You're missing out on exclusive weekly videos (and the controversy over how I tiered British food...sorry, Yorkshires are the best!) if you haven't checked me out on Patreon! www.patreon.com/girlgonelondon
As an atheist but moral Scandinavian I like to think about health care like this: Jesus told us to take care of the sick and the poor and not make the poor sick and the sick poor. It has never had anything to do with socialism, at least not in Finland. Our right-wing always supported public health care because of Christianity/ethics.
The biggest medical provider in the uSA is called Remote area medical. It is a charity/not for profit, which is based upon the NHS, and was set up by an Englishman called Stan brock, because he was appalled at the state of US healthcare. Just thought you may like to know there is a large company in the USA who provides NHS style healthcare. Plus the NHS is paid for exclusively by National insurance, not taxes at all.
@@jackoh991 FYI the biggest provider of health care in the USA is NOT a private comapny, or an insurance company. It is called Remote Area Medical it is very simply based on the NHS because the founder of Remote area Medical was so appalled at the state of health don't care in the USA. Remote Area Medical is a not ofr profit organisation (charity here in the UK) and it speaks reams about the US health don't care system that this idea has taken off in just 35 years (it was founded by Englishman Stan Brock in 1985), to become the largest health care provider inside the USA as well as the largest US health provider outside the USA. That speaks reams about how miserable the US system really is.
UA-cam wouldn't allow me to post my original reply but I basically said that the NHS is broken and is in the process of being privatised. Waiting times in our emergency departments are around 10 hours, or less if you are an immigrant and bring all 12 members of your family with you. The NHS has been a disgrace over the last 3 years.
I went over 30 years paying taxes towards the NHS, without ever using it. I didn't complain, it is called being a social human being. Over the last 10 years, I have certainly got my money back many times over, thanks to the contributions made by others. The NHS is one of the few things we can be truly proud of.
I truly think how many people in the US cause themselves illness stressing over healthcare, the fact that one serious illness could derail your entire life financially, must be a ridiculous stress for anyone to handle and we know how much stress can affect your health
As a NHS doctor coming from India, I’ll always vouch for NHS, despite it’s minor flaws. I’m glad that I’m working in an universal healthcare system and I feel protected and secure as NHS will look after me even if I am to fall sick.
‘Minor flaws’? 🤣 I don’t know where to start about how badly the NHS is run, complete shambles unless you are in an acute situation, in which case it is very good. Ten percent of its budget spent on diabetes, staff pensioned off for minor ailments, consultants who have little time and little empathy, no one looking beyond their narrow specialty, zero diet and lifestyle advice, drugs and surgery their only solution, endless layers of bureaucracy, the list goes on and on ...
@@mooskamoo What would you call the American system then that has 10x the bureaucracy costs of the NHS? Also you are wrong. When I had a heart attack I had 16 weeks of weekly diet advice and showing you how to exercise correctly for 3 hours a week for those 16 weeks.
Lion Singh I'm a long suffering patient of the NHS and have seen so much inefficiency and incompetence in the system it's hard to believe. As a pill pusher yourself I can understand why you think the status quo is acceptable, but as a tax paying patient I understand the reality of the situation and it's clear massive reform and modernisation is needed in the NHS.
The NHS saved my Swedish cousin’s life when she was over here because of the expertise they had. They have saved my mum’s life, my dad’s life, my grandad’s life twice, kept my gran alive for longer, brought all of my family into the world, have dealt with countless visits to the GP for all of our family members etc. Aside from the national insurance payments we have only paid for prescriptions and hospital parking (which everyone still complains about - we are British after all!) Quite frankly the NHS is fucking awesome and the staff deserve more than the pitiful 1% pay rise offered during the COVID pandemic.
Yeah. The NHS is massively undervalued - and I have a feeling soon enough we'll see the fact that people have to pay for ambulances like in the US due to how run down the service has become. It's honestly disheartening. Even when the Government bangs on about "record funding" it isn't. The funding is lower than all our counterparts.
