I'm an American commenting on the NHS as a patient. I was vacationing in the UK when I got an intestinal bug. Unfortunately I was the only one willing to drive and we had a reservation that night some 200 miles from where my stomach revolted on me. I knew I'd never make it without some aid so, not knowing what else to do, I got directions to a local community hospital and walked into their emergency room. I told the admitting person that I was an American on holiday but would really like to see one of their doctors for my "bug". I explained that I didn't have much cash but did have a credit card since my U.S. insurance wouldn't cover me. She gave me the most puzzled look but took my name and told me to take a seat in the waiting room. Now this hospital looked nothing like the shiny glass and stainless steel palace I was used to at home but was what I would call "serviceable" ... there was no TV and we all sat on folding chairs but a nurse called my name in a surprisingly short time and led me into a large but spartan office to speak with a very pleasant and unhurried doctor. I explained my about my roiling stomach and asked if I could get something for the nausea so I could continue in my role as the sole chauffeur. He made some notes and asked me to return to the waiting room and someone would be with me shortly. I think it was only about 15 minutes before my name was called again and another very pleasant low key nurse took me to a cubicle and had me lay down on a gurney while preparing a shot for my nausea. She turned down the light and told me to lie there as long as I wanted. About an hour later she returned and asked how I was feeling which fortunately was much better. She said to continue resting as long as I wanted but I could leave whenever I felt well enough to do so. I was also offered a scrip for antinausea pills if the ick returned later in the day. I accepted and got directions to their pharmacy on the second floor. The scrip cost about $8, I paid the pharmacist and headed back down to ER. I was nervous that the cost would dip heavily into my vacation allotment but when I asked the same admitting person what I owed them she gave me the same puzzled look and said there was no charge I just needed to sign a standard release form and she wished me a more pleasant rest of my trip. I was there about 2 hours total, felt much better and the only cost was for my scrip. Now my "emergency" was minor and didn't involve any blood, casts or donated body parts but I KNOW would have run at least a $1000 if I'd been treated in the states. My trip was saved, we made it to our reservation and it cost less than a mini mart stop. If only we had an NHS system here - how many people would be saved from crushing medical debt or having to live with treatable illnesses because they couldn't afford our bloated health system? The UK rocks!!
I'm from Sweden and while visiting friends in Florida I got the flu. Was coughing so much I couldn't talk or do anything. High fever. Got to the ER. One hour plus meds got me billed over 500 $. I almost choked on the meds I got! Omg! In Sweden it would've been depending on what you've done before in visits to the doc and meds, 20$. Fortunately, my insurance covered all the costs. But by talking to American friends I do know you have to pay a lot for health care. That made me sad. Take care 🌻🌹ps. Yes, we do have high taxes in Sweden but they go to health care, school etc ds.
I live in rural Wales, I was involved in a house fire, I was helicoptered to my nearest hospital (2/12 hour drive, I was there in 17 minutes by helicopter) spent three weeks in intensive care, with a full recovery. Amazing staff, amazing NHS and no bill at the end. I’m fully recovered and getting continued care by counselling and my doctors. Our NHS is amazing, thank you ❤
Just to be clear - air ambulances are partially charity funded (charity generally pays for the helicopter, pilot, fuel, maintenance, hangar, etc - NHS usually provides the medical staff and equipment on the helicopter)
@@azza4044 I lived in aberystwyth and when they removed the A&E they said it was ok because the air ambulance exists … not sure you should plan your health service delivery on people contributing to do charity skydives.
I am 100% English born and raised, I hardly use NHS but knowing that I have that safety net is a peace of mind, we are very blessed for the NHS, every country should have this system 👌🏻
This! In countries that have universal healthcare people are happy to pay taxes, even though they would not use health care services a lot. People are happy to contribute to the common good.
I agree. I’m getting old now so are using the NHS more but for 40+ years probably never used it. Still very happy to pay towards it because it’s a safety net and also I don’t want my fellow countryman to have to sell their house just because they get cancer. I don’t see ours as socialised healthcare, I see the US as an unspecialised health system.
As a healthy british male who has rarely had to use the NHS having to pay for some of it in my tax is absolutely fine by me! The safety net of knowing that in an emergency I will be 100% covered and that I dont have to worry about paying for my care is greatly reassuring.
Me, too. I feel privileged that I can help my society and, when I need it, the NHS is there for me. I had a child on the NHS, my husband has had several operations. We are fortunate, though, that we've been able to work all our lives and have paid towards the NHS with our taxes. I do feel a bit sorry for Americans who pay more in insurance premiums and still don't have as good a service as we do - even though a lot of Americans refuse to accept that
And the benefit is because everybody pays into it with a small amount of their taxes, it spreads the load of paying for it, so everybody pays such a tiny amount with each pay check. But ye, like you said, it's great because you know in an emergency the safety net is there. In America it literally costs $2k just to ride an ambulance, and that's before you get to the hospital!
I'm in the UK. About two weeks ago, I slipped on a patch of ice and fractured my hip, resulting in surgery and a week's stay in hospital. The whole experience included the ambulance trip, surgery the following morning, pain medication, round the clock care, meals, use of a walking frame and then arm crutches which were provided for me to take home. I was on my feet - painfully - literally two days after surgery and walking around after a week. On discharge, I was also provided with a supply of syringes preloaded with anti-bloodclotting medication and a medical waste disposal bin and various items of equipment to make getting around easier while I heal. I have also been given access to full 24/7 physiotherapy support and am expected to make a complete recovery in about a month. Total cost to me: £0.00 NHS value to the nation: beyond price
As far as patches of ice go,do you know that local authorities used to salt pavements as they still do roads........someone was employed to go round with a cart and a shovel locally.They also used to clear leaves from drains in Autumn to prevent flooding, and cut back obscuring vegetation from road signs and road junctions in summer.Nothing like a local man on the spot.Then came the idea of spending cuts and austerity...............and finger up to the people.
You haven’t paid tax this is a big problem you should pay your way health tourism is a major problem we have to have health insurance to travel abroad and you use our tax money. You make one of the best arguments for us to get rid of the NHS
@ Ednaida I have nothing but respect for the nurses and doctors and other NHS staff my late mum suffered from MS and the care she received was outstanding I raise my hat 🌷
Thank you all for your lovely comments. I'm currently at work, I showed our staff members some of your comments when we had our handover meeting today. They were all smiling and said how lovely it is to read your comments 😊🙏🏾 so THANK YOU
Dumbo trump had been trying to convince Boris to close the NHS & have something similar to the us (badly broken) system. I have more to say on this topic but my eyes keep closing
No it shouldn't. It's broken past the point of it being worth saving. Privatisation is the only thing that will save the UK healthcare system. Life's parasites should be left in the gutter where they belong.
No it’s not. It’s a useless piece of crap and it is going to die. It’s a place for fat lazy Karen’s to act like they do something. Go look at all the lives it’s destroyed and ended. It’s a lot more than they heal. You should be proud of how it’s number 5 on the list of careers with the MOST LITERAL PSYCHOPATH’S. You do understand we have panels deciding who lives and dies. I had to send a letter every year BEGGING 🙏 for ms treatment. It was the best treatment we have and the most basic option for Americans. It IS dying. Enjoy finally having REAL healthcare and saving a lifetime of ever growing bs taxes. We pay for everyone else’s healthcare while never receiving our own. It’s about time we stopped paying for everyone else’s healthcare and focus on our own. Wtf am I paying for fatties and cosmetic surgery while I’m not even getting basic care.
Nobody that supplies anything to NHS is protecting them. The NHS are charged extortionate rates for supplies and labour by almost everyone that works with them. I supply plumbing equipment to local hospitals in my area. It used to be a national account but recently they started making area accounts. I’m saving my local region thousands a month compared to what they paid under the national account.
I live in the UK. Every single person who lives here has been saved/ treated by the NHS, and every single person knows someone who's life was saved free of charge by the NHS. Proud of our 'socialist' health care
I absolutely agree. I was born by caesarian section so my mum and I were saved by that act alone. I've had my tonsils out, my mum has had cataract surgery on both eyes (she was losing her sight), she's had growths removed and now has hearing aids and was saved from sepsis the other year (transported by emergency ambulance.) My father has had a knee replacement and successful treatment for prostate cancer - all on the NHS with absolutely no added cost other than our tax rate and none of us have had to worry about bankruptcy and our tax rate is manageable. The NHS may be in crisis right now but the thought of losing it fills me with absolute horror. It's worth fighting for.
Years ago 29 years in fact I was diagnosed with breast cancer. From visiting my GP to seeing consultant having biopsy finding malignancy I was admitted and operated on within 1 month. I know that there are problems now but tooth and nail fight to keep it. No I have never paid 1penny for any treatment even my cosmetic surgery to rebuild my missing breast. No zip scarring absolutely brilliant.❤ NHS
As a Brit who's grown up working class (and has even been homeless before) I am so incredibly appreciative of the NHS! The health care I received when homeless would literally not have been possible if it weren't for the NHS and the same goes for my parents. I'm just finishing university and hoping to get a full time job soon and I can't wait to contribute to the service that I've used my whole life
I have never been homeless or had hardship like you, I grew up middle class, but I developed a chronic health condition. I am very thankful for the NHS because without them, I probably wouldn't have even been diagnosed, and they've helped me so much with their services.
Gotta love the NHS. No matter what your walk of life, you still get treated with the same utmost care, compassion, patience and professionalism, even obnoxious scroats who deserve nothing but a punch up the bracket.
I live in the UK and I’m so proud of our NHS. We don’t have to worry about having an accident or getting ill, we don’t get crippling bills for treatment and we get excellent service. If I lived in the USA I would be dead by now but I’m still going thanks to our wonderful NHS. The NHS rocks and is the envy of the world.
I had a pretty huge hospital bill from the NHS the other day. I spent 6 hours in A and E with my grandad waiting for a bed to become available for him in a ward. I had to pay a whopping £5 for hospital parking. Absolutely disgraceful
I am in my seventies, and have hardly used the NHS facilities throughout my life (one minor operation when in my late teens, and occasional GP consultations), but I don't begrudge the contribution I have made over the years. It has meant that I have never had any concern that I might not be able to get treatment when needed.
Like you, I am in my seventies, born & bred here in London & grown up with NHS, never really need it, but it's there for me if I do! The American Health system sounds a nightmare to comprehend! They even have to pay for an emergency ambulance!
No children? You would have had vaccinations and check-ups during your childhood. As with any 'insurance' system there are winners and losers; some people drive all their adult lives without being involved in an accident, others have several but they are all required by law to have insurance. Typically we need the NHS more as we age so in some ways we've paid for several decades in advance for 'free' healthcare when we eventually need it.
I am in the UK; my father was diagnosed with cancer in Jan 2020; it was found to be incurable and he died 3 months later. The palliative care he received on the NHS was attentive and dignified. It was an incredibly tough time for the whole family and my mother in particular. If, on top of all this, we'd had to worry about making decisions based on cost, making sure treatment/facilities were covered by insurance, or how to afford all the necessary care, it would have made it far, far more difficult.
My daughter was born 2 months premature. All we had to worry about was her, not a bill, not a debt….. I and my wife are both aware of how the US works. We as UK citizens and are eternally grateful for the NHS. When you have enough to worry about with your family, money should be the last thing on your mind.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I never had to worry about whether I could afford gold-standard treatment. I was given literally years of treatment without concern about the extra financial burden - radiation, chemo, monoclonal antibodies, multiple surgeries, hormone therapy - and thanks to the skills and dedication of my medical team, I'll be celebrating 10 years of survival later this year. I really can't express how valued the NHS is here, and what an amazing job they do. The Conservative government has been gutting the service for years, but somehow it's still standing, and saving the lives of people every single day. It's certainly saved mine, multiple times, and I consider it a national treasure. It astounds me how some people in the US buy into the propaganda - largely from the medical insurance and for-profit health industries - that universal healthcare is too expensive, wouldn't work, or even that it's the first step on the slippery slope to communism because the current system somehow represents freedom and choice. While the NHS is absolutely not perfect (waiting times for elective procedures can be a pain, for instance), we have better life expectancy, lower maternal mortality...and we don't have people going bankrupt due to medical debt. Propaganda says that doctors wouldn't work for a socialised medicine system or that research would be stifled to a standstill, but taking a quick dive into the healthcare landscape of other developed nations shows that this just isn't true. It's all just fear mongering by industry lobbyists and others who stand to profit from the suffering of others. I'm actually moving to the US this year and I'm very thankful that I'll have excellent medical insurance, but it will never seem just to me that so many of my new neighbours don't. There's much to admire about the USA - the diversity, the resilience, the inventiveness, the beautiful melting pot of cultures and traditions...the people in general. I wouldn't be moving there if I didn't love it. But the healthcare system is very unjust, IMHO.
I love the NHS so much! Its not perfect but it is wonderful. Me and my family work in it and are proud to do so! Also I worked on a cancer ward and personally met a one of a set of twins both with the same cancer one treated in the uk in one of the UK’s leading cancer centre recovered the other died in the US due to not being able to afford treatment. That’s just an illustration of the difference. I and my family and most Brits will fight tooth and nail to keep our NHS free at the point of use , for ever, for everyone!
And this is the biggest problem with the NHS. Everyone says it's broken and needs fixing, but as soon as you say something bad about it they get their back up and say it's good. NHS will continue to decline until the public can accept the NHS is at the bottom of the race.
In the U.K. we massively underfund the NHS, as shown in the video. Nobody in their right mind wants the American system and if they do they can pay to go private
I'm a Brit. Much of my experience of the NHS is of an utterly incompetent service that is failing on multiple levels. If you're dying you MIGHT get decent treatment, but that isn't even guaranteed. Aunt died a few weeks ago thanks to their incompetence; friend's mum last year; son's 8 yo friend some years back. I'm not a fan and avoid it as much as I can.
Can I just say I wish more American’s were like you, your openness and willingness to learn and try understand how the NHS works! You are a good dude! NHS saved my Mum twice and didn’t have to worry about being in tens of thousands of debt. I’ve had CT scans over the years, Antibiotics, A&E trips, contraception, inhalers, prescriptions where I’ve never had to pay anything else but my taxes. I’m so proud of that! Doesn’t matter who you are, rich or poor, we all have equal access to services.
thats the issue encapsulated in a nutshell, a lot of people see the NHS as a kind of communist idea, they do not like that if you pay in it benefits others, their way is if you work hard you pay for the benefit, for me good health isn't a benefit of working hard, its a fundamental right.
I just wrote about this in a different video about healthcare, but it's worth saying here, too.. nearly 2 years ago, my then 21 year old daughter was diagnosed with MS, from the initial appointment, MRI's, blood tests, consultation appointments with specialists, GP's, and MS nurses to having medication delivered to our front door as well as access to those nurses and doctors and regular scans and blood tests, not a penny was paid out of pocket! Well worth the IT/NI she and i pay, which is nothing compared to the health insurance you have to pay in the US. If we lived there, I wouldn't know how we could have afforded these costs! Thank you to the NHS, so much 😍😍
I was also recently diagnosed with MS - From the initial relapse I saw a doctor that afternoon and was admitted to hospital that evening. I spent a 13 days on a ward, had blood tests an MRI and Lumbar puncture and I'm currently looking into daily medications and that cost nothing beyond the monthly tax i pay. I always quote Stephen Hawking when he said he owes his life to the NHS
Absolutely. Some are just too ready to criticise the NHS. Admittedly the system itself needs reviewing (I believe in “bring back the Matron” to run more efficiently - I merely use that as a simplistic way to say it needs to be more efficient. Currently top heavy in management), but the concept of the NHS should NEVER be destroyed. Unfortunately I’ve had to avail the use of the NHS too much for my liking, but the staff have been wonderful.
I was diagnosed with cancer on the 6 April 2016 and was in hospital for an operation on the 28 April 2016. Have been cancer free since. No charge for operation and treatment. The NHS saved my life, can't thank them enough.
I work in the NHS, first as a registered nurse and when my health became more fragile as a secretary for a consultant. I love my work as I get a great deal of job satisfaction. I support an amazing service and I enjoy being a part of that. Those who flourish in the NHS as a workplace understand they are there to provide a service and will go that extra mile. I am proud of the NHS and my colleagues.
Thank you for all your hard work. I sincerely hope the government gets their stuff together and sorts out the funding. The NHS needs to be protected and treasured and so does every one of the staff.
I'm sure this comment will get buried, however I do have a recent NHS story. About a week ago, my partner had terrible side/back pain that came on over a couple of days, and grew to excruciating levels over about 3 days. Woke up one morning and called 111 (the non-emergency NHS line), and an hour later an ambulance showed up and took us to hospital. They did tests and turns out she had a kidney infection, went home after about 6 hours with medication for it. Did not pay a penny. Excellent stuff
Last year I gained remission from cancer. 2 years of diagnosis and treatment and it cost me nothing. I was in a chat group for young people with cancer and some of the American members would be worried when their care didn’t cover additional scans or certain medications, things that could mean the difference between life and death. As a British person that is insane to imagine.
You're a hero of our nation, the tories can get fucked. The NHS needs more funding so people like you and the ambulance service can actually do your job and do it right.
Thank you for what you do. I think the 8oclock clap should go on day in day out until you’re being paid as you should be. It was great I thought to bring the awareness your profession needs. And clapping felt so incredibly inadequate, the county felt that. More needed to be done
I live in London, UK. I really like the NHS. My November gross salary was £3,350. NHS tax (called "National Insurance") was £272.. My family have used the NHS lots of times. If you go to hospital for an operation; no charge, physician; no charge.. Now I'm 60 all my medication is free. Irrespective of employment status.
National Insurance does not directly fund the NHS; it’s mainly for building up entitlement to state pension and other benefits. NHS is funded by general taxation.
@@amcadam26 @cwv710 In the UK taxes are not hypothecated: all government spending comes from general taxation (income tax, corporation tax, national insurance, VAT, etc), even if one or more politicians might say, for example, that they are raising NI by a point in order to put the extra income specifically into the health and social care budget (as Blair and Brown did, which you can bet didn't apply after 2010, if not sooner). The Chancellor allocates departmental budgets each and every year, in accordance with No.10's direction and the Cabinet's broadly agreed policies, negotiating departmental funding priorities with each secretary of state to achieve something which hopefully satisfies everyone and doesn't alienate anyone. Once a year, if you are in work, you should receive a summary telling you how your taxes have been spent. Whatever it is that you pay that shows up on your payslip each month, regardless of how it is categorised, you'll get a summary figure showing the sterling value and the percentage breakdown which went to health and social care, defence, education, business and enterprise, agriculture and environment, transport, etc. The same proportion of indirect taxes (VAT, vehicle tax, excise duties, etc) that you might have paid (depending upon your personal circumstances and lifestyle choices) will also apply.
