles for an x-ray to another A&E). The insurance bill was four figures!!! As far as healthcare, I can see many pros and cons on both sides.

Lord Lionheart

USA=Social Darwinism
UK= socialist capitalism

I think it would be more fair to compare BUPA or some similar UK private employer issued healthcare to US employee contribution healthcare rather than compare the latter to the NHS, it's apples and oranges.
Try walking into King Drew medical center or Kaiser Permanente with no private insurance in LA, I am sure the treatment experienced would be vastly different, not to mention the huge bill.
Just as a sidenote I also have a sister who lost her eyesight for 7 years thanks to the good old NHS.

geordiegirl2

I think your right we're not comparing like for like, but the difference is in the UK there is an potion, you can wait for the NHS or if you have the means you can pay privately.
I think it terrible about Lionhearts sisters eyesight but since being here i have seen more diabetics in their 20's & 30's with severe complications like loss of sight, amputation of limbs etc because they can't afford the monitoring and screening and even meds that would be supplied in the UK.
I would be the first to agree that the NHS isn't perfect far from it but it does protection to those who have no other option.
The other thing the NHS is doing well is putting money into future health, which with the amount of profit the insurance compaines make they should be doing too but as someone said this is a capitalist nation where the rich just get richer,( rant over!!!)

Lord Lionheart

Went to the dentist this afternoon, $600 for filling 2 teeth , rebonding a crown and taking an X-ray (about 340 Quid??). This was a discounted rate since I no longer have health insurance and paid cash.

geordiegirl2

s**t, we've just had a quote for braces for our 12 year old $6000, thats with dental insurance!!

psb182

I often wondered why they wore a mask.......at first I thought it was a hygene issue but come to the conclusion that they are bandits

scrubbedexpat099

I have been filling in job application forms and they all wnat to know what I was earning before.

Now it was not exactly mega bucks, but when you muliply by current exchange rate and then allow for 35 hour week, 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays and the benefits, it looks pretty awesome compared to the rates per hour here.

I am not a fan of the NHS, but when you see the US alternative, just see my other thread....

Bob

cheaper to knock the teeth out
could always have a car accident to get them fixed *l*

lifeisgreat

I can definitely confirm that less and less people even take their lunch breaks these days in the UK. It is rush rush rush to just try to stay on top of your workload, and get out of the office at a respectable time.

Please see an excerpt below on this very subject:

latest headlines

PM Home > top stories > latest headlines


UK workers consumed by guilt do not take their full lunch hour

Employees rush breaks so colleagues won't think they're skiving


Kerry Lee
Issue date: 05 October 2005
Source: PM Online



A quarter of workers do not take their full lunch hour because they worry that their colleagues and managers will think they are slacking, research has claimed.



Two-thirds of workers eat their lunch in the office, according to a survey of more than 2,000 UK employees by Bayer Healthcare. Healthcare workers are the least likely to take a full lunch break – one in five take only 15 minutes to have something to eat.


I think people are just busier and have more demands put on them these days. It's about companies being efficient, cutting costs and therefore cutting jobs. This means that more demands are put on the worker in general, thus leaving less time for frivolities like lunch.

L

Bob

saying that, it's a health and safety requirement to take breaks away from puters every so often and the like...and at yutaka...the breaks were quality...helped that the cafeteria was awesome and really cheap as it was subsidised by the company...lamb roast dinner for £3....couldn't beat that

oh, speaking of breaks, in maine, there's a requirement that you have to have an hours break after every 6 hours of work...but it is your requirement to take it...so where the missus works, they give you the hours, but if you worked overtime for part of your break for instance to get your stats up, the company wouldn't get a fine or anything but you as the employee would get a warning, after 3 warnings you'll be sacked....it's all about trying to get the stats for incentives...sod the customer....sod decent work environment....