Liverpool care Pathway was awesome too! Nhs will murder you in a minute if you're vulnerable and have no-one visiting you. Just Google Eric Levy, he's the latest murder victim of nhs that I know
@@fatherson5907 Go on believing that rubbish. I have never had to wait for any service in over 60 years, Heart surgery, Pregnancy, suspected heart attacks Twice, immediate and following necessary treatment. Short waits for hip surgery and cataract surgery. My son had his first stroke whilst working 100 mike's from home, he was treated in London, where he had the stroke, was treated for about two weeks, then when appropriate he was taken by ambulance ,100 miles to the local hospital. No bills.😅😅
@@fatherson5907 There's nothing stopping them selling everything they own to pay for immediate surgery at a private hospital. I do understand though, your, I want it free and I want it imediately attitude.
@@fatherson5907 The American Healthcare System is outdated Garbage. I've no doubt the NHS has its faults, but it's better than what Americans currently have.
In the UK you die from cancer or heart disease before you can complain. Highest cause if death, higher mortality rate in UK vs US. But hey, at least your premature death is free.
@Alfie Green I pay $122 a month. My out of pocket limit (the max I would have to pay for servicrs a year is $3000). I have access to world class medicine, e.g. the Mayo Clinic, and I rarely have to wait even a day for appointments or imaging services. Well over a 150 million Americans rate their healthcare as excellent. It's not a perfect system, by any means, but it actually works well for a lot of people.
As a Brit that has experienced emergency health care in the US/Tampa Fl, I can seriously vouch for our NHS system and care, luckily I worked for our Flag Carrier and was insured but the hospital wouldn’t treat or admit me until my employers Medicare insurance was confirmed, in fact, due to the wait I very nearly died in a corridor on a gurney, it was only by my colleagues being on the phone to our managers in the uk to get the hitch with “who’s gunna pay” was I eventually treated, thank god my parents were able to fly out to take care of me too as I wouldn’t have eaten or being cleaned for weeks, I saw the medical bill that was incurred during my stay, if I had to pay it, it would have bankrupt me, NEVER taken the NHS for granted since. Plus NHS nurses are amazing, funny and caring people.
Actually you have a law suit. It's illegal to deny treatment to anybody in a life threatening situation. That's the law but that's also the state of our medical establishment. We really do need to clean house here.
@@davidhuett3579 well if they know the law and they should , they know what happens next. The hospital can either loose a lot of money and drs can't afford cocaine , or they do what they're supposed to.
It is probably worth mentioning that all UK trained doctors have to go through the NHS before being able to go into the private sector so training is the same regardless
Also worth noting that the private sector don't do emergency care and select the profitable/easy patients to treat. Private medicine leeches doctors from the NHS without investing in their training and development....yay capitalism!
@@SkonkBot Me too. It probably makes sense to do this for routine procedures as it frees up NHS beds for patients needing treatment for serious conditions. No doubt there is an agreed flat fee for private providers. It may cost the NHS less than doing it themselves as the private sector is set up for this type of work and can do it very efficiently.
The UK doesn't pay higher taxes for the NHS, the UK govt spends less on health than the US govt does. The combined cost of medicare, medicaid and VA is higher per capita than the NHS
More than double in fact. People assume the NHS is wasteful with its management structure etc but it is actually a super efficient organisation. Therein lies the problem, due to continued funding cuts (in real terms) and lack of investment per capita compared to other developed countries, it has no slack in the system. Imagine what the NHS would be like if it had the same funding as many other comparable countries.
@@artspooner Total US spending is more than double, but a lot of that is private spending on health insurance. Public spending is only a little higher in the US
You are 100% right. The American system is so expensive because the drug companies and insurance companies take all the money. For example, a simple asthma inhaler is around $250, depending on the company, the NHS buys the same inhaler for about £12.