A single person earning 75k would pay £5018 roughly per year for national insurance and £17,432 in general tax. The nhs is funded from both but that tax covers everything. For a couple that tax amount would be less because everyone has a minimum earning threshold (about 12k) before tax kicks in and you only get taxed on what you earn over the threshold. Two people earning 37k each would pay about £8200 each in tax and national insurance.
I am half English and half German and grew up in London and Moenchengladbach. When I was 19 I had a motorcycle accident. I was in hospital for three months in the Prince of Wales hospital in Islington London. I had a further year of rehab. My bill was astounding, £0.00.
NHS problems of expenses and insufficient staffing etc, is irrifutably exacerbated by our expanding population, and there is no question of who is to blame.
@@MrDaiseymay Don't talk such complete and utter nonsense. The expansion of society gives the NHS more money. Those new residents work and pay, that adds to the system. In most cases after a few years working in England, they'll go back to Poland etc. so they've paid into the system, but most likely barely used it, if at all.
the NHS has saved my life 3 times (genuinely nearly dead on each of these occasions) the nhs is one thing i think most uk residents agree on. i am so proud of the nhs. i am now an NHS nurse, we are working so hard at the moment. - we love the nhs. the waiting lists are long (at times) but you dont have to worry about the bill for the surgery, or specialist doctors clinic if there was no NHS, i probably wouldnt be able to afford my prescriptions at all.
I am disabled and am unable to work. I have never paid income tax or national insurance, however I still received care on the NHS free of charge. It’s amazing to have such a safety net in place, I will be forever grateful for this. In addition to all of my disability related care on the NHS (as well as all the other amazing things mentioned here by others) I receive free eye tests every 2 years and a voucher towards the cost of glasses, free dental check ups every 6 months and a cap on the cost of treatments I may need, and free prescription medication delivered to my door. I have also received amazing pre and post natal care, and c-sections, for each of my children.
A small portion of benefits will deducted from social benefits or you will be credited with class 1 NI contributions towards any support allowance. Hope you keeping well.
@@bobeyes3284 Disabled people have no choice in how their disability affects them. Some of us are able to work and some of us are left with trying to make peace with the restrictions our disability’s place on us.
The NHS is amazing. The fact that we are looked after and cared for and never have to worry about how much it will cost. The staff are amazing and work so hard.
Had 7 ops, 3 babies, all on NHS now I’m a pensioner I don’t pay for prescriptions either… however I did pay National insurance while I worked. Daughter has cancer and all treatments, including chemo, lumpectomies and mastectomy. Plus her badly broken leg and 3 babies all on NHS… she pays NI on her salary. Our NHS are brilliant.
most people that want to keep the NHS are people born during or after the war and most have paid into the system all their working lives, but some of the younger ones want everything private because they want to spend their money how they want to, but it's the older generation who knows what they would be losing, at one time the government was looking for selling the NHS and we was going to set up an insurance scheme.
The NHS saved my son's life. He had open heart surgery before he turned 2 years old. Me and his mother would never have been able to afford the surgery ourselves. The service is on its knees at the moment though. Years of under funding and poor financial decisions have left it in a state of serious disrepair :(
In 2013, I went into hospital through A&E. I was in for about a month. I was on multiple antibiotics, had wound care and other medication, including antihistamines and pain meds. It was all covered by the National Insurance payment. That is the tax on people's wages that covers the NHS. I paid nothing out of pocket during my hospital stay
Private health in the UK - it's partly about avoiding wait times, but I think it has more to do with the class system and culture. Wealthy people will tend to segregate themselves in the areas of Health and Education. So, it's also about status. Private healthcare establishments tend to have an increased focus on the extras - the fancy furniture, the surroundings, and nursing and service staff that provide a greater degree of deference. The doctors who work in private healthcare usually also work in the NHS, so the actual care is not usually any better.
It's as much about private companies wanting their staff to get priority over other people for none-emergency treatments, and even as an incud=cement to get staff in, even though probably 99% of those staff will never actually use it.
Also private healthcare will rarely stop people having unecessary tests and checks and minor explorations if they can charge for them. Tge NHS will explain why x test is completely unecessary
@@AnnaBellaChannelAll private hospital doctors are required to work for the NHS anyway. So it's the same staff for both and you are right private hospitals don't have A&E nor icu's
I live in the UK and at the age of 21 I was diagnosed with diabetes and a year and a half I had a double transplant, kidney and pancreas These people saved my life. I never have to think about bill and I can focus on wellness. If you’re unwell stress about paying is not going to help with that. I have worked and contributed. Not lost a job or my home due to my multiple health conditions. I had my surgery was off for 3 months and came back to work. I have a huge love support and respect for everyone who works in the NHS
I live in the U.K. and I absolutely love our NHS, I’m training to work in the NHS at the moment after years of ill health where I was cared for by the NHS. Not all of my experiences have been good but I still love it and appreciate every staff member in the nhs
I started being very unwell. My family called an ambulance which was at my home in minutes. I was taken to a hospital 7 miles away who could see I needed to go to a more specialist hospital. I was taken in an ambulance to another hospital accompanied by an anaesthetist. Operated on in the morning. Stayed in mostly intensive care for 6 weeks and a further operation. Plus follow ups after. All this for no cost to me other than taxes. If you are not working, not paying taxes you still would be covered the same. Pensioners do not pay for prescriptions neither do you if you have certain medical like diabetes.
I'm in the UK, I had a stroke in Jan 21 and the help I received was amazing. I've had conversations with American colleagues who'd estimated my care costs to be into the 10s of thousands. For one, given everything I've contributed to our system through the taxes I've paid over the years, I got it back through the help I received. If that is Socialist Health Care, I'll take it.
Uh, the taxpayer paid your bill and it was also in the tens of thousands. Just because you didn’t get a bill doesn’t mean it didn’t cost the same as in America. The difference is that in America when you get a bill your health insurance covers all of it save a few thousand in the worst case scenario. Or if you are poor or old it’s covered by Medicaid/Medicare. Government healthcare, like government everything, is incompetent and inefficient. The rich in the UK pay for your healthcare, and it sucks for everyone. I’d rather pay for private healthcare and get better service, and let those that contribute nothing suck it on government healthcare until they realize they need to get a better job to get better healthcare.
@@muckraker7942 Which is fine... ...except, you are wrong. The US pays more on health, per head of population than any other country, and yet has lower outcomes than most. So you have super-expensive, low quality health care. You have noticed that you pay a lot of insurance, don't you? Even if it is with your "better job", that's money that could have gone to you. Still, insurance companies make lots of profit, and it isn't called "socialist" which is the main thing eh?
@@keithfitton7543 Listen, anyone who thinks the US has low quality health care with lower outcomes is off their rocker. Especially in the face of what the NHS is doing. The US spends more of course. Can you guess why? Also, can you guess why the BBC has brainwashed everyone about how bad US healthcare is? All the fake horror stories about US healthcare alone should tell you something. We are no different than how the Russians live. We are completely deluded. It’s getting awfully expensive to have cheap healthcare…
@@keithfitton7543 And once again, you telegraph your Marxist leanings by suggesting that profit is bad. Oh dear. Get ready Lenin because capitalism and private health insurance is coming whether you realize it or not. Once again a grand socialist experiment has failed miserably.
And totally unexpected for us. At the end of an hospital stay I expect to get my medical documents (although they are also get digitally transferred to my GP), not a bill.
My dad had a bleed on the brain, was seen by the A&E Consultant in 20mins from the ambulance and was sent to a specialist hospital within the hour. He was treated by a world-leading brain surgeon from the moment he arrived to the day he left and had 6 months post-operative care. I have private medical insurance through work (which like all private medicine, is supplemental - in most instances you go via the NHS) but in 8 years I have never once even thought about using it - the NHS covers it all. But the best example of the NHS was when my mate got hit by a car - it was so severe, they sent an air ambulance (helicopter) and shut a major arterial road into London to ensure he was kept alive. Poor, working class lad survived because his urgent needs were prioritised. They really mean it when they say it’s free at the point of use - I have never even been asked for anything more than my name whether that be at a hospital or GP - I only found out what my NHS number was in the last year and I’m 34 years old.
The NHS Has saved my life twice. Once with a liver transplant and once with endometrial cancer. I have also had two knee replacements. I didn’t pay as much as a penny for any of it - apart from prescription charges for meds once I was discharged, and that only until I reached retirement age when we get free prescriptions. We are so lucky to have the NHS and should appreciate it more than we sometimes do.
In 2018, I was rushed to hospital via ambulance diagnosed with sepsis and pneumonia. The NHS saved my life, and I will be forever grateful. An ambulance, a private room, on a drip most of the time, x-rays, three meals a day, and no bill whatsoever.
@@phillipbanes5484Of course it’s not free, but surely the point is that as a uk citizen you’re paying for it regardless. You pay via taxation even if you never use the NHS in your whole lifetime. The brilliance of it is that it means you don’t ever have to find the money up front for your treatment if you do need it 🤷🏼♀️
@@phillipbanes5484 No a bill is presented at the end of service or is itemised prior to and paid for a direct service. You do not get a bill but you do pay for the services through national insurance. You are wrong and I suspect deliberatley so
@@patnor7354 I'm 35 years old, and recently broke my leg and had external fitments. A very quick Google says this would cost between $20 & $30k. I have not paid anywhere near that in NHS contributions, and that is without other injuries and illnesses I have had, my daughter has had etc. We know it isn't free, so trying to use it as a gotcha is absolutely stupid. However, our contributions are generally taken out of our paychecks and you could you your whole life not knowing how much you paid in. It might not be financially free, but it's worry free. A far sight from people dying in USA because they are scared to phone an ambulance
6:40 - Its 100% accurate. I'm 36, never seen a medical bill in my life, never known anyone ever get one and wouldn't have a clue what anything has ever cost. The only payment i've ever made (besides my taxes) are for prescription medications which are £9 (Free in Scotland) Doctors appointments, xrays, giving birth, surgery, ultrasounds, ER visits, ambulance call outs, at home care, physio therapy etc, all used at some point in my life. Not spent a penny. I believe the cost for an "average" earner of around £30k a year is total annual payment in tax of approx £720 per year. I'm pretty sure that's a lot lower than US insurance premiums and it covers mostly everything for your whole life and most importantly, covers those who need it most, elderly, disabled, long term sick, people in poverty. I don't just pay and i'm covered, I pay and they are covered too. It makes me very proud to be British
I worked for over 20 year's before I needed the NHS. My wife needed brain surgery. She ended up having multiple operations. Our only concern was her getting better. Not worrying about how much it was costing. NHS doesn't care how poor or wealthy you are. They just want to give you the best treatment possible.
Here in New Zealand, our healthcare system is pretty much identical to the U.K. When I had my son, all my pre-birth midwife visits and pre-birth scans and check-ups were free, my stay at hospital and childbirth was all free and I had at home visits from my midwife every single week after my sons birth for six weeks. Again, all free. Can't knock it. As to when it is beneficial to go private, yes for specialist care like if you need hip surgery, there will be (probably) a long waitlist until you can get your surgery scheduled but you can get seen a lot quicker if you go private for that.
Apart from we pay more for GP appointments and we pay per prescribed item, not a flat fee for the entire prescription. And we pay for family planning clinic appointments and prescriptions. And there is no free dental in NZ apart from for children.
I'm 75 years old and had a Cataract operation on the 19th of December. I was in and out of hospital within 2 hours , given prescription drugs for 5 weeks. Will see an optician in 5 weeks and probably will have my other done. The sight in my eye is probably back to normal, It was done under the NHS and didn't cost me anything.
@@phillipbanes5484 and that means no worries about money when you should be worrying about your health and getting better, so yes its like insurance in a way
My son (20 yrs old now) was born with a genetic disorder causing many issues for him. He's had several operations, and treatments, 100's of consultations, wheelchairs and other mobility aids. All covered by the NHS. The fact we have never had to worry about money for his care has been such a blessing to us. Being a carer is exhausting and mentally draining. I have always worked but had to work less hours in order to be able to care for my son and make sure i could get him to all his appointments. If i lived in any other country that doesnt offer the types of support we have had in the UK, I'm not sure how I'd manage. I feel sorry for ppl in similar situations but have to pay for health care.. my heart goes out to you all.❤
As someone who has a health condition since childhood it has helped me immensely being able to go to my appointments so I’m grateful for what the NHS has done in the UK.
Yeah it’s a pretty straightforward process… the NHS is funded mainly through tax, and for an individual this is predominantly income tax. To give you some idea, I pay £504 (approx $607 currently) income tax each month, which pays not just for healthcare but for essential services like Schools, police/emergency services, roads etc. Most employees in the U.K. have their tax deducted automatically from their monthly pay, so we don’t ever really have that money to miss, and we don’t ever have to do our own tax returns. Those earning less than £12,570 do not pay income tax so will not contribute to funding the NHS through tax (but those earning less than this but more than £242 a week will pay National insurance, which partially funds the NHS to a very small degree too, so will be contributing something), but can still access it fully for free like everyone else. Those earning over that amount do pay income tax, and this is currently set at 20% of any earnings from £12,570-£50,270, and then 40% from this amount up to £150,000, and then finally anything over £150,000 is taxed at 45%. So I pay 0% tax on the first £12,570 I earn, then the 20% for the next portion up to £50,270 and then finally the remainder of my salary is taxed at 40% - not fortunate enough to be in the 45% tax band, unfortunately! There are varying figures that go around re the percentage of income tax used for the NHS, but 18% is used quite often, which in my case would mean I pay around £90 a month for total healthcare coverage. How accurate that is is def up for debate, as it won’t account for other forms of tax I pay, such as the VAT (sales tax) I’ve paid on purchases etc. It’s crazy to me that you pay roughly $350 each, ON TOP of what you pay in income tax, and then still have to pay huge co-pays/deductibles (still don’t fully understand exactly what these are!!) on top again!! 😱😱😱 For accidents or emergencies you’d walk into a hospital (or be taken by ambulance - no charge obvs!) and report into the main reception with your issue, take a seat and wait to be seen. Normally seen in order of severity of the problem, so sometimes you can be there a few hours if not life-threatening. You’d get everything you needed done at no cost to you other than what you’ve paid in income tax; triage / assessment, X-rays/scans, specialist if required, treatment - which could involve staying overnight for monitoring, prescription provided if necessary (there is a small fee for medication obtained from pharmacies, around £9 for any medication, in England, but medication received while being treated at the hospital does not incur a charge) Then once you leave the ward or wherever you’ve been seen, you just walk out of the hospital. That’s it - no paperwork, no signing anything, no money involved at all, and certainly no bill! Treatments and medical notes are all recorded against your nhs number, so you can walk into any hospital or doctors surgery across the country and they’ll have a complete medical history for you for life. Additionally, some people choose to ‘go private’ if they can afford to ( or it’s a benefit from their employer) and of course the main benefit is much less waiting time. But obviously this is an additional cost they choose to take over and above what they already pay to have nhs cover. But this NHS cover could be needed in any case, for example, if they were alone and hit by a car and knocked unconscious, a general passerby would call an ambulance (not knowing they have private healthcare cover) which would come from the NHS and so that treatment initially would be administered at an NHS hospital by NHS workers. So they are always covered in that sense. Overseas visitors are supposed to have travel insurance in place to use the NHS, but that’s a whole other issue I think…!
@@runsforcheesecake yeah absolutely! I mentioned ‘mainly’ funded by income tax, but yes NI also partially funds it too. With the figure of tax I mentioned I pay, I also pay an additional £334 in NI, so £838 in total each month for clarity. 😊👍🏼
@@jamesmccarthy2655 That page provides the amount of taxable pay, not the amount you earn. It hasn't been that low for a while. Here is the correct rates for 2022-23 www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates. The £37,700 figure is the amount you are taxed on after the initial £12,570. So you pay no tax below £12,570, 20% tax up to £50,200, 40% tax above that to £150,000 when it becomes 45%
i cant tell you enough how incredible our nhs is and to have it, disc problem, mental health, just anything other than very few things are within reach. Usually you call at 9am to get an appointment the same day and i get my meds free straight away. I wouldnt know how to go without it and was so shocked when i learnt it wasnt the same in other places of the world especially states.
Our NHS is quite simply, amazing! My son has a life-long condition, which he needs monthly imaging for (scans, GFR tests, etc) and daily medications and other more “Invasive” treatment 4-5 times a day. THIS IS ALL FREE! My mother sadly passed from cancer, but had 18 months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, plus hospital stays and treatment for side effect etc - ALL FREE!! My father had a massive stroke and bleed on the brain, he was in ICU for the best part of a month, on life support, 1-to-1 nurse, round the clock medication, daily scans, and all sorts of other treatment - ALL FREE!! I must add that NHS staff are also very supportive, on top of administering treatment. I am grateful beyond words for our amazing NHS and could not imagine having massive medical bills on top of everything else we were going through, and still go through! The thing is, yes it is paid for by tax, but actually per person is so tiny, and we’d pay the same amount of tax even if it wasn’t for the NHS. I’d be screwed if it wasn’t for the NHS.
When many Americans hear about socialised healthcare, they scream about Socialism and communism - because they are brainwashed from the Cold War to hate socialism. Yet in America, you have socialised government at all levels from the town hall to the senate, you have socialised policing, socialised fire service, socialised libraries, socialised highway and street maintenance, socialised parks, socialised military, socialised coastguard, etc,etc…. The USA is the ONLY developed nation with no social healthcare availability for all. If everyone disagrees with you and you still think you’re right, maybe its time to think again ?
Most Americans couldn't tell you even a basic take on what socialism or communism actually are it's just fear mongering, it's not even a joke, seriously ask one to define one or both and trust me they will not answer you 😂👍
@@williamwilkes9873 Do you? Does your remark make you feel a bit superior? Feel better about yourself? Why do you do it? American people, like most nationalities, are friendly and generous of spirit, and yes, they can and do think for themselves.
I was an NHS nurse and it is entirely free and offers a full service. Cosmetic surgery is available were there is a health or psychological element. We have subsidised dental care that is free for kids. Prescriptions are under £10 regardless of what it is. Money shouldn’t be what a doctor considers. Effective care is always the best value strategy in the long run.
It is NOT free as it comes out of taxation! So those of us who work pay for the NHS. Also England carries Wales and Scotland because again, the cost to pay for those "free" prescriptions HAS to come from somewhere. The real problem with the NHS is two fold...firstly its the NHS itself! It is an over bloated monster of inefficiency where health care is governed by cost, not by effectiveness. We cant pay our nurses but somehow we manage to pay non-medical super managers millions for the job of being a very highly remunerated health care super manager!! Somehow we cant attract people in to the health care profession but somehow these super managers pay themselves obscene amounts of money just for being in the right place at the right time! Second we are our own worst enemies! The country as a whole is sick! Obesity costs this country BILLIONS and billions of pounds every single year yet not one single politician has proposed anything to deal with people getting fatter and more unhealthy!! I guarantee you the second society itself is fixed you will see HUGE improvements right across the board and the NHS will once again be allowed to function and offer first class health care (which it absolutely does not do right now). Wasnt it amazing how the political class could happily lock the entire country away during covid (somehow magicking up the power to do so) BUUUUT cant force people to get fit an healthy (which would actually make a huge f88king difference!). Priorities seem askew here.