My little grandson has a tiny bit of one chromosome duplicated. We know because they did a full genetic analysis when they discovered his hearing loss. He has been seen at three of the top hospitals in the country for different aspects of his care, been provided with a state-of-the art hearing aid, physiotherapy, Deaf teaching support, you name it. All in the middle of a pandemic and with no question of any sort of payment. He's not even two yet and he's had treatment that most of the taxes I have ever paid would possibly not cover. There are very good reasons why Brits are more relaxed about questionng your religion than the NHS. I am perpetually deeply thankful for it.
And nor would I. I want to see a GP? I can the same day. I get a prescription from the GP? I get it filled the same day (for free - Wales) I have an emergency? I ring 999 (and I have) and I don't worry. I NEVER worry about (ever) money.
I got a diagnosis/prognosis from the NHS. The waiting list was longer than my prognosis. I went private and had a life saving procedure within 24 hours. The NHS is shit and had I not gone private would be dead today. British, 34 years old, put over £50,000 into the NHS, and when I finally needed it, they said no. Or, not no, but such a long waiting time, effectively no. My mother also worked in the NHS. She's not with us anymore, but boy, the stories. The NHS is a mess. People use it "freely" when they have a booboo and claim it is superior. Try having a serious disease. They don't prevent or do things early. It advances and then everyone says how the palliative care was so nice. Not realising had they gone private they wouldn't have a 9 month waiting list on a 6 month prognosis. Quite frankly it is a cult. I have seen too many mess-ups and know of the issues to ever defend the NHS.
@@sirskullington9213 My family and friends all had similar experiences. I guess we live in a twilight zone and everywhere else is rainbows and sunshine. Your response proved my point of cults. Anyone who disses the NHS is instantly c bombed or attacked. At no point has anyone ever said "wow must have been scary to have a prognosis like that". Nope. As soon as I mention the NHS rejected me their eyes flare and the rage starts. It's a cult. Nothing is perfect, yet people somehow irreverantly worship the NHS like a God. I mean jesus christ people went out their doors and film crews filmed millions CLAPPING the NHS. That shit is found in North Korea propaganda where people have designated times to worship their leader who is seen as a God. It's a cult. A poorly financed one.
I had testicular cancer last year in the UK (May/ June 2020 full pandemic lockdown time). From the first doctors appointment to having surgery was 4 weeks and 5 hospital visits. And two hospital visits every three months since for CT-scans, X-rays and blood work followed by a consultation with a oncologist. I can't state enough how lucky we are in the UK for our NHS system. Added to that I am diabetic. I would literally be bankrupt or dead if I lived in the states with the above.
Hope you're doing well. I had the same unfortunately. I live in the States. The day of the procedure, before they inserted the IV in my arm, someone from the billing office came down with "what I'd be expected to pay." It came close to 4 grand (with insurance). I had to wait three weeks to get approval from my insurance company (United Healthcare) before I could begin chemotherapy. $40 co-pays to see a specialist, and crazy high deductibles. I've met very few of my fellow Americans who are happy with their health insurance plan. It's a shame.
Then you should be doing something about it. I can’t understand why you Americans put up with the lack of universal healthcare for all. You’ve got the republicans bleating on about how it’s socialism or communism. No it’s not! Also,the same people who would benefit from universal healthcare, don’t want it because it would mean paying out money every month and someone who doesn’t pay into it may need it. Selfishness knows no bounds. Don’t get me started on medication, as I’m over 65 I don’t pay a penny for 4 prescriptions I need every month, if I were under 65 each prescription would be under £10. How much would it cost you. Would you have to drive to Mexico or Canada for cheaper medication or suck it up and pay thousands of dollars. The only people to blame for this is you the people. You should be out there protesting every day to change the system, that’s the only way the politicians will do anything. Good luck, hope you never get sick.
@@grocerygoat06This is why the world laughs at America. You guys have less of a right to almost everything compared to most Western countries, and yet you guys champion your own subservience. Armed to the teeth and yet held down more than almost anywhere on earth. I have family in America and i go there 2 weeks every year. I get 38 days full pay vacation time. I'm legally entitled to 28. You guys don't even have the right to vacation time, and it's sad. Plenty of guns though i guess.
I was convinced on National system when I had an accident in London as a year abroad program. I was more scared of the emergency care bill than the injury. The ambulance, the x-rays, the meds.... Nothing. No bills received. And never having to worry again. Tax me, if that means I have care for life.
@@suemount6042 Yep I had treatment on the NHS and the surgeon they used was resident at a private hospital so I was sent there, I knew it was private and so expected to have to cover some costs but didn't have to pay a thing, it was a really nice building etc but the food they served was all pompous pretentious crap that made me miss the food I got in Bath RUH after my bike accident 🤣
@@stuffanthings did you get the cloth napkin instead of the paper serviette too lol I didn’t quite believe my eyes at the difference in presentation of my humble sandwich it came on a platter served with a salad garnish and crisps my tea was in a little silver pot with a tea strainer and individual milk jug and sugar lumps in a tiny bowl the napkin even had a ring. I felt like a princess lol, no plastic wrapped dry sandwich slapped on a plate and stewed tea for me that day lol. But seriously we are lucky to have the NHS I would have died long ago had we not had it so I’m very grateful to have access to it, and to be fair the support staff do their best with what they are allowed to work with. The actual care is the same but you may get it a bit quicker if you can pay and every tiny little thing is billed my friend was charged £60 to have a new bandaid/plaster put on a minor injury you would normally get sorted yourself at home. People suffering and dying because they can’t afford healthcare doesn’t sit well really does it.
I am 66 yrs old, every day I am grateful for the NHS, my husband had epilepsy and needed treatment for the whole of his lifetime. He died when he was 71 yrs, in hospital but I am so thankful that we live in the U.K. because it kept him alive and relatively healthy.
We pay through our taxes to spread the cost and help each other. If I don't need healthcare than great. Someone who needs it can get it. Any other system seems crazy to me.
You know when you pay private insurance, you don't get that money back if you don't need to use it? It's not like, "I didn't need any treatment, so I get all of my money back." The insurance company then pays YOUR money out on someone who did need the treatment... You kind of see how that works..? Either way the money you're paying either helps you or helps others.
@@MyBelch you have full coverage so what you pay nothing at all ever. That’s just not true, you’re paying someone something either when you’re not ill or when you are. But most would rather not be stung with a few thousand because they want a baby or a hundred thousand because they have an ongoing health condition
Their is absolutely no reason america cannot continue with its own system that's fine. Let everyone else do it this way. When you fall you are picked up. Weather you can afford it or not. We are a society of equals when it comes to heakthcare. That's just the way it is.
@@MyBelch that just isn’t true now is it. Why would another government pay for your healthcare without any compensation and why would the company who’s compensating not take any money from you. Seems like they’d become bankrupt if they just gave it out for free
Whatever you Brits do - fight, fight, fight, to keep your NHS!!! It sounds like the vast majority of Brits want to keep their NHS so make sure that you do! Don't let anybody tell you that there is a better way - better for somebody else but not the British public.
We don't have to fight for it. We pay taxes for it and the NHS has an obligation to prpvide the best possible service, because each citizen basically owns it.
The Canadian system is universal awesome like the NHS. Higher taxes are still cheaper than paying into a private insurer! I lived in the UK, France, Finland and they are all the same. Wonderful!
I believe that when the NHS was established, it was based on a healthcare system already running in Canada somewhere. Alberta maybe ? Can't remember, but if so, thanks again Canada! :)
so what's the difference, pay less tax and instead take out health insurance. The private sector is competitive so it must perform whereas the NHS does not. Having a choice always produces a better outcome.
@@delladog firstly, not everyone has the choice of paying ( even in America). And your second point does not play out either as your competitive system produces powered results at an extremely higher cost. The NHS has huge buying power and as such is in a very strong position to drive the costs of pharma and medical equipment down.