@@acmh10 People need to stop calling it free because its not. Someone has to pay for the service. This also exemplifies the entitlement culture we currently live in where those who actually afford to cover their own health care take it because they are entitled to it...which ultimately means those limited resources are spread even more thinly across a population that does very little for its own health care.
One of the things that helps medical care cost less in the UK is that the Government negotiates/caps the price of all the drugs used in the NHS. The NHS has a national buying power for equipment etc. so costs are kept reasonable.
Whereas in america, the citizens are at the whim ,of the insurance companies (the middle men), Instead of being able to have that collective bargaining power
@@jackmason4374 No, prices paid are determined by NICE who do a cost to benefit ratio. Everything is transparent and the data is published. A backhander would be money down the drain, if the product is worth it for the price (using the ratio), they will allow its purchase and if it doesn't meet the ratio it will be banned from purchasing, without a hard to get exemption. That has happened with several very expensive drugs before.
Fun fact: if you're working, you still have to pay for prescriptions. Only OAPs, Disabled and Unemployed get free medicine. It's only hospital and GP visits that are free. When people say we have free health care, I laugh at them because it's free to get diagnosed, but if you wanna treat it, ya still gotta pay an arm and a leg
I'm 47, uk born and have NEVER worried about health care costs. Not once have stressed about costs or that anyone I know won't get treatment if they're ill. The NHS is amazing
In the UK in the NHS the only thing you pay for is prescription medication and the maximum charge for that is $11 regardless of what it is. In scotland, prescriptions are free infact. We dont have the same culture around medication as the US, whereby in the US you can ask your doctor for specific name-brand prescriptions that you saw on tv or in a magazine ad. Advertising prescription medication is banned in the UK. We let our doctors decide what is the best course of action. You cant get elective cosmetic surgery for the most part unless your GP and local NHS agree to fund it but usually there has to be an underlying reason for it. You can also get dental on the NHS and the maximum price for any dental procedure is about $340 and you only pay for any dental if youre over 18, aren't a student and are full time employed. That would cover veneers, dentures, braces or anything like that. The lowest dental price is about $28 and that covers standard check up appointments, minor adjustments, cleaning and polishing etc. Most people dont pay anything close to $700 a month for the NHS. When averaged out, each person in the UK pays about 8680 a year in total taxes for all services. remember this is an AVERAGE across the population meaning it includes all of the billionaires and all of the people on welfare too. Some individuals will pay far more and some far less. 1120 pounds will go to the NHS 763 pounds will go to local government (to help towards services such as police, fire, waste and local education budgets) 520 pounds will go to regional expenditure on Scotland and Wales 440 pounds will go to education 343 pounds will go to defence 135 pounds will be spent on Northern Ireland 75 pounds will go on international development and 4200 pounds can't be accurately divided as it goes on costs that change such as state pensions - roughly 1000 pounds spend for each of us according to the government - but also unemployment support , disability support, government child support etc. So You say that in the US you pay a total of 7400 a year just for health insurance. The average person in the UK pays 8680 a year for their entire tax bill and that includes the NHS. I had childhood cancer and my doctor at the time was the top specialist for it in the country. I had two years of chemotherapy, dozens of hospital stays for days or weeks at a time and my family weren't charged a penny. Your 18k coverage would cover about half of one round of chemotherapy. I had three rounds. I had braces as a teenager and they were free. Ive broken my arm twice and didn't pay anything and i have ADHD and despite being an adult in full time employment, my medication is free. The NHS is fantastic and the people that are against it are usually the very same people that have financial interests in private health, or they just hate that they have to pay taxes in general and are essentially being selfish.
My son recently had some serious health issues including two emergency ambulances, 5 days in hospital, 8 hour brain surgery, and 12 months worth of medication, thankfully as we're in the UK we didn't pay anything or have to worry about a massive bill or can we afford to ring for an ambulance.
As far as you coming to the UK is concerned, it’s always a good idea to have medical stuff covered in your travel insurance. However, as a visitor you have 100% access to the NHS if there is an emergency
That's why we're losing so much on NHS healthcare tourism , you should have to work here , pay your way in before you get free healthcare as a non UK citizen
My dad had private medical insurance, he did it because he could have appointments and treatments around his business peak times, the rooms and services are more plush. There is generally no private accident and emergency so even if you go private potentially you’ll still need the NHS.
My dad was a GP for his entire career, my daughter is an anaesthetist and I worked in the NHS (not patient facing, I worked in pathology) for many years. There was a great push by the right wing of UK politicians to move services into the private sector. What they did was run a classic "small government" paybook that you'll be familiar with in the USA. To sell off a public service to their private-sector donors the first step is to use the "Small government! Lower taxes!" mantra to *starve it of funds until it starts to break* Now it's breaking, the government has to "do something" to "save it" and the right-wing politicians answer is to "bring in the private sector to 'run it like a business'" - when the actual solution would be to fund it at its former level so it could do its job.
@dave booth absolutely agree with you. Trump was desperate to get his hands on it. Damn Tories. Our NHS needs to survive this, but if things don’t change soon, it won’t survive!
@@Northstowe_Documentary What sensible business would want to buy "a dinosaur and a money pit of managers"? Not a single one. The NHS as we know it would be dismantled and the UK would suffer the same barbaric system as the USA.
@@TheBrowncoatcat I know, Circle bought Hinchingbrooke and failed within a year as my father kept saying it would on the BBC and ITV etc while he was working with politicians as a National Health Officer for Unison. I know first hand more than anyone else in this chat about privatization. I disgusted at the NHS and how they treated him on his death bed after going State controlled again it was disgusting they left him in his own stools and wouldn't give him any water this was until i told them that Dave Prentis the head of Unison was on his way down the night he died. Also how they treated me a little while after i had an accident outside Hinchingbrooke that nearly killed me so i have no respect left for the NHS they sent me to addenbrookes I escaped out of neurosurgery A4 went back to hinchingbrooke and they sent me home called off the police that A4 had sent to look for me and bring me back. i didn't even know how to make a cup- of coffee, they left me for dead! all because of too many managers and sinking to much money into the wrong things and not having staff that understood English I FOI to find out what happened and they called maxfac not neurosurgery who saqid there was nothing more they could do for me, how can you get the 2 confused? All Labours fault. I did my own rehab and treated myself im glad i did id still be a vegetable if it was down to the NHS
I’m an American, and I’ve lived in the U.K. since 2009. I love the NHS! This health care system is one of the main reasons I’ll never go back to America. I work in a post office and my income isn’t high, so I’ve never had to pay for my prescriptions, dental or healthcare. The tax I pay is minimal. No more than £200 a year. I have a few health problems, so I need a lot of medication, which I pick up once a month for free. I just had my gallbladder removed last month, and I had a great experience. My wait time was only a couple weeks, but I do know of some people that have had to wait months or even a year for their surgery. I guess it just depends on what you’re waiting for.
@@Northstowe_Documentary yeah Matt. That's the sort of comment I've come to expect from you. They are not a "health tourist", this person lives here. You thick troll.
I'm from the UK but when I was 18 I moved to Madison WI to study and while I was there I was diagnosed with cancer. My parents wanted me home the following day. They had my records faxed to the oncologist who offered me an appointment within 2 weeks at home. I chose to stay and had surgery the following day. That was in 1996 I'm home now and I'm going through something similar. I'm receiving chemotherapy at the moment but I've ended up with pneumonia so spent the last 2 weeks in hospital
I once had a serious motorcycle accident, I spent 6 1/2 months in hospital, had four operations & then spent over a year on crutches. In that year I was transported daily in a hospital car from my home to hospital & back to receive physiotherapy. It never cost me a penny. I have paid tax all my life & would be willing to pay a little extra tax to help sort the NHS out, it is a very important & much appreciated service.
100% accurate, you can go in for any reason and will never get a bill. In Scotland too we get "free" prescription medication through the same system. Ambulance costs are also included in this.
I'm in Scotland, but lived in England for many years. Most English people are either exempt from prescription charges, bases on age, pregnancy, health or financial circumstances. If you do have to pay for medication, and need a lot, you just buy a pre-payment prescription certificate. This means you pay for the equivalent of 13 times the standard item charge (currently £9.65) no matter how many you require. For short term illnesses you can get a 3 month or 6 month certificate too. What they do have is more doctors available for each condition, as the population is much greater. This means you may be seen for your condition much quicker than in Scotland.
Brit here. A couple of years ago I suddenly started blacking out and falling unconscious, and was eventually diagnosed with Bradycardia. This resulted in me needing to have a pacemaker fitted at the age of 26. I was in hospital for a three and a half days. One day of prep/paperwork, one day for MRI scans and the Operation itself, one day for observation to ensure there were no side effects and half a day to get the out-patients paperwork done. In total, my stay cost me just over five pounds...because I bought the three nurses on my ward coffee. That was the only expense I had for my stay. The care was wonderful, as were the staff. They do not get paid enough for what they do.
I remember hearing a joke about an Englishman in the states getting into an accident and breaking his leg, getting into the ambulance and saying "I've heard how much will it will cost a lot of money, how much do you think it will be" the ambulance staff told the Englishman and asked him which Hospital he wanted to be taken to and he said "take me to the airport! it will be cheaper to get this sorted out at home!" I don't tell it well but it might be close in all honesty
The NHS are amazing! I would be dead if not for them. I am a British, UK citizen, who was a working tax payer at the time. In 1996 I got knocked over by a hit and run driver. I was 22. I spent six months in Hospital, the first month in ICU. I had multiple severe injuries to my pelvis and lower body. The injuries were that bad that for the first time in that hospital, they hired this mega expensive bed for me. It had a layer of air that would constantly form a barrier between me and the cushions (it looked like a caterpillar segmented bed) but it was still unbearable to lie on for three months with a pelvic fixture, and fixtures to both legs. I’d severed two arteries, my sciatic nerve, lymph gland. I shattered my pelvis in over eighteen places. They flew one of the best orthopaedic surgeons from Geneva to operate on me. But the injuries were just too severe. This would be war and peace if I listed every single injury, so I will try and keep it short - oh look at that flying pig 🐽over there 🙂). I had over 74 units of blood over a 24hr period due to the injuries to the arteries. I was on a ventilator on two occasions. My gall bladder ruptured, causing sepsis, and a temporary colostomy. There were further injuries but I think that just gives you an idea of the severity of the situation. I had 27 surgical procedures following this. After 12 weeks I had three hours of intensive physio everyday. I also had my leg amputated three years later, and was given intensive rehabilitation and a prosthetic leg, which the Drs insisted I would never be able to walk again due to the nerve injuries, and shattered pelvis, but I did, and each time I see a new consultant or physio,they always mention that I should not be able to walk with these injuries. I say walk, it’s basically 10 steps with crutches and the pain becomes too much. I contracted MRSA four times, and when I had my leg amputated in 1999, they took a swab on the day I was going home telling me they would inform my gp if I had it again. Well that night in the very early hours 2am Ish, the doorbell began ringing, commenced by banging on the door. It turned out to be my GP standing there with a drip stand and a bag filled with antibiotics. He had waited up all night until he got the results and when he discovered I had mrsa again, he came round and put an IV in. I couldn’t have asked for better care. Although they did almost kill me in ICU but hey ho, they saved my life over three occasions, in fact when I was transported by ambulance, via police motorbikes, my heart stopped for three minutes in the ambulance, and again in surgery that night. Obviously I had become institutionalised so had a very close relationship with the staff, and the day I left they wrote me a poem, and in it, they mentioned how much the approx bill was for all the treatment and care I’d received, and this was 27 years ago - it came to over £350k. This wasn’t meant to be a novel but I just got carried away, but I must say… I was rushed to hospital 18months ago with a severe bowel infection, and the second the Drs and Nurses attended to me, they looked like zombies. You could tell they were beyond exhausted due to covid, but they treated me kindly, but were very slow moving. I could see they had to really concentrate when writing notes, and doing simple tasks, and on the ward there were only two registered nurses, and two auxiliary nurses, normally there are at least three more, but they were the nicest people. They too had dark shadows under their eyes and looked like they were walking skeletons but they never once complained or made a face if you needed to ask them for help. But I do have mixed feelings, the hospital I went to,is considered the worst in our area, they treated me fine, but whenever my relatives end up in there, they’re are treated like cattle. Finally just a word on prescriptions, I think it’s around £8 for one medication (it may be more now) but if you have an under active thyroid, or some other illness, you get your meds for free, however for me, although I have over 12 different meds, I don’t qualify for free, instead I can pay a yearly fee around £100 and have as many meds as I require.
When I was a teenager I had juvenile epilepsy and I can honestly say the NHS was with me all the way and I managed to grow out of it. The help and support I was given by the Dr's and nurses was incredible. I was so scared after I had my 1st seizure but the Dr sat on my hospital bed and held my hand and explained to me what it was and the nurse was sat next to me with her arm around me. I was only 12 years old at the time.
My son has his first seizure at 21. When we looked at the cost of his prescription on the US, it would have been around $500 a month. He gets free prescriptions here. I don't know how he would afford it if he was in the States. Not to mention the ambulance, the CT scans, the MRI scans...
I never gave much thought to the NHS for most of my life as I just took it for granted. It wasn't until I had my second son that I developed a profound gratitude & appreciation to the NHS... My boy was born with a genetic condition causing a variety of serious conditions. I could make a football team out of all the different specialists he is under. I am truly grateful for it. I just can't help but think how things would have been for him (& us) if we didn't have the NHS. I am curious what happens in countries like USA when you have a seriously ill child with life long disabilities.
I am Italian and our system is modeled after the NHS, although it haws some differences. A few weeks ago my granny was in hospital for 10 days due to pneumonia. She stayed for 10 days (the first couple in an emergency ward, the rest in a two bed room) and got a number of exams and therapies. We paid 90 euro for the ambulance ride back home because my granny can't walk anymore so sh could not be taken back by car. That was it. In Italy we have 100% free hospital care for all cases except elective stuff (like cosmetic surgery, but plastic surgery to repair damage or malfunction is covered), and visits with our GPs are free too. We have a moderate copay (around 16 euro here in Lombardy, which is the costliest Italian region for healthcare) for exams and specialist visits. For instance, if you need psychological therapy you can get two 8-sessions cycles per year and each cycle costs 16 euro. We also have a small copay on prescribed drugs, which in Lombardy is 2 euro apiece. People with chronic diseases, though, can be exempted. So, if you have asthma you pay 2 euro for the inhaler if you need it only sporadically, but if your asthma is severe you get completely exempted. Children and seniors are also exempted from most copays. Also, waiting time are factored on how urgent is your situation. My father has a totally non urgent surgery scheduled at some point next year, but should the situation become more urgent he would have to she scheduled within two weeks, and or some procedures or exams there is an even more urgent 3 (working) day wait. After the hospitalization granny came out also with a wound on her leg, probably caused by the fact that she was immobilized in bed for days. When she came back home I called her GP, who gave me a prescription for nursing care, so now she gets visited three days a week by a nurse who tends to this wound. Now, some people prefer to pay the private sector or an insurance because they get shorter waits on non urgent things, like routine exams or visits, and also because they get perks like private rooms with TV and (except in Covid time) the presence of a family member through the night in the room. But the level of care is always the same, the doctors in the private sector are often the same who work in our public structures. Private hospitals, unless they have deals with the SSN (our NHS) are also often less advanced and commonly get the worst off patients transferred to public hospitals.
I worked in the NHS 1965-2012 and loved my time there. Things changed (not always for the better) and I cannot comment on how things are now. From the cradle to the grave was the motto and we have the labour leader Mr Bevan to thank for it`s birth.
UK medic here. NHS is brilliant. In my experience people go private for speedier treatment, not better treatment . Or cosmetic stuff. Also you might get better hospital food
@@LEEC55555 of course if they've lost their boobs due to cancer or their breasts are causing back pain. Plastic doctors still work in the NHS because people have burns, necrotising faciatis, infections of the skin and bone etc e
They do go private for speedier treatment, which is a shame because the NHS has great medics but if you can’t access them for years and you’re in severe pain or have an issue that seriously needs investigating like a heart issue, it’s the only option sadly. Even if the NHS can do a better job, it’s not worth taking the risk of waiting or suffering with the pain for a lot of people.
I'm from the UK and watching these types of videos has made me realise how amazing the NHS actually is. I can't imagine having to wonder if I had enough money to call an ambulance etc. I just take for granted that healthcare is 'free' because it seems like that's a basic human right.
This will be long but I hope it answers lots of what you asked. There are some costs we pay here in the UK towards medicine but it's very small. For example, prescription drugs are only free for children, seniors, people on welfare and also any people with lifelong or long term medical conditions (like diabetes, epilepsy or cancer). For everyone else, a prescription costs £9.35 per prescription, regardless of what drug is prescribed. For people on multiple medications, you can buy a prepaid prescription card for £108 a year or 10 monthly instalments of £10.80. That card entitles you to unlimited prescriptions for 12 months for that fixed price. So the maximum you'll pay for prescribed medicine in the UK is £108 a year. Travel to the hospital and car parking costs you need to pay too. Emergency ambulances are free though. Non emergency ambulances are also free for people who have no way to get themselves to hospital appointments. I'm blind and I struggle to use public transport. So I qualify for free NHS transport to any medical appointments I have. Dental and optical services are available on the NHS. It's free for some groups, like the prescriptions. Children, seniors and people with certain eye conditions get free eye exams and glasses/lenses. For everyone else they have to pay towards it. The NHS offer a basic lens for free or low cost but if you want lens upgrades or designer glasses frames then you pay the extra. As a legally blind person, I get free eye care for life. With dental, NHS dentistry is much lower cost than private but generally only includes medical dentistry for health reasons. Anything cosmetic, like teeth whitening or veneers is usually not available on the NHS. The main reason people in the UK will seek out private healthcare is to get a nicer hospital experience. In NHS hospitals, you may share a room and bathroom, you will get basic meals. In a private hospital you get a nicer room by yourself and your own bathroom. You get a better meals menu and some other luxuries. You also get to schedule your treatments/surgery to suit your schedule. The NHS will do urgent treatments/surgeries very fast but elective surgeries and non urgent treatments can have a longer wait. Private healthcare skips that wait. The treatment and surgery you get is identical. It's the luxuries and timings that are what you're paying extra for. A visit to your general doctor is free to see him/her and get any tests, a diagnosis and any further treatment. Your only costs are those prescription charges and any travel/parking charges for your hospital visits. In 2020 I had a brain haemorrhage, it's how I lost my sight. I had 2 ambulances, an ER stay, and ICU stay and 3 weeks in hospital. Followed by 2 years of follow up surgeries, scans, tests, monitoring, physiotherapy, mental health therapy to adapt to my disabilities. I have therapists visit my house weekly, I have wheelchairs, home equipment, house adaptations all done by the NHS. My only costs have been buying treats from the hospital shop and buying the occasional fancy coffee from the hospital coffee shop because the free coffee they offer you in hospital is instant stuff and I was craving a really good coffee 😂 For someone like me, someone with a serious medical condition who will need a lifetime of healthcare... The NHS is worth the tax money. For someone who is always healthy, they might resent paying for a service they don't use. However, it's peace of mind knowing that EVERY single person in the UK is covered. Yes, some people are bitter that they're paying for people who don't pay, but we're all one accident or one illness away from being that person who needs lifelong medical care. I can sleep easier knowing that no matter what my health looks like, my husband and child will not face money stress on top of everything else. The NHS is flawed but I'm very grateful for it.
@@janemoney5144 Are eye tests free, I never knew and I lived there for 3 years and went to an optician in this time. I think you will find if you buy the glasses, eye tests are also free in England courtesy of the optician. Or if they are not, what is a tenner when you are spending over £100. Going to India soon, maybe I'll get some glasses. I dont think I was charged last time in England for the test.
@Peter Harridge In Scotland, Eye tests are free for everyone. If you are on certain benefits, under 18 or in school glasses are free. Otherwise, you need to buy them. I
@@selinabradshaw5503 The point is they are free anyway if you are in England because not charged for by opticians although they could. As I say have bought in both jurisdictions and not noticed any difference. Dental, that is another matter, In Scotland far cheaper under NHS dentists. And here I can't get one for love or money. I went to one on emergency just the other week , they wanted to pull tooth for no reason. I had an infection, Had to go private. £75 cost. But otherwise no dentist for future work. Now paying £15.60 per month for a private plan because no alternative.
The NHS is under a lot of pressure at the moment, probably the most it ever has been, which really worries me about it's future 😬 it does feel amazing to not have to worry about the cost of anything when we need anything from standard appointments all the way up to life threatening emergencies, you literally walk in and walk out and go on with your life without any financial burden, and I'm soo greatful for that! ❤ you do have to pay for medicines though (some people are exempt for having to pay at all) but all the prescriptions are charge at a fix rate and its only around £10 per prescription, so you don't have to pay the price of the actual medicine. That's the only thing we have to pay for really
The NHS will be dead in 10 years. The life expectancy keeps rising and our baby boomer generation is about to hit the age where they are no longer working whilst simultaneously utilising the service the most. Anyone thinking the NHS is a sustainable is deluded. It’s an incredible service and people working in it do a great job but regardless, reality is a thing.
Just to add to that, you can if needed purchase a prepayment plan for prescriptions if you need more than 1 regular medication - I have to take 4 different medicines each day and instead of them being £10 each I pay £10 a month - and it would remain the same price if I needed more.
I live in Scotland. I'm an immigrant, so I'm not born here. I have everything for free, including my gluten-free food every month from the pharmacy (I'm celiac). A year ago, I went for a routine cardiac procedure, which unfortunately went terribly wrong, spent 10 days in the hospital fighting for my life, had another surgery to implant a pacemaker, and didn't pay ANYTHING. My brother lives in the US, and he counted all these would cost me, probably around 200k there 😮😮😮 Every month, there's a certain quantity taken off my salary for NHS. But tbh, I receive more (value wise) every month in my food from the pharmacy than I pay in. Kinda from £1700 salary they deduct somewhere around £100 for NHS. In Scotland, we have everything free, including eye checks, dentists, medication, etc.
Unlike days of old, when most brits had bad teeth, we look after them more now and have better protection products available, SO---theres less patients to treat or even check. And a larger elderly population are registered with NHS dentists, so aren't paid much, and, are now few and far between.@@MrGreen1314
To give you some idea: I've recently had cancer screenings and heart screenings and the only thing I had to pay was £7.50 for my medication every 2 months. (It's capped at £9.15 per item so you'll never pay more than that for your box of tablets.)
@@hilgar6384 Yes, only in England do we pay for prescription medication. I remember Gordon Brown insisting that we were a united kingdom during a discussion about keeping summertime all year in England and let Scotland have their own time zone. Not such a united kingdom when it comes to social care funding and prescription charges are we Mr Brown?
You shouldn’t have had to pay such a high prescription amount. If your pharmacist has advised you, you could have got a form from them to fill in to pre pay for prescriptions. It costs around £110 per year and covers all prescriptions. I could have afforded my medication without it as it would have cost me around £200 per month.
@@lynnekelly6591 £7.50 every two months equates to £45 a year which is less than the prepayment certificate but it's certainly worth keeping an eye on the prescription charge, especially for those on several items long term. I can't see why we can't have a system like a loyalty card and when your prescription charges for the year equates to the current prepayment certificate, you aren't charged any more. At the moment you have to guess in advance how many prescriptions you are likely to need in a year. Or move to one of the other parts of the UK.😀
I've lived in 7 countries, all of which have some form of socialized medicine and have been so grateful for all of them. The NHS is the one I have the most experience with and have only ever had good experiences. In Scotland I was very lucky to have free university and healthcare, I just can't imagine the fear and limitation that debt gives people. The NHS however has been severely underfunded, largely due to the Tories who have been influenced by the private health lobby, and it's up to all Britons to keep the NHS well funded and alive.
No bill for anything EVER!, we have the option of choosing private healthcare which is similar to your current system, where we can pay and we can also use that for chosen cosmetic surgery. The nhs is very stretched, which is why those with more money do sometimes choose to pay for the private healthcare, HOWEVER regardless of the wait the nhs will treat every one eventually, it may take longer but for those who need it particularly in an emergency they are always there and always free at point of contact. Employed people also pay a fixed fee for prescriptions regardless of the cost of the medicine. every working person pays taxes, but those on low incomes who cannot work still access free healthcare. We can earn a specific amount per year its currently at just short of £13000 per year and that’s your tax free amount after that everyone just pays tax at a percentage it isn’t separated into segments its just deducted straight from the salary on a weekly/monthly basis and that tax goes towards all elements of the government including in the nhs, the brexit saga was a disaster it sounded great for many on paper but as always will government bodies it made the situation in my opinion much worse, not necessarily for the nhs but it changes imports exports the rules on European workers coming in to the uk and other things that also has an effect on the income and costs to all the citizens of this country. In general the nhs is a system im very grateful for and have had to use it for millions of things in my lifetime and im not old!! But if i was an American im sure my illnesses would have meant by now I couldn’t have afforded to stay alive due to the costs of attending medical services.
As for the push for private. This is largely coming from wealthy individuals (and those in positions of power and influence) who see the NHS as a block on their wealth. The NHS uses it's size to negotiate its contracts, and as a result the return for companies supplying it is greatly reduced. If you're invested in medical companies that's not good for your shares... As such, there's a constant push for the NHS to change. The current method is for the NHS to become a 'brand' for private companies to use when offering some services, the idea being that it is cheaper for the NHS to subcontract some services. The problem in that is these companies only want the high profit procedures, which tend to be the simple basic procedures, taking money out of the system and leaving the NHS to pick up the more difficult and costly procedures whilst also scraping off the staff that the NHS trained.
@@stevetaylor8698 haven't you heard of the NHS Supply Chain? They specialise in bulk buy the regularly used consumables and equipment, and negoatiate a rebate on the bulk buy - which is received at the end of the year. The NHSBA who have drug purchasing specialists do the same for drugs, negoatiate costs and discounts from Big Pharma as and where they can. If you are are referring to any other items which falls outside of regular everyday spending, then yes there isn't any particular specialist body set up to oversee that? That is a bit of a free for all, but a very small percentage of the NHS's overall spend.
Hospital, GP, ambulance all free. However, we do pay a tax called National Insurance. But, it's minimal depending on your earnings. So it's between 2% up to 12% . It comes out if your salary. If you're unemployed, you get benefits & your National insurance is paid as part of your benefits.
yep that's literally accurate, 5 years ago I broke my arm and dislocated my elbow after falling off a ladder. Went to the hospital, had x-rays, got sedated and had my elbow popped back into place. The next morning at 9am I was in surgery having 9 screws and a metal plate put in to fix my arm. Went home the next day, no bill. Thank you NHS. If I were in the USA when I had this accident, I wonder how much it would have cost me?
The nhs is wonderful, underfunded currently, but full of wonderful staff across the board. I cannot imagine going through the stress and worry of being seriously ill along with potentially going bankrupt due to health care costs. #keepthenhspublic
I just came across this video. As A Brit who has now lived 27 years in the US, I am unable to comment on the current state of the NHS but I spent the first 40+ years in the UK using the NHS for myself and my family. When I first came to the US I was under the impression that yes it was expensive but you got top healthcare and a responsive medical community. 27 years later I know yes it is expensive and healthcare can be fantastic but try and get an appointment with your GP. I was offered one 4 months out and that is no outlier. I have also been asked which system I prefer. My answer is that it depends. If you have an excellent salary and great company sponsored health insurance go with the US system. If you work for an average US salary or below go with the NHS system. People in the US obsess about losing their benefits ( meaning health insurance) if they lose their job. People in the UK don’t worry about that aspect of losing their job. Americans going to the UK on vacation worry about getting sick. Don’t. The NHS will look after you and there will be no bill because there is no billing system in UK hospitals. Brits don’t even think about coming to the US without insurance. You could be bankrupted. Pharmaceuticals are cheaper in the UK because the British government negotiates with Pharma on price. However, it doesn’t always work. Some cancer drugs are not available on the NHS. They are, however, approved drugs and if you want to pay yourself or through private insurance you can. Another American myth is that there is only socialized medicine in the UK. As this video make clear, that is not true. Personally I loved the NHS and would absolutely vote for it in the US but ‘ socialized medicine’ is a term of abuse over here.
Speaking from as a person who had a heart attack and had to be resuscitated for 10 mins would not be here if not for the NHS PLUS HAD A FURTHER 2 HEART ATTACKS IN a specialist hospital in the freeman in Newcastle i love the nhs .❤❤❤
I recently badly broke my hand and dislocated my knuckle, it's meant I've had 8 hospital visits and surgery to screw bone back together. I've had weeks of physio and it's been a difficult process, but it reminded me how amazing our NHS is - the level of care I received was superb and everyone from receptionist to surgeon had a real sense of care and couldn't do enough for me. I haven't paid a single penny. Doesn't matter who you are, if you're sick and need help - whether you're a native or a tourist - the NHS will take care of you because life matters more than bills.
At 30 years old I was told I had cancer. I was treated for it and for the past 17 years I was checked every single year to make sure it hadn't come back. This year they thought it had, I had a biopsy and luckily I am in the clear. Without the N.H.S I would probably be dead by now. I cannot express how much I love the N.H.S. Without them my 9 year old son would probably be without a dad.
So are you saying that you wouldn't have been treated in the us. Thats ridiculous. You would have got the same level of care. The difference is that you would have a bill at the end of it that you have to play or your insurance pays. Many people are treated and survive cancer in the us and infact the uk send some rear forms of cancer to the us as the uk dose not have the trained staff to treat them.
@ryangalloway2927 i wasn't looking for an argument lad. His comment in on a video comparing the nhs to the us private system therefore it is not unreasonable to assume that he is praising the nhs over the us system. I am pointing out that under circumstances where staff are under paid causing shortages in staff and waiting times that are rediculous and deadly amongst other problems that it is stupit to say that the nhs is working better than the us system. Since you havent added anything constructive to the conversation other than to accuse me of looking for an argument it is clear that you are self projecting your own intent onto me lad.
@ryangalloway2927 and on top of that to clame that the nhs saved his life as though he wouldn't have received the same level of care as if he was in the us is absurd and as his comment is on a video comparing both systems it is not unreasonable for me to come to that conclusion as he never stated otherwise
@@danielhooper8138 He wouldn't have had the same type/level of care in the US though.. Firstly to receive the same level of care he would need the Money to pay for it through his own insurance minus any deductible he'd have to cover, then he'd have to pay for every doctors visit and test for each year after it, then pay for the additional surgery he had at the end. During that time his insurance premium would have increased because of his existing condition, his deductible would have gone up as well, and he would still be in DEBT because of the original cost of treatment. The fact is he received all this treatment on the NHS for no cost other than his regular monthly contribution to National Insurance and any prescription cost for medications which cost £9 or free if he's on benefits.
In New Zealand we have similar system to NHS. Travel insurance is needed. Our payment for healthcare comes out of our pay in our standard tax. The American system works on insurance companies making a profit, Big Pharma making a profit, hospitals making a profit. UK and NZ work on the costs of running a hospital and providing care without the profit factor.
I live in the UK and I love our NHS. I’m only in my 30’s but am a cancer survivor thanks to the NHS. I know the idea of paying tax to have a socialist medical system may seem like a lot of money but at the end of the day you never know who will need it. Family or friends are all going to get help whenever they need it. I know I am happy to pay a this tax because in my life I have never had to worry about the cost of somebody’s health only if they will be ok.
I have MS, my (very expensive) disease modifying drugs are sent to my home by courier every month, absolutely free. I see a neurologist every 6 months, I see a specialist nurse every 3 months, I see a specialist physiotherapist every two weeks, I have an MRI every year. I recently had an aneurysm coiled in platinum with subsequent stay in high dependency unit, no charge. I am happy for a percentage of my salary to go toward the NHS, I couldn’t afford to be ill in the US.
I’m British and am very grateful to our NHS, my mum had 3 strokes, open heart surgery, and is alive today because of our NHS, the care did not cost 1p, we pay for the NHS from national insurance deductions from our wages, my amount is around £179 per month. When I’ve needed medical attention I haven’t had to wait very long, our NHS works hard, but I would pay slightly more if needed. I think we still have a better deal than most of the world with health care for all.
as an american, it’s honestly difficult to read through these comments. i just keep thinking about how much extra pain and suffering i have gone through bc of united states health insurance. like my life is undeniably so much worse bc of it
At some of the most stressful times in your life, the one thing you don't need is to have to wrestle with insurance and make choices about whether you'd rather go bankrupt or have your quality of life screwed for your remaining life. Just having to pay for an ambulance is criminal, regardless of anything else.
There needs to be a political movement in the US. Before the internet people didn’t really know how universal healthcare worked. Now you do, so start lobbying the government 👍
The NHS began when I was 6, so I don't ever remember having to pay for medical attention. In fact, I don't think my parents ever paid for medical attention for me, even before that! I am proud to be British each time I visit the doctor or hospital without it costing me a single penny!
I'm an American commenting on the NHS as a patient. I was vacationing in the UK when I got an intestinal bug. Unfortunately I was the only one willing to drive and we had a reservation that night some 200 miles from where my stomach revolted on me. I knew I'd never make it without some aid so, not knowing what else to do, I got directions to a local community hospital and walked into their emergency room. I told the admitting person that I was an American on holiday but would really like to see one of their doctors for my "bug". I explained that I didn't have much cash but did have a credit card since my U.S. insurance wouldn't cover me. She gave me the most puzzled look but took my name and told me to take a seat in the waiting room. Now this hospital looked nothing like the shiny glass and stainless steel palace I was used to at home but was what I would call "serviceable" ... there was no TV and we all sat on folding chairs but a nurse called my name in a surprisingly short time and led me into a large but spartan office to speak with a very pleasant and unhurried doctor. I explained my about my roiling stomach and asked if I could get something for the nausea so I could continue in my role as the sole chauffeur. He made some notes and asked me to return to the waiting room and someone would be with me shortly. I think it was only about 15 minutes before my name was called again and another very pleasant low key nurse took me to a cubicle and had me lay down on a gurney while preparing a shot for my nausea. She turned down the light and told me to lie there as long as I wanted. About an hour later she returned and asked how I was feeling which fortunately was much better. She said to continue resting as long as I wanted but I could leave whenever I felt well enough to do so. I was also offered a scrip for antinausea pills if the ick returned later in the day. I accepted and got directions to their pharmacy on the second floor. The scrip cost about $8, I paid the pharmacist and headed back down to ER. I was nervous that the cost would dip heavily into my vacation allotment but when I asked the same admitting person what I owed them she gave me the same puzzled look and said there was no charge I just needed to sign a standard release form and she wished me a more pleasant rest of my trip. I was there about 2 hours total, felt much better and the only cost was for my scrip. Now my "emergency" was minor and didn't involve any blood, casts or donated body parts but I KNOW would have run at least a $1000 if I'd been treated in the states. My trip was saved, we made it to our reservation and it cost less than a mini mart stop.
If only we had an NHS system here - how many people would be saved from crushing medical debt or having to live with treatable illnesses because they couldn't afford our bloated health system? The UK rocks!!
Well as you didn't pay for your treatment, it meant you had money in your pocket to spend on your UK trip..
And if you were in Scotland your script would also have been free.
I'm from Sweden and while visiting friends in Florida I got the flu. Was coughing so much I couldn't talk or do anything. High fever. Got to the ER. One hour plus meds got me billed over 500 $. I almost choked on the meds I got! Omg! In Sweden it would've been depending on what you've done before in visits to the doc and meds, 20$. Fortunately, my insurance covered all the costs. But by talking to American friends I do know you have to pay a lot for health care. That made me sad. Take care 🌻🌹ps. Yes, we do have high taxes in Sweden but they go to health care, school etc ds.
@@gilly5094 It's about the same in Sweden. Waiting time for getting help to a specialist, yup, months.
Ha! By this means we will turn the entire world socialist.
I live in rural Wales, I was involved in a house fire, I was helicoptered to my nearest hospital (2/12 hour drive, I was there in 17 minutes by helicopter) spent three weeks in intensive care, with a full recovery. Amazing staff, amazing NHS and no bill at the end. I’m fully recovered and getting continued care by counselling and my doctors. Our NHS is amazing, thank you ❤
Wow I hope you are okay. You’re a survivor ❤
Just to be clear - air ambulances are partially charity funded (charity generally pays for the helicopter, pilot, fuel, maintenance, hangar, etc - NHS usually provides the medical staff and equipment on the helicopter)
Welsh air ambulances are charity and lottery funded.
@@azza4044 I lived in aberystwyth and when they removed the A&E they said it was ok because the air ambulance exists … not sure you should plan your health service delivery on people contributing to do charity skydives.
Wishing you all the best
I am 100% English born and raised, I hardly use NHS but knowing that I have that safety net is a peace of mind, we are very blessed for the NHS, every country should have this system 👌🏻
This! In countries that have universal healthcare people are happy to pay taxes, even though they would not use health care services a lot. People are happy to contribute to the common good.
I agree. I’m getting old now so are using the NHS more but for 40+ years probably never used it. Still very happy to pay towards it because it’s a safety net and also I don’t want my fellow countryman to have to sell their house just because they get cancer. I don’t see ours as socialised healthcare, I see the US as an unspecialised health system.