@@delladog except it rarely ever produces better outcomes and choice is only choice if you can afford to choose. Privatisation of healthcare means less choice more bureaucracy and vastly increased cost like you see in the US. There are copays and preexisting conditions, claims departments whose job it is to deny claims, and overheads which means private healthcare just costs more money and end up just giving rich people what they ‘want’ rather than giving sick people what they need....Healthcare doesn’t work like goods and patients in a public system are not ‘customers’. The goal of health insurance companies is not to be cheap or provide the best service - it is to make money, and it doesn’t do that by being cheap. The US pays nearly three times for generally poorer outcomes (with the exception of most cancers!)....
And the UK has a fraction of the US population, So 45,000 is probably statistically egual. I've proven this argument before about crime and statistically, without guns and smaller population the UK had a 6.3 crime rate and the US had 6.4 crime rate per capita... Do your homework before speaking in absolutes!
@@TuomasLevoniemi yes, many people don't or cannot grasp proportion and statistics... I have TRICARE (retired military), it's very similar to NHS. Health care is ok that's it, ok.
Congrats on delivering a very well informed and balanced appraisal of the NHS, as well as the cultural differences between the UK and US. You pretty much nailed it. The NHS is Britain's greatest Treasure. I have no doubt that the US medical services are great but there is profit in the equation. Strip that out and the US could have universal care that is affordable.
Am from Northern Ireland and if not for the NHS I wouldn't be here was in car crash when I was a kid don't want to go into all the detail was rushed to hospital was put on a life support machine for weeks was in a comma for 3 nearly 4 months when I came out of the comma I had severe brain damage couldn't walk couldn't talk couldn't remember anything didn't know how to write had to go to a physio therapist months after and speech therapist also was in wheel chair for atleast a year now am back on my feet got my speech back and am enjoying life again all thanks to the NHS and nurses and doctors also god bless the NHS
Has it occurred to you that the reason the US offers or recommends loads of tests (that usually aren't needed) is because they get paid for each one you take? You may say "that is fine, my insurance covers it" - but not everyone has insurance, and that is one of a number of reasons your insurance is so expensive. As far as wait times are concerned, I had a co-worker who went into his doctors with a headache one day, had a test the next, 48 hours after that he was having brain surgery for a tumour. If something is urgent, the NHS deals with things quickly. I personally have never suffered too long with waiting at the A&E... they may feel long, but that's just because everything feels like forever when you are in pain.
I work in a Dr's office here in the US. We send people for SO many tests every day. Unless is an emergency, radiology departments are booking more than a month out! If I was to have a MRI for example, and I get 2 a year for MS, even though I have good insurance, I have a huge deductible I have to meet before I switch to co-pays! Wish we had the NHS. I'm still a British citizen, maybe I should pop over if I need anything 😉
When I found a lump in my breast, I saw the GP the next day. I was referred to hospital and was seen 10 days later, I was screened and a biopsy taken. I returned 2 weeks later and was thankfully given the all clear. The NHS is a good service and I’m grateful for it!
This is the exact story I can tell about a breast lump I found in November. (Except I had an abscess so I got antibiotics for it, then the all clear on a follow up)
@@starkyfarrell7109 That’s interesting, six months earlier I had been taking antibiotics for a soreness in my breast, it was very red and tender, I needed two courses to clear it up. When I saw the doctor at the initial examination, he told me that the ultrasound had indicated “cancer” and therefore I needed a biopsy. At the biopsy the lump ‘popped’! I was reassured by this, though the specialist had shaken me! He was quite adamant that it was cancer, despite the history I had given him. Two weeks later I went back for the results of the biopsy, thank goodness I was right and he was wrong 🙂
@@san8524 My father was a doctor, a very good one, I'm proud to say, and his motto was always eliminate the 'nasties' first, not later. Or it could be too late. He hated taking on private patients. He used to tell those who wanted to go private that it made him very uncomfortable when having to prescribe drugs because often the best would be the most expensive, and he would worry about it. But, on the NHS, he was free to prescribe what he felt would be the most effective without this worry. This was decades ago so maybe things have changed.
@@noahremnek3615 I heard you are made to pay for ambulances in the US, even if it's an emergency. Is that a slander on the US to make the US look awful, or is it true?