As a healthy british male who has rarely had to use the NHS having to pay for some of it in my tax is absolutely fine by me! The safety net of knowing that in an emergency I will be 100% covered and that I dont have to worry about paying for my care is greatly reassuring.
Me, too. I feel privileged that I can help my society and, when I need it, the NHS is there for me. I had a child on the NHS, my husband has had several operations. We are fortunate, though, that we've been able to work all our lives and have paid towards the NHS with our taxes. I do feel a bit sorry for Americans who pay more in insurance premiums and still don't have as good a service as we do - even though a lot of Americans refuse to accept that
Agreed, no one should go without treatment, it's a basic human need. Tax money well spent.
We care about each other .... That's the difference !
And the benefit is because everybody pays into it with a small amount of their taxes, it spreads the load of paying for it, so everybody pays such a tiny amount with each pay check. But ye, like you said, it's great because you know in an emergency the safety net is there. In America it literally costs $2k just to ride an ambulance, and that's before you get to the hospital!
@@LynnpjjbdndjiYou are correct , it's not in our make up to put profit before all else , long may it last
automat
I'm in the UK. About two weeks ago, I slipped on a patch of ice and fractured my hip, resulting in surgery and a week's stay in hospital. The whole experience included the ambulance trip, surgery the following morning, pain medication, round the clock care, meals, use of a walking frame and then arm crutches which were provided for me to take home. I was on my feet - painfully - literally two days after surgery and walking around after a week. On discharge, I was also provided with a supply of syringes preloaded with anti-bloodclotting medication and a medical waste disposal bin and various items of equipment to make getting around easier while I heal. I have also been given access to full 24/7 physiotherapy support and am expected to make a complete recovery in about a month.
Total cost to me: £0.00
NHS value to the nation: beyond price
As far as patches of ice go,do you know that local authorities used to salt pavements as they still do roads........someone was employed to go round with a cart and a shovel locally.They also used to clear leaves from drains in Autumn to prevent flooding, and cut back obscuring vegetation from road signs and road junctions in summer.Nothing like a local man on the spot.Then came the idea of spending cuts and austerity...............and finger up to the people.
I hope you get well soon!
You haven’t paid tax this is a big problem you should pay your way health tourism is a major problem we have to have health insurance to travel abroad and you use our tax money. You make one of the best arguments for us to get rid of the NHS
Can't believe you actually got an appointment. That's a feat in itself.
@@Northstowe_Documentary I've paid the tax and still got fuck all service.
I'm an NHS Nurse and we work damn hard. Proud of our health care services ❤
You do a great job. I hope you get a pay rise. Everyone is with you girl!
@ Ednaida I have nothing but respect for the nurses and doctors and other NHS staff my late mum suffered from MS and the care she received was outstanding I raise my hat 🌷
You do respect and thanks for NHS saving my life twice. That was arguably a mistake time will tell lool
@@Mike-mo9qq Thank you for the lovely words. I'm glad she received great care. We're all on this earth to take care of each other and do our part
Thank you all for your lovely comments. I'm currently at work, I showed our staff members some of your comments when we had our handover meeting today. They were all smiling and said how lovely it is to read your comments 😊🙏🏾 so THANK YOU
The NHS is the greatest gift we gave ourselves and must be protected at all costs.
I think it is under pressure, if recent issues and actions are to go by. Made worse by the Covid event
Dumbo trump had been trying to convince Boris to close the NHS & have something similar to the us (badly broken) system. I have more to say on this topic but my eyes keep closing
I take it its free for you then.
@@NikkiTee-rb1ndit's not free we pay via taxes, it is free at the point of need.
@@NikkiTee-rb1nd it is free for all at the point of need. Everyone is proud of the NHS, even if we pay higher taxes & hardly need to use it.
Most of us in the UK think the NHS is something to be proud of.
It is
It's our greatest national asset
Our NHS is amazing and should be protected at all costs.
Abosutely!
No it shouldn't. It's broken past the point of it being worth saving. Privatisation is the only thing that will save the UK healthcare system. Life's parasites should be left in the gutter where they belong.
No it’s not. It’s a useless piece of crap and it is going to die. It’s a place for fat lazy Karen’s to act like they do something. Go look at all the lives it’s destroyed and ended. It’s a lot more than they heal. You should be proud of how it’s number 5 on the list of careers with the MOST LITERAL PSYCHOPATH’S. You do understand we have panels deciding who lives and dies. I had to send a letter every year BEGGING 🙏 for ms treatment. It was the best treatment we have and the most basic option for Americans. It IS dying. Enjoy finally having REAL healthcare and saving a lifetime of ever growing bs taxes. We pay for everyone else’s healthcare while never receiving our own. It’s about time we stopped paying for everyone else’s healthcare and focus on our own. Wtf am I paying for fatties and cosmetic surgery while I’m not even getting basic care.
@@cececox6399 some one is TALKING now
Nobody that supplies anything to NHS is protecting them. The NHS are charged extortionate rates for supplies and labour by almost everyone that works with them.
I supply plumbing equipment to local hospitals in my area. It used to be a national account but recently they started making area accounts. I’m saving my local region thousands a month compared to what they paid under the national account.
I live in the UK. Every single person who lives here has been saved/ treated by the NHS, and every single person knows someone who's life was saved free of charge by the NHS. Proud of our 'socialist' health care
I absolutely agree. I was born by caesarian section so my mum and I were saved by that act alone. I've had my tonsils out, my mum has had cataract surgery on both eyes (she was losing her sight), she's had growths removed and now has hearing aids and was saved from sepsis the other year (transported by emergency ambulance.) My father has had a knee replacement and successful treatment for prostate cancer - all on the NHS with absolutely no added cost other than our tax rate and none of us have had to worry about bankruptcy and our tax rate is manageable. The NHS may be in crisis right now but the thought of losing it fills me with absolute horror. It's worth fighting for.
As a diabetic the NHS saves my life evry day of the week.
Years ago 29 years in fact I was diagnosed with breast cancer. From visiting my GP to seeing consultant having biopsy finding malignancy I was admitted and operated on within 1 month. I know that there are problems now but tooth and nail fight to keep it. No I have never paid 1penny for any treatment even my cosmetic surgery to rebuild my missing breast. No zip scarring absolutely brilliant.❤ NHS
I haven’t been treated by the NHS. I avoid them like the plague.
My son was born by c section without the NHS I would have have lost the most important thing to ever happen in my life. I love the NHS
As a Brit who's grown up working class (and has even been homeless before) I am so incredibly appreciative of the NHS! The health care I received when homeless would literally not have been possible if it weren't for the NHS and the same goes for my parents. I'm just finishing university and hoping to get a full time job soon and I can't wait to contribute to the service that I've used my whole life
I have never been homeless or had hardship like you, I grew up middle class, but I developed a chronic health condition. I am very thankful for the NHS because without them, I probably wouldn't have even been diagnosed, and they've helped me so much with their services.
Ive also been homeless, and if our health service wasn't free I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here to type this message.
Gotta love the NHS. No matter what your walk of life, you still get treated with the same utmost care, compassion, patience and professionalism, even obnoxious scroats who deserve nothing but a punch up the bracket.
I live in the UK and I’m so proud of our NHS. We don’t have to worry about having an accident or getting ill, we don’t get crippling bills for treatment and we get excellent service. If I lived in the USA I would be dead by now but I’m still going thanks to our wonderful NHS. The NHS rocks and is the envy of the world.
I had a pretty huge hospital bill from the NHS the other day. I spent 6 hours in A and E with my grandad waiting for a bed to become available for him in a ward. I had to pay a whopping £5 for hospital parking. Absolutely disgraceful
🤣
Bloody appalling! You should write a letter.
😂😂😂
Absolutely ripped off mate
😂😂😂
I am in my seventies, and have hardly used the NHS facilities throughout my life (one minor operation when in my late teens, and occasional GP consultations), but I don't begrudge the contribution I have made over the years. It has meant that I have never had any concern that I might not be able to get treatment when needed.
Agreed, same here. I'm 28, so I've got a long way to go in comparison to you.
Yeeeeessss I love this comment!!
Like you, I am in my seventies, born & bred here in London & grown up with NHS, never really need it, but it's there for me if I do! The American Health system sounds a nightmare to comprehend! They even have to pay for an emergency ambulance!
Thank you for helping to save my life.
No children? You would have had vaccinations and check-ups during your childhood. As with any 'insurance' system there are winners and losers; some people drive all their adult lives without being involved in an accident, others have several but they are all required by law to have insurance. Typically we need the NHS more as we age so in some ways we've paid for several decades in advance for 'free' healthcare when we eventually need it.
I am in the UK; my father was diagnosed with cancer in Jan 2020; it was found to be incurable and he died 3 months later. The palliative care he received on the NHS was attentive and dignified. It was an incredibly tough time for the whole family and my mother in particular. If, on top of all this, we'd had to worry about making decisions based on cost, making sure treatment/facilities were covered by insurance, or how to afford all the necessary care, it would have made it far, far more difficult.
The NHS has really bad outcomes for cancer.
Other countries will catch it sooner and people have a much higher chance of surviving.
😭
I’m so sorry for your loss.
My daughter was born 2 months premature. All we had to worry about was her, not a bill, not a debt….. I and my wife are both aware of how the US works. We as UK citizens and are eternally grateful for the NHS. When you have enough to worry about with your family, money should be the last thing on your mind.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I never had to worry about whether I could afford gold-standard treatment. I was given literally years of treatment without concern about the extra financial burden - radiation, chemo, monoclonal antibodies, multiple surgeries, hormone therapy - and thanks to the skills and dedication of my medical team, I'll be celebrating 10 years of survival later this year.
I really can't express how valued the NHS is here, and what an amazing job they do. The Conservative government has been gutting the service for years, but somehow it's still standing, and saving the lives of people every single day. It's certainly saved mine, multiple times, and I consider it a national treasure.
It astounds me how some people in the US buy into the propaganda - largely from the medical insurance and for-profit health industries - that universal healthcare is too expensive, wouldn't work, or even that it's the first step on the slippery slope to communism because the current system somehow represents freedom and choice. While the NHS is absolutely not perfect (waiting times for elective procedures can be a pain, for instance), we have better life expectancy, lower maternal mortality...and we don't have people going bankrupt due to medical debt. Propaganda says that doctors wouldn't work for a socialised medicine system or that research would be stifled to a standstill, but taking a quick dive into the healthcare landscape of other developed nations shows that this just isn't true. It's all just fear mongering by industry lobbyists and others who stand to profit from the suffering of others.
I'm actually moving to the US this year and I'm very thankful that I'll have excellent medical insurance, but it will never seem just to me that so many of my new neighbours don't. There's much to admire about the USA - the diversity, the resilience, the inventiveness, the beautiful melting pot of cultures and traditions...the people in general. I wouldn't be moving there if I didn't love it. But the healthcare system is very unjust, IMHO.
Wonderfully said, you know and understand the problems we have here, I'm wondering if you've moved here and if so how you are fitting in, thanks alot.
I love the NHS so much! Its not perfect but it is wonderful. Me and my family work in it and are proud to do so! Also I worked on a cancer ward and personally met a one of a set of twins both with the same cancer one treated in the uk in one of the UK’s leading cancer centre recovered the other died in the US due to not being able to afford treatment. That’s just an illustration of the difference. I and my family and most Brits will fight tooth and nail to keep our NHS free at the point of use , for ever, for everyone!
And this is the biggest problem with the NHS.
Everyone says it's broken and needs fixing, but as soon as you say something bad about it they get their back up and say it's good.
NHS will continue to decline until the public can accept the NHS is at the bottom of the race.
The NHS needs total reform. For the amount the country pays we receive a shocking service.
It's shit to get into chams it can take up to 2 years just to be seen how is that good
In the U.K. we massively underfund the NHS, as shown in the video. Nobody in their right mind wants the American system and if they do they can pay to go private
I'm a Brit. Much of my experience of the NHS is of an utterly incompetent service that is failing on multiple levels. If you're dying you MIGHT get decent treatment, but that isn't even guaranteed. Aunt died a few weeks ago thanks to their incompetence; friend's mum last year; son's 8 yo friend some years back. I'm not a fan and avoid it as much as I can.
Can I just say I wish more American’s were like you, your openness and willingness to learn and try understand how the NHS works! You are a good dude!
NHS saved my Mum twice and didn’t have to worry about being in tens of thousands of debt. I’ve had CT scans over the years, Antibiotics, A&E trips, contraception, inhalers, prescriptions where I’ve never had to pay anything else but my taxes. I’m so proud of that!
Doesn’t matter who you are, rich or poor, we all have equal access to services.
its our/uk's greatest gift hun ,hope your mums still well
thats the issue encapsulated in a nutshell, a lot of people see the NHS as a kind of communist idea, they do not like that if you pay in it benefits others, their way is if you work hard you pay for the benefit, for me good health isn't a benefit of working hard, its a fundamental right.
Our NHS is amazing. I would hate to see us loose it. Thank you to all our NHS workers if you see this ❤
"lose" ffs
I just wrote about this in a different video about healthcare, but it's worth saying here, too.. nearly 2 years ago, my then 21 year old daughter was diagnosed with MS, from the initial appointment, MRI's, blood tests, consultation appointments with specialists, GP's, and MS nurses to having medication delivered to our front door as well as access to those nurses and doctors and regular scans and blood tests, not a penny was paid out of pocket! Well worth the IT/NI she and i pay, which is nothing compared to the health insurance you have to pay in the US. If we lived there, I wouldn't know how we could have afforded these costs! Thank you to the NHS, so much 😍😍
I was also recently diagnosed with MS - From the initial relapse I saw a doctor that afternoon and was admitted to hospital that evening. I spent a 13 days on a ward, had blood tests an MRI and Lumbar puncture and I'm currently looking into daily medications and that cost nothing beyond the monthly tax i pay. I always quote Stephen Hawking when he said he owes his life to the NHS
It came out of the tax that I pay - and I am more than happy with that because if I need it it's there for me too. Like the police.
God bless our NHS.
Absolutely.
Some are just too ready to criticise the NHS. Admittedly the system itself needs reviewing (I believe in “bring back the Matron” to run more efficiently - I merely use that as a simplistic way to say it needs to be more efficient. Currently top heavy in management), but the concept of the NHS should NEVER be destroyed.
Unfortunately I’ve had to avail the use of the NHS too much for my liking, but the staff have been wonderful.
@@malaika2940 want it need is better funding and I for one would n't mind a tax increase to fund it
I was diagnosed with cancer on the 6 April 2016 and was in hospital for an operation on the 28 April 2016.
Have been cancer free since.
No charge for operation and treatment.
The NHS saved my life, can't thank them enough.
I work in the NHS, first as a registered nurse and when my health became more fragile as a secretary for a consultant. I love my work as I get a great deal of job satisfaction. I support an amazing service and I enjoy being a part of that. Those who flourish in the NHS as a workplace understand they are there to provide a service and will go that extra mile. I am proud of the NHS and my colleagues.
I am so proud of our amazing NHS staff, especially over the last 10yrs x
Thank you for all your hard work. I sincerely hope the government gets their stuff together and sorts out the funding. The NHS needs to be protected and treasured and so does every one of the staff.
I'm sure this comment will get buried, however I do have a recent NHS story. About a week ago, my partner had terrible side/back pain that came on over a couple of days, and grew to excruciating levels over about 3 days. Woke up one morning and called 111 (the non-emergency NHS line), and an hour later an ambulance showed up and took us to hospital. They did tests and turns out she had a kidney infection, went home after about 6 hours with medication for it. Did not pay a penny. Excellent stuff
Last year I gained remission from cancer. 2 years of diagnosis and treatment and it cost me nothing. I was in a chat group for young people with cancer and some of the American members would be worried when their care didn’t cover additional scans or certain medications, things that could mean the difference between life and death. As a British person that is insane to imagine.
I work in the UK as an NHS nurse. It's not an easy task but I'm proud to help the system save lives. Hoping to get a pay rise that encourages though.
Thank you so much for the amazing work u do. I would not be hear without people like yourself.
You're a hero of our nation, the tories can get fucked.
The NHS needs more funding so people like you and the ambulance service can actually do your job and do it right.
Thank you for what you do. I think the 8oclock clap should go on day in day out until you’re being paid as you should be. It was great I thought to bring the awareness your profession needs. And clapping felt so incredibly inadequate, the county felt that. More needed to be done
Thank you we really appreciate you ANGEL'S in the UK...
Keep hoping
I live in London, UK. I really like the NHS. My November gross salary was £3,350. NHS tax (called "National Insurance") was £272.. My family have used the NHS lots of times. If you go to hospital for an operation; no charge, physician; no charge.. Now I'm 60 all my medication is free. Irrespective of employment status.
It should stay like that for life and generations to come. In my opinion the NHS should adapt to political changes, funding and the economy.
National Insurance does not directly fund the NHS; it’s mainly for building up entitlement to state pension and other benefits. NHS is funded by general taxation.
National insurance is not too fund the NHS. It's to go towards your state pension. The NHS is funded through general taxation like income tax.
@@amcadam26 @cwv710 In the UK taxes are not hypothecated: all government spending comes from general taxation (income tax, corporation tax, national insurance, VAT, etc), even if one or more politicians might say, for example, that they are raising NI by a point in order to put the extra income specifically into the health and social care budget (as Blair and Brown did, which you can bet didn't apply after 2010, if not sooner). The Chancellor allocates departmental budgets each and every year, in accordance with No.10's direction and the Cabinet's broadly agreed policies, negotiating departmental funding priorities with each secretary of state to achieve something which hopefully satisfies everyone and doesn't alienate anyone.
Once a year, if you are in work, you should receive a summary telling you how your taxes have been spent. Whatever it is that you pay that shows up on your payslip each month, regardless of how it is categorised, you'll get a summary figure showing the sterling value and the percentage breakdown which went to health and social care, defence, education, business and enterprise, agriculture and environment, transport, etc. The same proportion of indirect taxes (VAT, vehicle tax, excise duties, etc) that you might have paid (depending upon your personal circumstances and lifestyle choices) will also apply.
A single person earning 75k would pay £5018 roughly per year for national insurance and £17,432 in general tax. The nhs is funded from both but that tax covers everything. For a couple that tax amount would be less because everyone has a minimum earning threshold (about 12k) before tax kicks in and you only get taxed on what you earn over the threshold. Two people earning 37k each would pay about £8200 each in tax and national insurance.
I am half English and half German and grew up in London and Moenchengladbach. When I was 19 I had a motorcycle accident. I was in hospital for three months in the Prince of Wales hospital in Islington London. I had a further year of rehab. My bill was astounding, £0.00.