@@madeleinewelch6316 Yes we pay for everything not just healthcare. We pay for the roads, police department, fire departments, public schools, etc nothing is free that comes from the government.
The thing is with our NHS is that you will get the tests your doctor the medical professional thinks you require ...they don’t do test a patient does not need ...eg..why do an MRI an expose the patient to large amounts of radiation if you don’t need an MRI....why waste NHS money on irrelevant tests ... ps lm an NHS nurse
@@kafkaspen that inaccuracy doesn’t mean they’re not right. Having worked in the NHS I know they will not over test, as it’s nugatory and expensive . They will - for instance - not CT where an X-ray will do the job. Im a senior medical assistant BTW.
This argument that our taxes are higher is flawed - the total deductible for a British person is significantly lower than Americans when you factor in all comparable expenses.
Indeed. Its also flawed in that it is a flat rate % of income. Earn more, you pay more. Earn nothing, you get the same coverage.. as in full. Unemployed for a year, no problem. No back money to pay. And nobody checks you balance at any point. A new born baby has equal access than a company director. Same for all, based on need.
@@marydavis5234 And your health insurance includes everything with no expensive copays and no limitations of the cost of treatment? And no threat of termination if you get a very expensive chronical disease? And it's not tied to an employer?
@@marydavis5234 I'm assuming your employer also has to pay a contribution? Which in reality is deducted from your salary before they ever pay you. You'll also pay taxes that goes to healthcare too (USA and UK central government spending on health s about the same per capita). Any deductibles? Any copays? What if an ambulance takes you to a hospital which isn't covered by your insurance? Does it cover absolutely every illness? What if you're fired, are you covered indefinitely? Why do others pay higher amounts than you? Is it because it lowers their copays, means they are covered for a wider range of conditions?
With the COVID crisis in full swing a lot of minor operations have been cancelled on the NHS. I decided i would book an appointment at the local private hospital to have the issue resolved. After talking to the consultant who also works for the NHS, he told me the cost for the proceedure and i said i couldnt afford it. He kindly told me to contact my local GP or doctor with his findings and he would pick it up from there when he was back at the NHS hospital. Priceless. Love them to bits
The NHS has saved my life a couple of times, and have helped me so much over the years. I LOVE the NHS, and it really is the jewel in our crown. It is the greatest thing to come out of our country since the industrial revolution
A couple of facts that often get overlooked is that; one of the reasons drugs cost far less in the UK is because the price is negotiated by the NHS. Obviously negotiating on behalf of 60M+ customers with the drug companies allows you to get a much better price. Prescriptions are payed for by all tax payers thus spreading the load, but they are cheaper to buy in the first place. Secondly one of the biggest benefits to me as a tax payer is knowing that my taxes are helping others less fortunate than myself. Would be happy to pay more if the NHS needs it.
AS an American, recently relocated to London, I am so happy with the NHS. I do want to point out, yes there are taxes for the NHS, but when compared with Insurance premiums, PLUS co-pays PLUS deductibles, PLUS out of pocket PLUS prescription cost. The taxes are lower than what the average American pays. Saying the word TAX to an American and they freak. If you say your "premium" is set and just deducted from your check, its fine. Also if you're not working it costs nothing.
I was just thinking this: their "tax" can't be more than our premiums, plus deductibles, plus co-pays, plus prescription costs, plus out-of-pocket costs for whatever the insurance DIDN'T cover (bcuz you know there's always something that they refused to pay for 🙄). And you have absolutely NO idea how much it's going to be... you just have to wait for all of the bills and the sticker shock that comes with... Hell, I often feel like what's the point of even having insurance? Unless some type of major CATASTROPHE happens. It's ridiculous!
Well you’ve got to have insurance in the US to get the “negotiated rate”, which is already very high. Without that you have a target on your back when you go to the hospital, there is no rhyme or reason to what you will be charged. You go get a few stitches and they charge you a percentage of running the whole hospital.