Uncle Sam will mess you up
The waiting times can be challenging, but the NHS has always delivered for me and the people I know
I always here this debate for long waits lol. U wanna wait or u want debt now 😂
Its worth noting that the system operates under triage, for anything that is urgent you will not be waiting long.
@@michaelmayo-vb5fl there's a waiting list in the USA too, it's called the schedule, it's called a lack of donors, it's called maximizing profits.
NHS problems of expenses and insufficient staffing etc, is irrifutably exacerbated by our expanding population, and there is no question of who is to blame.
@@MrDaiseymay Don't talk such complete and utter nonsense. The expansion of society gives the NHS more money. Those new residents work and pay, that adds to the system. In most cases after a few years working in England, they'll go back to Poland etc. so they've paid into the system, but most likely barely used it, if at all.
the NHS has saved my life 3 times (genuinely nearly dead on each of these occasions) the nhs is one thing i think most uk residents agree on. i am so proud of the nhs.
i am now an NHS nurse, we are working so hard at the moment. - we love the nhs.
the waiting lists are long (at times) but you dont have to worry about the bill for the surgery, or specialist doctors clinic
if there was no NHS, i probably wouldnt be able to afford my prescriptions at all.
I am disabled and am unable to work. I have never paid income tax or national insurance, however I still received care on the NHS free of charge. It’s amazing to have such a safety net in place, I will be forever grateful for this.
In addition to all of my disability related care on the NHS (as well as all the other amazing things mentioned here by others) I receive free eye tests every 2 years and a voucher towards the cost of glasses, free dental check ups every 6 months and a cap on the cost of treatments I may need, and free prescription medication delivered to my door. I have also received amazing pre and post natal care, and c-sections, for each of my children.
A small portion of benefits will deducted from social benefits or you will be credited with class 1 NI contributions towards any support allowance. Hope you keeping well.
Parasite. People like you are the reason the NHS is broken.
@@bobeyes3284 Disabled people have no choice in how their disability affects them. Some of us are able to work and some of us are left with trying to make peace with the restrictions our disability’s place on us.
The NHS is amazing. The fact that we are looked after and cared for and never have to worry about how much it will cost. The staff are amazing and work so hard.
Had 7 ops, 3 babies, all on NHS now I’m a pensioner I don’t pay for prescriptions either… however I did pay National insurance while I worked.
Daughter has cancer and all treatments, including chemo, lumpectomies and mastectomy. Plus her badly broken leg and 3 babies all on NHS… she pays NI on her salary.
Our NHS are brilliant.
The NHS is the thing that makes me most proud of the UK. Theyre staff are heroes and this country would be a mess without them.
most people that want to keep the NHS are people born during or after the war and most have paid into the system all their working lives, but some of the younger ones want everything private because they want to spend their money how they want to, but it's the older generation who knows what they would be losing, at one time the government was looking for selling the NHS and we was going to set up an insurance scheme.
The NHS saved my son's life. He had open heart surgery before he turned 2 years old. Me and his mother would never have been able to afford the surgery ourselves. The service is on its knees at the moment though. Years of under funding and poor financial decisions have left it in a state of serious disrepair :(
In 2013, I went into hospital through A&E. I was in for about a month. I was on multiple antibiotics, had wound care and other medication, including antihistamines and pain meds. It was all covered by the National Insurance payment. That is the tax on people's wages that covers the NHS. I paid nothing out of pocket during my hospital stay
Private health in the UK - it's partly about avoiding wait times, but I think it has more to do with the class system and culture. Wealthy people will tend to segregate themselves in the areas of Health and Education. So, it's also about status. Private healthcare establishments tend to have an increased focus on the extras - the fancy furniture, the surroundings, and nursing and service staff that provide a greater degree of deference. The doctors who work in private healthcare usually also work in the NHS, so the actual care is not usually any better.
It's as much about private companies wanting their staff to get priority over other people for none-emergency treatments, and even as an incud=cement to get staff in, even though probably 99% of those staff will never actually use it.
Also private healthcare will rarely stop people having unecessary tests and checks and minor explorations if they can charge for them. Tge NHS will explain why x test is completely unecessary
Only the NHS hospitals in the UK have Intensive Care Units or ICUs if your private opration goes wrong; they will send you to NHS Hospital.
@@AnnaBellaChannelAll private hospital doctors are required to work for the NHS anyway. So it's the same staff for both and you are right private hospitals don't have A&E nor icu's
I live in the UK and at the age of 21 I was diagnosed with diabetes and a year and a half I had a double transplant, kidney and pancreas
These people saved my life. I never have to think about bill and I can focus on wellness. If you’re unwell stress about paying is not going to help with that.
I have worked and contributed. Not lost a job or my home due to my multiple health conditions. I had my surgery was off for 3 months and came back to work.
I have a huge love support and respect for everyone who works in the NHS
I live in the U.K. and I absolutely love our NHS, I’m training to work in the NHS at the moment after years of ill health where I was cared for by the NHS. Not all of my experiences have been good but I still love it and appreciate every staff member in the nhs
I started being very unwell. My family called an ambulance which was at my home in minutes. I was taken to a hospital 7 miles away who could see I needed to go to a more specialist hospital. I was taken in an ambulance to another hospital accompanied by an anaesthetist. Operated on in the morning. Stayed in mostly intensive care for 6 weeks and a further operation. Plus follow ups after. All this for no cost to me other than taxes. If you are not working, not paying taxes you still would be covered the same. Pensioners do not pay for prescriptions neither do you if you have certain medical like diabetes.
I'm in the UK, I had a stroke in Jan 21 and the help I received was amazing. I've had conversations with American colleagues who'd estimated my care costs to be into the 10s of thousands.
For one, given everything I've contributed to our system through the taxes I've paid over the years, I got it back through the help I received.
If that is Socialist Health Care, I'll take it.
Uh, the taxpayer paid your bill and it was also in the tens of thousands. Just because you didn’t get a bill doesn’t mean it didn’t cost the same as in America. The difference is that in America when you get a bill your health insurance covers all of it save a few thousand in the worst case scenario. Or if you are poor or old it’s covered by
Medicaid/Medicare. Government healthcare, like government everything, is incompetent and inefficient. The rich in the UK pay for your healthcare, and it sucks for everyone. I’d rather pay for private healthcare and get better service, and let those that contribute nothing suck it on government healthcare until they realize they need to get a better job to get better healthcare.
@@muckraker7942 Which is fine... ...except, you are wrong. The US pays more on health, per head of population than any other country, and yet has lower outcomes than most. So you have super-expensive, low quality health care. You have noticed that you pay a lot of insurance, don't you? Even if it is with your "better job", that's money that could have gone to you.
Still, insurance companies make lots of profit, and it isn't called "socialist" which is the main thing eh?
@@keithfitton7543 Listen, anyone who thinks the US has low quality health care with lower outcomes is off their rocker. Especially in the face of what the NHS is doing. The US spends more of course. Can you guess why? Also, can you guess why the BBC has brainwashed everyone about how bad US healthcare is? All the fake horror stories about US healthcare alone should tell you something. We are no different than how the Russians live. We are completely deluded. It’s getting awfully expensive to have cheap healthcare…
@@keithfitton7543 And once again, you telegraph your Marxist leanings by suggesting that profit is bad. Oh dear. Get ready Lenin because capitalism and private health insurance is coming whether you realize it or not. Once again a grand socialist experiment has failed miserably.
Good man 👍🏻
Of course every system has its difficulties, but the NHS is wonderful ❤️ The idea of having a bill is quite frightening
And totally unexpected for us. At the end of an hospital stay I expect to get my medical documents (although they are also get digitally transferred to my GP), not a bill.
Our NHS needs a serious remodelling overhaul.
The hyper inflated cost of drugs is scary too as seen on other UA-cam videos of US V UK Ambulances, drugs etc.
@@mrjinks5641 Agreed. We need to stop electing Govs who want to privitise it (turning it into something closer to the US model).
@@elethio we need to rid ourselves of the countless middle managers and the criminal amount of waist,
I don’t see anyone using the NHS ,s blue print.
My dad had a bleed on the brain, was seen by the A&E Consultant in 20mins from the ambulance and was sent to a specialist hospital within the hour. He was treated by a world-leading brain surgeon from the moment he arrived to the day he left and had 6 months post-operative care.
I have private medical insurance through work (which like all private medicine, is supplemental - in most instances you go via the NHS) but in 8 years I have never once even thought about using it - the NHS covers it all.
But the best example of the NHS was when my mate got hit by a car - it was so severe, they sent an air ambulance (helicopter) and shut a major arterial road into London to ensure he was kept alive. Poor, working class lad survived because his urgent needs were prioritised.
They really mean it when they say it’s free at the point of use - I have never even been asked for anything more than my name whether that be at a hospital or GP - I only found out what my NHS number was in the last year and I’m 34 years old.
The NHS Has saved my life twice. Once with a liver transplant and once with endometrial cancer. I have also had two knee replacements. I didn’t pay as much as a penny for any of it - apart from prescription charges for meds once I was discharged, and that only until I reached retirement age when we get free prescriptions. We are so lucky to have the NHS and should appreciate it more than we sometimes do.
In 2018, I was rushed to hospital via ambulance diagnosed with sepsis and pneumonia. The NHS saved my life, and I will be forever grateful.
An ambulance, a private room, on a drip most of the time, x-rays, three meals a day, and no bill whatsoever.
I had something like you in 2020 , and not a penny paid , long live the NHS.
@@phillipbanes5484Of course it’s not free, but surely the point is that as a uk citizen you’re paying for it regardless. You pay via taxation even if you never use the NHS in your whole lifetime. The brilliance of it is that it means you don’t ever have to find the money up front for your treatment if you do need it 🤷🏼♀️
@@phillipbanes5484 No a bill is presented at the end of service or is itemised prior to and paid for a direct service. You do not get a bill but you do pay for the services through national insurance. You are wrong and I suspect deliberatley so
"No bill"... look at your taxes. The bill is not any smaller than what US people pay...
@@patnor7354 I'm 35 years old, and recently broke my leg and had external fitments. A very quick Google says this would cost between $20 & $30k. I have not paid anywhere near that in NHS contributions, and that is without other injuries and illnesses I have had, my daughter has had etc.
We know it isn't free, so trying to use it as a gotcha is absolutely stupid. However, our contributions are generally taken out of our paychecks and you could you your whole life not knowing how much you paid in. It might not be financially free, but it's worry free. A far sight from people dying in USA because they are scared to phone an ambulance
6:40 - Its 100% accurate. I'm 36, never seen a medical bill in my life, never known anyone ever get one and wouldn't have a clue what anything has ever cost. The only payment i've ever made (besides my taxes) are for prescription medications which are £9 (Free in Scotland) Doctors appointments, xrays, giving birth, surgery, ultrasounds, ER visits, ambulance call outs, at home care, physio therapy etc, all used at some point in my life. Not spent a penny.
I believe the cost for an "average" earner of around £30k a year is total annual payment in tax of approx £720 per year. I'm pretty sure that's a lot lower than US insurance premiums and it covers mostly everything for your whole life and most importantly, covers those who need it most, elderly, disabled, long term sick, people in poverty. I don't just pay and i'm covered, I pay and they are covered too. It makes me very proud to be British
Just to point out that prescriptions are free in Wales too.
@@TheBlackcredo I didn't know that. How fab!
Northern Ireland too
@@jackiem437 good to hear.
How did you work out £720 per year? That seems very low.
I worked for over 20 year's before I needed the NHS. My wife needed brain surgery. She ended up having multiple operations. Our only concern was her getting better. Not worrying about how much it was costing. NHS doesn't care how poor or wealthy you are. They just want to give you the best treatment possible.
I’m so proud to have the NHS it is amazing , so lovely to have piece of mind at all times.
Here in New Zealand, our healthcare system is pretty much identical to the U.K. When I had my son, all my pre-birth midwife visits and pre-birth scans and check-ups were free, my stay at hospital and childbirth was all free and I had at home visits from my midwife every single week after my sons birth for six weeks. Again, all free. Can't knock it. As to when it is beneficial to go private, yes for specialist care like if you need hip surgery, there will be (probably) a long waitlist until you can get your surgery scheduled but you can get seen a lot quicker if you go private for that.
Apart from we pay more for GP appointments and we pay per prescribed item, not a flat fee for the entire prescription. And we pay for family planning clinic appointments and prescriptions. And there is no free dental in NZ apart from for children.
I'm 75 years old and had a Cataract operation on the 19th of December. I was in and out of hospital within 2 hours , given prescription drugs for 5 weeks. Will see an optician in 5 weeks and probably will have my other done. The sight in my eye is probably back to normal, It was done under the NHS and didn't cost me anything.
@@phillipbanes5484 and that means no worries about money when you should be worrying about your health and getting better, so yes its like insurance in a way
My son (20 yrs old now) was born with a genetic disorder causing many issues for him.
He's had several operations, and treatments, 100's of consultations, wheelchairs and other mobility aids. All covered by the NHS. The fact we have never had to worry about money for his care has been such a blessing to us. Being a carer is exhausting and mentally draining. I have always worked but had to work less hours in order to be able to care for my son and make sure i could get him to all his appointments. If i lived in any other country that doesnt offer the types of support we have had in the UK, I'm not sure how I'd manage. I feel sorry for ppl in similar situations but have to pay for health care.. my heart goes out to you all.❤
You're a great mum ❤
Absolutely Amazing.
I've had 3 strokes
The uk saved my live
I'm just waiting on cataract Surgery. Rosalie.xx
As someone who has a health condition since childhood it has helped me immensely being able to go to my appointments so I’m grateful for what the NHS has done in the UK.
Yeah it’s a pretty straightforward process… the NHS is funded mainly through tax, and for an individual this is predominantly income tax. To give you some idea, I pay £504 (approx $607 currently) income tax each month, which pays not just for healthcare but for essential services like Schools, police/emergency services, roads etc. Most employees in the U.K. have their tax deducted automatically from their monthly pay, so we don’t ever really have that money to miss, and we don’t ever have to do our own tax returns.
Those earning less than £12,570 do not pay income tax so will not contribute to funding the NHS through tax (but those earning less than this but more than £242 a week will pay National insurance, which partially funds the NHS to a very small degree too, so will be contributing something), but can still access it fully for free like everyone else. Those earning over that amount do pay income tax, and this is currently set at 20% of any earnings from £12,570-£50,270, and then 40% from this amount up to £150,000, and then finally anything over £150,000 is taxed at 45%.
So I pay 0% tax on the first £12,570 I earn, then the 20% for the next portion up to £50,270 and then finally the remainder of my salary is taxed at 40% - not fortunate enough to be in the 45% tax band, unfortunately!
There are varying figures that go around re the percentage of income tax used for the NHS, but 18% is used quite often, which in my case would mean I pay around £90 a month for total healthcare coverage. How accurate that is is def up for debate, as it won’t account for other forms of tax I pay, such as the VAT (sales tax) I’ve paid on purchases etc.
It’s crazy to me that you pay roughly $350 each, ON TOP of what you pay in income tax, and then still have to pay huge co-pays/deductibles (still don’t fully understand exactly what these are!!) on top again!! 😱😱😱
For accidents or emergencies you’d walk into a hospital (or be taken by ambulance - no charge obvs!) and report into the main reception with your issue, take a seat and wait to be seen. Normally seen in order of severity of the problem, so sometimes you can be there a few hours if not life-threatening.
You’d get everything you needed done at no cost to you other than what you’ve paid in income tax; triage / assessment, X-rays/scans, specialist if required, treatment - which could involve staying overnight for monitoring, prescription provided if necessary (there is a small fee for medication obtained from pharmacies, around £9 for any medication, in England, but medication received while being treated at the hospital does not incur a charge)
Then once you leave the ward or wherever you’ve been seen, you just walk out of the hospital. That’s it - no paperwork, no signing anything, no money involved at all, and certainly no bill!
Treatments and medical notes are all recorded against your nhs number, so you can walk into any hospital or doctors surgery across the country and they’ll have a complete medical history for you for life.
Additionally, some people choose to ‘go private’ if they can afford to ( or it’s a benefit from their employer) and of course the main benefit is much less waiting time. But obviously this is an additional cost they choose to take over and above what they already pay to have nhs cover. But this NHS cover could be needed in any case, for example, if they were alone and hit by a car and knocked unconscious, a general passerby would call an ambulance (not knowing they have private healthcare cover) which would come from the NHS and so that treatment initially would be administered at an NHS hospital by NHS workers. So they are always covered in that sense.
Overseas visitors are supposed to have travel insurance in place to use the NHS, but that’s a whole other issue I think…!
@@runsforcheesecake yeah absolutely! I mentioned ‘mainly’ funded by income tax, but yes NI also partially funds it too. With the figure of tax I mentioned I pay, I also pay an additional £334 in NI, so £838 in total each month for clarity. 😊👍🏼
@@jamesmccarthy2655 That page provides the amount of taxable pay, not the amount you earn. It hasn't been that low for a while. Here is the correct rates for 2022-23 www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates. The £37,700 figure is the amount you are taxed on after the initial £12,570. So you pay no tax below £12,570, 20% tax up to £50,200, 40% tax above that to £150,000 when it becomes 45%
@@jamesmccarthy2655 everybody pays into the NHS even those on benefits have a small percentage deducted.
@@petecook1000 thanks, I’ll edit the comment to reflect this in case it misleads anyone!
@@beccawoodhouse thanks, I’ll edit the comment to reflect this in case it misleads anyone!
i cant tell you enough how incredible our nhs is and to have it, disc problem, mental health, just anything other than very few things are within reach. Usually you call at 9am to get an appointment the same day and i get my meds free straight away. I wouldnt know how to go without it and was so shocked when i learnt it wasnt the same in other places of the world especially states.
Our NHS is quite simply, amazing! My son has a life-long condition, which he needs monthly imaging for (scans, GFR tests, etc) and daily medications and other more
“Invasive” treatment 4-5 times a day. THIS IS ALL FREE! My mother sadly passed from cancer, but had 18 months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, plus hospital stays and treatment for side effect etc - ALL FREE!! My father had a massive stroke and bleed on the brain, he was in ICU for the best part of a month, on life support, 1-to-1 nurse, round the clock medication, daily scans, and all sorts of other treatment - ALL FREE!! I must add that NHS staff are also very supportive, on top of administering treatment.
I am grateful beyond words for our amazing NHS and could not imagine having massive medical bills on top of everything else we were going through, and still go through! The thing is, yes it is paid for by tax, but actually per person is so tiny, and we’d pay the same amount of tax even if it wasn’t for the NHS. I’d be screwed if it wasn’t for the NHS.
When many Americans hear about socialised healthcare, they scream about Socialism and communism - because they are brainwashed from the Cold War to hate socialism. Yet in America, you have socialised government at all levels from the town hall to the senate, you have socialised policing, socialised fire service, socialised libraries, socialised highway and street maintenance, socialised parks, socialised military, socialised coastguard, etc,etc…. The USA is the ONLY developed nation with no social healthcare availability for all. If everyone disagrees with you and you still think you’re right, maybe its time to think again ?
Do yanks think...........?
Most Americans couldn't tell you even a basic take on what socialism or communism actually are it's just fear mongering, it's not even a joke, seriously ask one to define one or both and trust me they will not answer you 😂👍
@@williamwilkes9873 Do you?
Does your remark make you feel a bit superior? Feel better about yourself?
Why do you do it?
American people, like most nationalities, are friendly and generous of spirit, and yes, they can and do think for themselves.
The NHS isn’t a socialist healthcare system it’s paid for through our taxes.
@@CoherentChimp my girl friend is a new Yorker, living in London........sounds as if you've met...............
I was an NHS nurse and it is entirely free and offers a full service. Cosmetic surgery is available were there is a health or psychological element. We have subsidised dental care that is free for kids. Prescriptions are under £10 regardless of what it is. Money shouldn’t be what a doctor considers. Effective care is always the best value strategy in the long run.
Prescriptions are free in wales and Scotland and I think NI. It’s just England that has to pay for medication and it’s wrong imo
It is NOT free as it comes out of taxation! So those of us who work pay for the NHS. Also England carries Wales and Scotland because again, the cost to pay for those "free" prescriptions HAS to come from somewhere.
The real problem with the NHS is two fold...firstly its the NHS itself! It is an over bloated monster of inefficiency where health care is governed by cost, not by effectiveness. We cant pay our nurses but somehow we manage to pay non-medical super managers millions for the job of being a very highly remunerated health care super manager!! Somehow we cant attract people in to the health care profession but somehow these super managers pay themselves obscene amounts of money just for being in the right place at the right time!
Second we are our own worst enemies! The country as a whole is sick! Obesity costs this country BILLIONS and billions of pounds every single year yet not one single politician has proposed anything to deal with people getting fatter and more unhealthy!! I guarantee you the second society itself is fixed you will see HUGE improvements right across the board and the NHS will once again be allowed to function and offer first class health care (which it absolutely does not do right now).
Wasnt it amazing how the political class could happily lock the entire country away during covid (somehow magicking up the power to do so) BUUUUT cant force people to get fit an healthy (which would actually make a huge f88king difference!). Priorities seem askew here.
Dental care and prescriptions are also free for pregnant women and remain free until the baby turns 1
@@acmh10 People need to stop calling it free because its not. Someone has to pay for the service. This also exemplifies the entitlement culture we currently live in where those who actually afford to cover their own health care take it because they are entitled to it...which ultimately means those limited resources are spread even more thinly across a population that does very little for its own health care.
Yeah prescription are £8 in England and free everywhere else isn’t it
One of the things that helps medical care cost less in the UK is that the Government negotiates/caps the price of all the drugs used in the NHS. The NHS has a national buying power for equipment etc. so costs are kept reasonable.
Apart from the backhanders
Whereas in america, the citizens are at the whim ,of the insurance companies (the middle men), Instead of being able to have that collective bargaining power
@@jackmason4374 No, prices paid are determined by NICE who do a cost to benefit ratio. Everything is transparent and the data is published. A backhander would be money down the drain, if the product is worth it for the price (using the ratio), they will allow its purchase and if it doesn't meet the ratio it will be banned from purchasing, without a hard to get exemption. That has happened with several very expensive drugs before.
Fun fact: if you're working, you still have to pay for prescriptions. Only OAPs, Disabled and Unemployed get free medicine. It's only hospital and GP visits that are free. When people say we have free health care, I laugh at them because it's free to get diagnosed, but if you wanna treat it, ya still gotta pay an arm and a leg
@@midnightmalice5998 if you think 9.50 iper item is an arm and a leg i think you have a bigger non medical problem
I'm 47, uk born and have NEVER worried about health care costs. Not once have stressed about costs or that anyone I know won't get treatment if they're ill. The NHS is amazing
In the UK in the NHS the only thing you pay for is prescription medication and the maximum charge for that is $11 regardless of what it is. In scotland, prescriptions are free infact. We dont have the same culture around medication as the US, whereby in the US you can ask your doctor for specific name-brand prescriptions that you saw on tv or in a magazine ad. Advertising prescription medication is banned in the UK. We let our doctors decide what is the best course of action. You cant get elective cosmetic surgery for the most part unless your GP and local NHS agree to fund it but usually there has to be an underlying reason for it. You can also get dental on the NHS and the maximum price for any dental procedure is about $340 and you only pay for any dental if youre over 18, aren't a student and are full time employed. That would cover veneers, dentures, braces or anything like that. The lowest dental price is about $28 and that covers standard check up appointments, minor adjustments, cleaning and polishing etc.
Most people dont pay anything close to $700 a month for the NHS.
When averaged out, each person in the UK pays about 8680 a year in total taxes for all services. remember this is an AVERAGE across the population meaning it includes all of the billionaires and all of the people on welfare too. Some individuals will pay far more and some far less.
1120 pounds will go to the NHS
763 pounds will go to local government (to help towards services such as police, fire, waste and local education budgets)
520 pounds will go to regional expenditure on Scotland and Wales
440 pounds will go to education
343 pounds will go to defence
135 pounds will be spent on Northern Ireland
75 pounds will go on international development
and 4200 pounds can't be accurately divided as it goes on costs that change such as state pensions - roughly 1000 pounds spend for each of us according to the government - but also unemployment support , disability support, government child support etc.
So You say that in the US you pay a total of 7400 a year just for health insurance. The average person in the UK pays 8680 a year for their entire tax bill and that includes the NHS.
I had childhood cancer and my doctor at the time was the top specialist for it in the country. I had two years of chemotherapy, dozens of hospital stays for days or weeks at a time and my family weren't charged a penny. Your 18k coverage would cover about half of one round of chemotherapy. I had three rounds. I had braces as a teenager and they were free. Ive broken my arm twice and didn't pay anything and i have ADHD and despite being an adult in full time employment, my medication is free. The NHS is fantastic and the people that are against it are usually the very same people that have financial interests in private health, or they just hate that they have to pay taxes in general and are essentially being selfish.
My son recently had some serious health issues including two emergency ambulances, 5 days in hospital, 8 hour brain surgery, and 12 months worth of medication, thankfully as we're in the UK we didn't pay anything or have to worry about a massive bill or can we afford to ring for an ambulance.
As far as you coming to the UK is concerned, it’s always a good idea to have medical stuff covered in your travel insurance. However, as a visitor you have 100% access to the NHS if there is an emergency
That's why we're losing so much on NHS healthcare tourism , you should have to work here , pay your way in before you get free healthcare as a non UK citizen
I worked in the NHS, its excellent! However, we now have a Conservative government that has been defunding the NHS over the last 13yrs.
B******?
labour was just as bad leave politics out
No, they weren't. Leave politics out of it!
My dad had private medical insurance, he did it because he could have appointments and treatments around his business peak times, the rooms and services are more plush. There is generally no private accident and emergency so even if you go private potentially you’ll still need the NHS.
My dad was a GP for his entire career, my daughter is an anaesthetist and I worked in the NHS (not patient facing, I worked in pathology) for many years. There was a great push by the right wing of UK politicians to move services into the private sector. What they did was run a classic "small government" paybook that you'll be familiar with in the USA. To sell off a public service to their private-sector donors the first step is to use the "Small government! Lower taxes!" mantra to *starve it of funds until it starts to break* Now it's breaking, the government has to "do something" to "save it" and the right-wing politicians answer is to "bring in the private sector to 'run it like a business'" - when the actual solution would be to fund it at its former level so it could do its job.
Sell off more it’s a dinosaur and a money pit of managers
@dave boothSo true, and we know which party is doing it
@dave booth absolutely agree with you. Trump was desperate to get his hands on it. Damn Tories. Our NHS needs to survive this, but if things don’t change soon, it won’t survive!
@@Northstowe_Documentary What sensible business would want to buy "a dinosaur and a money pit of managers"? Not a single one. The NHS as we know it would be dismantled and the UK would suffer the same barbaric system as the USA.
@@TheBrowncoatcat I know, Circle bought Hinchingbrooke and failed within a year as my father kept saying it would on the BBC and ITV etc while he was working with politicians as a National Health Officer for Unison. I know first hand more than anyone else in this chat about privatization. I disgusted at the NHS and how they treated him on his death bed after going State controlled again it was disgusting they left him in his own stools and wouldn't give him any water this was until i told them that Dave Prentis the head of Unison was on his way down the night he died. Also how they treated me a little while after i had an accident outside Hinchingbrooke that nearly killed me so i have no respect left for the NHS they sent me to addenbrookes I escaped out of neurosurgery A4 went back to hinchingbrooke and they sent me home called off the police that A4 had sent to look for me and bring me back. i didn't even know how to make a cup- of coffee, they left me for dead! all because of too many managers and sinking to much money into the wrong things and not having staff that understood English I FOI to find out what happened and they called maxfac not neurosurgery who saqid there was nothing more they could do for me, how can you get the 2 confused? All Labours fault. I did my own rehab and treated myself im glad i did id still be a vegetable if it was down to the NHS
I’m an American, and I’ve lived in the U.K. since 2009. I love the NHS! This health care system is one of the main reasons I’ll never go back to America. I work in a post office and my income isn’t high, so I’ve never had to pay for my prescriptions, dental or healthcare. The tax I pay is minimal. No more than £200 a year. I have a few health problems, so I need a lot of medication, which I pick up once a month for free. I just had my gallbladder removed last month, and I had a great experience. My wait time was only a couple weeks, but I do know of some people that have had to wait months or even a year for their surgery. I guess it just depends on what you’re waiting for.
Health tourist great be a burden on us thanks
@@Northstowe_Documentary yeah Matt. That's the sort of comment I've come to expect from you. They are not a "health tourist", this person lives here. You thick troll.
@@Northstowe_Documentary wanker
@@Northstowe_Documentary shut up she pays her taxes
I'm from the UK but when I was 18 I moved to Madison WI to study and while I was there I was diagnosed with cancer. My parents wanted me home the following day. They had my records faxed to the oncologist who offered me an appointment within 2 weeks at home. I chose to stay and had surgery the following day. That was in 1996
I'm home now and I'm going through something similar. I'm receiving chemotherapy at the moment but I've ended up with pneumonia so spent the last 2 weeks in hospital
I once had a serious motorcycle accident, I spent 6 1/2 months in hospital, had four operations & then spent over a year on crutches. In that year I was transported daily in a hospital car from my home to hospital & back to receive physiotherapy. It never cost me a penny. I have paid tax all my life & would be willing to pay a little extra tax to help sort the NHS out, it is a very important & much appreciated service.
100% accurate, you can go in for any reason and will never get a bill. In Scotland too we get "free" prescription medication through the same system. Ambulance costs are also included in this.
I'm in Scotland, but lived in England for many years. Most English people are either exempt from prescription charges, bases on age, pregnancy, health or financial circumstances. If you do have to pay for medication, and need a lot, you just buy a pre-payment prescription certificate. This means you pay for the equivalent of 13 times the standard item charge (currently £9.65) no matter how many you require. For short term illnesses you can get a 3 month or 6 month certificate too. What they do have is more doctors available for each condition, as the population is much greater. This means you may be seen for your condition much quicker than in Scotland.
I'm 63 and have only a positive experience. I pay taxes but as you say, when you need the NHS you don't ever worry about paying. It's a good system.
Until those taxes start going to millionaires & MPs, instead of the sick. Bupa alone are making huge amounts from the NHS. & they do it for profit
Exactly.
Brit here. A couple of years ago I suddenly started blacking out and falling unconscious, and was eventually diagnosed with Bradycardia. This resulted in me needing to have a pacemaker fitted at the age of 26.
I was in hospital for a three and a half days. One day of prep/paperwork, one day for MRI scans and the Operation itself, one day for observation to ensure there were no side effects and half a day to get the out-patients paperwork done.
In total, my stay cost me just over five pounds...because I bought the three nurses on my ward coffee. That was the only expense I had for my stay.
The care was wonderful, as were the staff. They do not get paid enough for what they do.
I remember hearing a joke about an Englishman in the states getting into an accident and breaking his leg, getting into the ambulance and saying "I've heard how much will it will cost a lot of money, how much do you think it will be" the ambulance staff told the Englishman and asked him which Hospital he wanted to be taken to and he said "take me to the airport! it will be cheaper to get this sorted out at home!"
I don't tell it well but it might be close in all honesty
The NHS are amazing! I would be dead if not for them. I am a British, UK citizen, who was a working tax payer at the time. In 1996 I got knocked over by a hit and run driver. I was 22. I spent six months in Hospital, the first month in ICU. I had multiple severe injuries to my pelvis and lower body. The injuries were that bad that for the first time in that hospital, they hired this mega expensive bed for me. It had a layer of air that would constantly form a barrier between me and the cushions (it looked like a caterpillar segmented bed) but it was still unbearable to lie on for three months with a pelvic fixture, and fixtures to both legs. I’d severed two arteries, my sciatic nerve, lymph gland. I shattered my pelvis in over eighteen places. They flew one of the best orthopaedic surgeons from Geneva to operate on me. But the injuries were just too severe. This would be war and peace if I listed every single injury, so I will try and keep it short - oh look at that flying pig 🐽over there 🙂). I had over 74 units of blood over a 24hr period due to the injuries to the arteries. I was on a ventilator on two occasions. My gall bladder ruptured, causing sepsis, and a temporary colostomy. There were further injuries but I think that just gives you an idea of the severity of the situation.
I had 27 surgical procedures following this. After 12 weeks I had three hours of intensive physio everyday. I also had my leg amputated three years later, and was given intensive rehabilitation and a prosthetic leg, which the Drs insisted I would never be able to walk again due to the nerve injuries, and shattered pelvis, but I did, and each time I see a new consultant or physio,they always mention that I should not be able to walk with these injuries. I say walk, it’s basically 10 steps with crutches and the pain becomes too much.
I contracted MRSA four times, and when I had my leg amputated in 1999, they took a swab on the day I was going home telling me they would inform my gp if I had it again. Well that night in the very early hours 2am Ish, the doorbell began ringing, commenced by banging on the door. It turned out to be my GP standing there with a drip stand and a bag filled with antibiotics. He had waited up all night until he got the results and when he discovered I had mrsa again, he came round and put an IV in. I couldn’t have asked for better care. Although they did almost kill me in ICU but hey ho, they saved my life over three occasions, in fact when I was transported by ambulance, via police motorbikes, my heart stopped for three minutes in the ambulance, and again in surgery that night.
Obviously I had become institutionalised so had a very close relationship with the staff, and the day I left they wrote me a poem, and in it, they mentioned how much the approx bill was for all the treatment and care I’d received, and this was 27 years ago - it came to over £350k.
This wasn’t meant to be a novel but I just got carried away, but I must say… I was rushed to hospital 18months ago with a severe bowel infection, and the second the Drs and Nurses attended to me, they looked like zombies. You could tell they were beyond exhausted due to covid, but they treated me kindly, but were very slow moving. I could see they had to really concentrate when writing notes, and doing simple tasks, and on the ward there were only two registered nurses, and two auxiliary nurses, normally there are at least three more, but they were the nicest people. They too had dark shadows under their eyes and looked like they were walking skeletons but they never once complained or made a face if you needed to ask them for help. But I do have mixed feelings, the hospital I went to,is considered the worst in our area, they treated me fine, but whenever my relatives end up in there, they’re are treated like cattle.
Finally just a word on prescriptions, I think it’s around £8 for one medication (it may be more now) but if you have an under active thyroid, or some other illness, you get your meds for free, however for me, although I have over 12 different meds, I don’t qualify for free, instead I can pay a yearly fee around £100 and have as many meds as I require.
When I was a teenager I had juvenile epilepsy and I can honestly say the NHS was with me all the way and I managed to grow out of it. The help and support I was given by the Dr's and nurses was incredible. I was so scared after I had my 1st seizure but the Dr sat on my hospital bed and held my hand and explained to me what it was and the nurse was sat next to me with her arm around me. I was only 12 years old at the time.
My son has his first seizure at 21. When we looked at the cost of his prescription on the US, it would have been around $500 a month. He gets free prescriptions here. I don't know how he would afford it if he was in the States. Not to mention the ambulance, the CT scans, the MRI scans...
I never gave much thought to the NHS for most of my life as I just took it for granted. It wasn't until I had my second son that I developed a profound gratitude & appreciation to the NHS...
My boy was born with a genetic condition causing a variety of serious conditions. I could make a football team out of all the different specialists he is under. I am truly grateful for it.
I just can't help but think how things would have been for him (& us) if we didn't have the NHS. I am curious what happens in countries like USA when you have a seriously ill child with life long disabilities.
I love the NHS they have saved my life on many occasions and I would HAPPILY pay more taxes to support it.
I am Italian and our system is modeled after the NHS, although it haws some differences. A few weeks ago my granny was in hospital for 10 days due to pneumonia. She stayed for 10 days (the first couple in an emergency ward, the rest in a two bed room) and got a number of exams and therapies. We paid 90 euro for the ambulance ride back home because my granny can't walk anymore so sh could not be taken back by car. That was it. In Italy we have 100% free hospital care for all cases except elective stuff (like cosmetic surgery, but plastic surgery to repair damage or malfunction is covered), and visits with our GPs are free too. We have a moderate copay (around 16 euro here in Lombardy, which is the costliest Italian region for healthcare) for exams and specialist visits. For instance, if you need psychological therapy you can get two 8-sessions cycles per year and each cycle costs 16 euro. We also have a small copay on prescribed drugs, which in Lombardy is 2 euro apiece. People with chronic diseases, though, can be exempted. So, if you have asthma you pay 2 euro for the inhaler if you need it only sporadically, but if your asthma is severe you get completely exempted. Children and seniors are also exempted from most copays. Also, waiting time are factored on how urgent is your situation. My father has a totally non urgent surgery scheduled at some point next year, but should the situation become more urgent he would have to she scheduled within two weeks, and or some procedures or exams there is an even more urgent 3 (working) day wait. After the hospitalization granny came out also with a wound on her leg, probably caused by the fact that she was immobilized in bed for days. When she came back home I called her GP, who gave me a prescription for nursing care, so now she gets visited three days a week by a nurse who tends to this wound. Now, some people prefer to pay the private sector or an insurance because they get shorter waits on non urgent things, like routine exams or visits, and also because they get perks like private rooms with TV and (except in Covid time) the presence of a family member through the night in the room. But the level of care is always the same, the doctors in the private sector are often the same who work in our public structures. Private hospitals, unless they have deals with the SSN (our NHS) are also often less advanced and commonly get the worst off patients transferred to public hospitals.
I worked in the NHS 1965-2012 and loved my time there. Things changed (not always for the better) and I cannot comment on how things are now. From the cradle to the grave was the motto and we have the labour leader Mr Bevan to thank for it`s birth.
UK medic here. NHS is brilliant. In my experience people go private for speedier treatment, not better treatment . Or cosmetic stuff. Also you might get better hospital food
Even the nhs provide cosmetic surgery. Type ‘boob job on nhs’ etc lol
I'd say speedier treatment is better treatment.
@@LEEC55555 Only if the thing you're having cosmetic surgery for is causing you profound difficulties, physically or mentally.
@@LEEC55555 of course if they've lost their boobs due to cancer or their breasts are causing back pain. Plastic doctors still work in the NHS because people have burns, necrotising faciatis, infections of the skin and bone etc e
They do go private for speedier treatment, which is a shame because the NHS has great medics but if you can’t access them for years and you’re in severe pain or have an issue that seriously needs investigating like a heart issue, it’s the only option sadly. Even if the NHS can do a better job, it’s not worth taking the risk of waiting or suffering with the pain for a lot of people.
I'm from the UK and watching these types of videos has made me realise how amazing the NHS actually is. I can't imagine having to wonder if I had enough money to call an ambulance etc. I just take for granted that healthcare is 'free' because it seems like that's a basic human right.
This will be long but I hope it answers lots of what you asked. There are some costs we pay here in the UK towards medicine but it's very small. For example, prescription drugs are only free for children, seniors, people on welfare and also any people with lifelong or long term medical conditions (like diabetes, epilepsy or cancer).
For everyone else, a prescription costs £9.35 per prescription, regardless of what drug is prescribed. For people on multiple medications, you can buy a prepaid prescription card for £108 a year or 10 monthly instalments of £10.80. That card entitles you to unlimited prescriptions for 12 months for that fixed price. So the maximum you'll pay for prescribed medicine in the UK is £108 a year.
Travel to the hospital and car parking costs you need to pay too. Emergency ambulances are free though. Non emergency ambulances are also free for people who have no way to get themselves to hospital appointments. I'm blind and I struggle to use public transport. So I qualify for free NHS transport to any medical appointments I have. Dental and optical services are available on the NHS. It's free for some groups, like the prescriptions. Children, seniors and people with certain eye conditions get free eye exams and glasses/lenses. For everyone else they have to pay towards it. The NHS offer a basic lens for free or low cost but if you want lens upgrades or designer glasses frames then you pay the extra. As a legally blind person, I get free eye care for life.
With dental, NHS dentistry is much lower cost than private but generally only includes medical dentistry for health reasons. Anything cosmetic, like teeth whitening or veneers is usually not available on the NHS.
The main reason people in the UK will seek out private healthcare is to get a nicer hospital experience. In NHS hospitals, you may share a room and bathroom, you will get basic meals. In a private hospital you get a nicer room by yourself and your own bathroom. You get a better meals menu and some other luxuries. You also get to schedule your treatments/surgery to suit your schedule. The NHS will do urgent treatments/surgeries very fast but elective surgeries and non urgent treatments can have a longer wait. Private healthcare skips that wait.
The treatment and surgery you get is identical. It's the luxuries and timings that are what you're paying extra for.
A visit to your general doctor is free to see him/her and get any tests, a diagnosis and any further treatment. Your only costs are those prescription charges and any travel/parking charges for your hospital visits.
In 2020 I had a brain haemorrhage, it's how I lost my sight. I had 2 ambulances, an ER stay, and ICU stay and 3 weeks in hospital. Followed by 2 years of follow up surgeries, scans, tests, monitoring, physiotherapy, mental health therapy to adapt to my disabilities. I have therapists visit my house weekly, I have wheelchairs, home equipment, house adaptations all done by the NHS. My only costs have been buying treats from the hospital shop and buying the occasional fancy coffee from the hospital coffee shop because the free coffee they offer you in hospital is instant stuff and I was craving a really good coffee 😂
For someone like me, someone with a serious medical condition who will need a lifetime of healthcare... The NHS is worth the tax money. For someone who is always healthy, they might resent paying for a service they don't use. However, it's peace of mind knowing that EVERY single person in the UK is covered. Yes, some people are bitter that they're paying for people who don't pay, but we're all one accident or one illness away from being that person who needs lifelong medical care. I can sleep easier knowing that no matter what my health looks like, my husband and child will not face money stress on top of everything else. The NHS is flawed but I'm very grateful for it.
Prescription are free in Scotland, though.
This is a brilliant reply. I would just add that some things, like eye tests and prescriptions are universally free in Scotland and, I believe, Wales.
@@janemoney5144 Are eye tests free, I never knew and I lived there for 3 years and went to an optician in this time. I think you will find if you buy the glasses, eye tests are also free in England courtesy of the optician. Or if they are not, what is a tenner when you are spending over £100. Going to India soon, maybe I'll get some glasses. I dont think I was charged last time in England for the test.
@Peter Harridge In Scotland, Eye tests are free for everyone. If you are on certain benefits, under 18 or in school glasses are free. Otherwise, you need to buy them.
I
@@selinabradshaw5503 The point is they are free anyway if you are in England because not charged for by opticians although they could. As I say have bought in both jurisdictions and not noticed any difference. Dental, that is another matter, In Scotland far cheaper under NHS dentists. And here I can't get one for love or money. I went to one on emergency just the other week , they wanted to pull tooth for no reason. I had an infection, Had to go private. £75 cost. But otherwise no dentist for future work. Now paying £15.60 per month for a private plan because no alternative.
The NHS is under a lot of pressure at the moment, probably the most it ever has been, which really worries me about it's future 😬 it does feel amazing to not have to worry about the cost of anything when we need anything from standard appointments all the way up to life threatening emergencies, you literally walk in and walk out and go on with your life without any financial burden, and I'm soo greatful for that! ❤ you do have to pay for medicines though (some people are exempt for having to pay at all) but all the prescriptions are charge at a fix rate and its only around £10 per prescription, so you don't have to pay the price of the actual medicine. That's the only thing we have to pay for really
The NHS will be dead in 10 years. The life expectancy keeps rising and our baby boomer generation is about to hit the age where they are no longer working whilst simultaneously utilising the service the most.
Anyone thinking the NHS is a sustainable is deluded. It’s an incredible service and people working in it do a great job but regardless, reality is a thing.
Just to add to that, you can if needed purchase a prepayment plan for prescriptions if you need more than 1 regular medication - I have to take 4 different medicines each day and instead of them being £10 each I pay £10 a month - and it would remain the same price if I needed more.
I'm in Scotland so we don't pay for prescriptions either
I live in Scotland. I'm an immigrant, so I'm not born here. I have everything for free, including my gluten-free food every month from the pharmacy (I'm celiac). A year ago, I went for a routine cardiac procedure, which unfortunately went terribly wrong, spent 10 days in the hospital fighting for my life, had another surgery to implant a pacemaker, and didn't pay ANYTHING. My brother lives in the US, and he counted all these would cost me, probably around 200k there 😮😮😮
Every month, there's a certain quantity taken off my salary for NHS. But tbh, I receive more (value wise) every month in my food from the pharmacy than I pay in. Kinda from £1700 salary they deduct somewhere around £100 for NHS. In Scotland, we have everything free, including eye checks, dentists, medication, etc.
Unfortunately getting an NHS dentist is almost impossible now. I have had to pay privately since returning to Scotland in 1998.
Unlike days of old, when most brits had bad teeth, we look after them more now and have better protection products available, SO---theres less patients to treat or even check. And a larger elderly population are registered with NHS dentists, so aren't paid much, and, are now few and far between.@@MrGreen1314
I had to wait six months due to an error but I did not care mistakes happen the operation changed my life so gratefull for it .
To give you some idea: I've recently had cancer screenings and heart screenings and the only thing I had to pay was £7.50 for my medication every 2 months. (It's capped at £9.15 per item so you'll never pay more than that for your box of tablets.)
That’s obviously in England as in wales all prescriptions are free regardless of wealth and in Scotland. It should be the same for England as well !!
@@hilgar6384 Yes, only in England do we pay for prescription medication. I remember Gordon Brown insisting that we were a united kingdom during a discussion about keeping summertime all year in England and let Scotland have their own time zone. Not such a united kingdom when it comes to social care funding and prescription charges are we Mr Brown?
You shouldn’t have had to pay such a high prescription amount. If your pharmacist has advised you, you could have got a form from them to fill in to pre pay for prescriptions. It costs around £110 per year and covers all prescriptions. I could have afforded my medication without it as it would have cost me around £200 per month.
@@lynnekelly6591 £7.50 every two months equates to £45 a year which is less than the prepayment certificate but it's certainly worth keeping an eye on the prescription charge, especially for those on several items long term. I can't see why we can't have a system like a loyalty card and when your prescription charges for the year equates to the current prepayment certificate, you aren't charged any more. At the moment you have to guess in advance how many prescriptions you are likely to need in a year. Or move to one of the other parts of the UK.😀
I've lived in 7 countries, all of which have some form of socialized medicine and have been so grateful for all of them. The NHS is the one I have the most experience with and have only ever had good experiences. In Scotland I was very lucky to have free university and healthcare, I just can't imagine the fear and limitation that debt gives people. The NHS however has been severely underfunded, largely due to the Tories who have been influenced by the private health lobby, and it's up to all Britons to keep the NHS well funded and alive.
Tony Blair is responsible for the very expensive waste of money called PPP and he was 'New' Labour.
No bill for anything EVER!, we have the option of choosing private healthcare which is similar to your current system, where we can pay and we can also use that for chosen cosmetic surgery. The nhs is very stretched, which is why those with more money do sometimes choose to pay for the private healthcare, HOWEVER regardless of the wait the nhs will treat every one eventually, it may take longer but for those who need it particularly in an emergency they are always there and always free at point of contact. Employed people also pay a fixed fee for prescriptions regardless of the cost of the medicine. every working person pays taxes, but those on low incomes who cannot work still access free healthcare. We can earn a specific amount per year its currently at just short of £13000 per year and that’s your tax free amount after that everyone just pays tax at a percentage it isn’t separated into segments its just deducted straight from the salary on a weekly/monthly basis and that tax goes towards all elements of the government including in the nhs, the brexit saga was a disaster it sounded great for many on paper but as always will government bodies it made the situation in my opinion much worse, not necessarily for the nhs but it changes imports exports the rules on European workers coming in to the uk and other things that also has an effect on the income and costs to all the citizens of this country. In general the nhs is a system im very grateful for and have had to use it for millions of things in my lifetime and im not old!! But if i was an American im sure my illnesses would have meant by now I couldn’t have afforded to stay alive due to the costs of attending medical services.
As for the push for private. This is largely coming from wealthy individuals (and those in positions of power and influence) who see the NHS as a block on their wealth. The NHS uses it's size to negotiate its contracts, and as a result the return for companies supplying it is greatly reduced. If you're invested in medical companies that's not good for your shares... As such, there's a constant push for the NHS to change. The current method is for the NHS to become a 'brand' for private companies to use when offering some services, the idea being that it is cheaper for the NHS to subcontract some services. The problem in that is these companies only want the high profit procedures, which tend to be the simple basic procedures, taking money out of the system and leaving the NHS to pick up the more difficult and costly procedures whilst also scraping off the staff that the NHS trained.
"The NHS uses it's size to negotiate its contracts," I spent 35 years working for the NHS and can tell you this statement is not true.
@@stevetaylor8698 haven't you heard of the NHS Supply Chain? They specialise in bulk buy the regularly used consumables and equipment, and negoatiate a rebate on the bulk buy - which is received at the end of the year.
The NHSBA who have drug purchasing specialists do the same for drugs, negoatiate costs and discounts from Big Pharma as and where they can.
If you are are referring to any other items which falls outside of regular everyday spending, then yes there isn't any particular specialist body set up to oversee that? That is a bit of a free for all, but a very small percentage of the NHS's overall spend.
Hospital, GP, ambulance all free. However, we do pay a tax called National Insurance. But, it's minimal depending on your earnings. So it's between 2% up to 12% . It comes out if your salary. If you're unemployed, you get benefits & your National insurance is paid as part of your benefits.
yep that's literally accurate, 5 years ago I broke my arm and dislocated my elbow after falling off a ladder. Went to the hospital, had x-rays, got sedated and had my elbow popped back into place. The next morning at 9am I was in surgery having 9 screws and a metal plate put in to fix my arm. Went home the next day, no bill. Thank you NHS.
If I were in the USA when I had this accident, I wonder how much it would have cost me?
The nhs is wonderful, underfunded currently, but full of wonderful staff across the board. I cannot imagine going through the stress and worry of being seriously ill along with potentially going bankrupt due to health care costs. #keepthenhspublic
I just came across this video. As A Brit who has now lived 27 years in the US, I am unable to comment on the current state of the NHS but I spent the first 40+ years in the UK using the NHS for myself and my family. When I first came to the US I was under the impression that yes it was expensive but you got top healthcare and a responsive medical community. 27 years later I know yes it is expensive and healthcare can be fantastic but try and get an appointment with your GP. I was offered one 4 months out and that is no outlier. I have also been asked which system I prefer. My answer is that it depends. If you have an excellent salary and great company sponsored health insurance go with the US system. If you work for an average US salary or below go with the NHS system. People in the US obsess about losing their benefits ( meaning health insurance) if they lose their job. People in the UK don’t worry about that aspect of losing their job. Americans going to the UK on vacation worry about getting sick. Don’t. The NHS will look after you and there will be no bill because there is no billing system in UK hospitals. Brits don’t even think about coming to the US without insurance. You could be bankrupted. Pharmaceuticals are cheaper in the UK because the British government negotiates with Pharma on price. However, it doesn’t always work. Some cancer drugs are not available on the NHS. They are, however, approved drugs and if you want to pay yourself or through private insurance you can. Another American myth is that there is only socialized medicine in the UK. As this video make clear, that is not true. Personally I loved the NHS and would absolutely vote for it in the US but ‘ socialized medicine’ is a term of abuse over here.
Speaking from as a person who had a heart attack and had to be resuscitated for 10 mins would not be here if not for the NHS PLUS HAD A FURTHER 2 HEART ATTACKS IN a specialist hospital in the freeman in Newcastle i love the nhs .❤❤❤
I recently badly broke my hand and dislocated my knuckle, it's meant I've had 8 hospital visits and surgery to screw bone back together. I've had weeks of physio and it's been a difficult process, but it reminded me how amazing our NHS is - the level of care I received was superb and everyone from receptionist to surgeon had a real sense of care and couldn't do enough for me. I haven't paid a single penny. Doesn't matter who you are, if you're sick and need help - whether you're a native or a tourist - the NHS will take care of you because life matters more than bills.
At 30 years old I was told I had cancer. I was treated for it and for the past 17 years I was checked every single year to make sure it hadn't come back. This year they thought it had, I had a biopsy and luckily I am in the clear. Without the N.H.S I would probably be dead by now. I cannot express how much I love the N.H.S. Without them my 9 year old son would probably be without a dad.
So are you saying that you wouldn't have been treated in the us. Thats ridiculous. You would have got the same level of care. The difference is that you would have a bill at the end of it that you have to play or your insurance pays. Many people are treated and survive cancer in the us and infact the uk send some rear forms of cancer to the us as the uk dose not have the trained staff to treat them.
@@danielhooper8138 Stop looking for a argument lad, he was literally just praising the NHS. Didn’t say anything about US healthcare.
@ryangalloway2927 i wasn't looking for an argument lad. His comment in on a video comparing the nhs to the us private system therefore it is not unreasonable to assume that he is praising the nhs over the us system. I am pointing out that under circumstances where staff are under paid causing shortages in staff and waiting times that are rediculous and deadly amongst other problems that it is stupit to say that the nhs is working better than the us system. Since you havent added anything constructive to the conversation other than to accuse me of looking for an argument it is clear that you are self projecting your own intent onto me lad.
@ryangalloway2927 and on top of that to clame that the nhs saved his life as though he wouldn't have received the same level of care as if he was in the us is absurd and as his comment is on a video comparing both systems it is not unreasonable for me to come to that conclusion as he never stated otherwise
@@danielhooper8138 He wouldn't have had the same type/level of care in the US though.. Firstly to receive the same level of care he would need the Money to pay for it through his own insurance minus any deductible he'd have to cover, then he'd have to pay for every doctors visit and test for each year after it, then pay for the additional surgery he had at the end. During that time his insurance premium would have increased because of his existing condition, his deductible would have gone up as well, and he would still be in DEBT because of the original cost of treatment. The fact is he received all this treatment on the NHS for no cost other than his regular monthly contribution to National Insurance and any prescription cost for medications which cost £9 or free if he's on benefits.
In New Zealand we have similar system to NHS. Travel insurance is needed. Our payment for healthcare comes out of our pay in our standard tax. The American system works on insurance companies making a profit, Big Pharma making a profit, hospitals making a profit. UK and NZ work on the costs of running a hospital and providing care without the profit factor.
I live in the UK and I love our NHS. I’m only in my 30’s but am a cancer survivor thanks to the NHS. I know the idea of paying tax to have a socialist medical system may seem like a lot of money but at the end of the day you never know who will need it. Family or friends are all going to get help whenever they need it. I know I am happy to pay a this tax because in my life I have never had to worry about the cost of somebody’s health only if they will be ok.
I have MS, my (very expensive) disease modifying drugs are sent to my home by courier every month, absolutely free. I see a neurologist every 6 months, I see a specialist nurse every 3 months, I see a specialist physiotherapist every two weeks, I have an MRI every year. I recently had an aneurysm coiled in platinum with subsequent stay in high dependency unit, no charge. I am happy for a percentage of my salary to go toward the NHS, I couldn’t afford to be ill in the US.
I’m British and am very grateful to our NHS, my mum had 3 strokes, open heart surgery, and is alive today because of our NHS, the care did not cost 1p, we pay for the NHS from national insurance deductions from our wages, my amount is around £179 per month. When I’ve needed medical attention I haven’t had to wait very long, our NHS works hard, but I would pay slightly more if needed. I think we still have a better deal than most of the world with health care for all.
as an american, it’s honestly difficult to read through these comments. i just keep thinking about how much extra pain and suffering i have gone through bc of united states health insurance. like my life is undeniably so much worse bc of it
At some of the most stressful times in your life, the one thing you don't need is to have to wrestle with insurance and make choices about whether you'd rather go bankrupt or have your quality of life screwed for your remaining life. Just having to pay for an ambulance is criminal, regardless of anything else.
Again everything for profit in America.
Opens it up for corruption.
While writhing in agony - smile and enjoy the freedom you are experiencing.
There needs to be a political movement in the US. Before the internet people didn’t really know how universal healthcare worked. Now you do, so start lobbying the government 👍
Vote better
The NHS began when I was 6, so I don't ever remember having to pay for medical attention. In fact, I don't think my parents ever paid for medical attention for me, even before that! I am proud to be British each time I visit the doctor or hospital without it costing me a single penny!