What ? Americans not liking tax ? Like on tea and such ? Noooo way . Americans hate tax so much it was declared there would be no taxation without representation . See how long that lasted , meaningless now isn't it. There's barely representation .
@@therealkoolaidandkale- Also, you only pay a percentage of your pay. So the more you earn, the more you contribute. Conversely, the less you earn, the less you contribute. People on very low earnings or not working - don't pay at all, but they still get healthcare. Then, you only pay for prescriptions up to the age of 60 in England... Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are free at all times. But 'life changing' prescriptions i.e. Insulin for diabetes are free throughout all of the UK. And as she mentions, currently any prescription whatever it is, is subsidised and capped at (currently April 2022) £9.35. Another factor often not considered is; when you are really sick or have been in an accident (i.e. a motorcycle crash) - the last thing you need is the additional worry and stress of wondering what an emergency ambulance or helicopter, the surgery, the hospital bed, the surgeons or nurses, the drugs/medications/bandages or all the other services are going to cost AND IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT ALL !? The NHS is free to ALL at point of need - you cannot put a price on that ! Which is why the majority of Brits are HAPPY to contribute, because at some point in their lives they WILL need it.
I broke my hand whilst on holiday in the US. I waited a couple of days until I flew home and the NHS operated and fixed me up the day I got home. NHS is wonderful.
So many things are better in the U.K. life expectancy is longer for a start. Medical bankruptcy is non existent. It must be terrifying to live in the USA.
Nerdwallet estimated that 57.1 percent of U.S. personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills, making it the leading cause of the financial calamity that often precedes homelessness.
An American friend of mine ended up with pneumonia because her GP charged upfront for appointments and so she had to wait until pay day, by which time her condition had deteriorated. And the cost of the antibiotics she was prescribed was ridiculous!
@Alfie Green we all pay taxes toward the NHS. We all care about eachother. Do you pay for vehicle insurance? If so that's the same. You pay in so you are able to claim should you have an accident but also your paying towards others claims as well. I don't see why it's so hard to grasp that helping your fellow citizens have access to healthcare as well as securing your right to medical care is great. It's the right thing to do. Helping others as well as yourself. That's what a society should be doing. Why be so selfish and only think of yourself. Those that earn more help those that don't. That's a good society.
@Alfie Green Why is it so hard to understand that we all want access to healthcare and don't mind helping eachother. I'll gladly pay more taxes if necessary to know that I can help save my fellow citizens lives. I don't look down on those that can't or don't pay the same as me. A life is still a life.
I’m Australian and we have a very similar healthcare system here. The wait times can be an issue but we also have an excellent private health system as well which you can voluntarily pay for (which I do). I suffer from a chronic health condition and I couldn’t even imagine how I’d survive living in a country without affordable healthcare
You guys have a two tier system? That idea is blasphemy here in canada. Our system here is crumbling apart and any politicans who try to di something to make some changes are almost run out with torches and pitchforks
@Yngwie Malmsteen Are you saying 75 grand in each currency or after conversion? 75k pounds in dollars is roughly $103k. Not many people are making 75k at age 30 in Britain, that is well above the average salary for all ages. The figures you are using only really apply to the exceptionally wealthy. The average wage in the UK is 30k and most people pay 20% income tax. We get free education, benefits, we used to get a lot more for our taxes but thanks to austerity that's been largely cut to the bone in recent years. The great benefit of the NHS that you don't really touch upon is that it covers everybody, rich or poor, no matter your position in life or healthcare issues because there is no profit incentive. Healthcare is also not linked to employment thankfully, so in times of economic hardship you are still able to use it. Not the case in America. If you look at all healthcare spending, including treatment funded privately by individuals, the US spent 17.2% of its GDP on healthcare in 2016, compared with 9.7% in the UK. In pounds per head, that's £2,892 on healthcare for every person in the UK and £7,617 per person in the US. *as of 2018. It's a far more efficient system. One of the best arguments for single payer healthcare in the democrat race last year is that it would have drastically reduced the cost per head for healthcare in America. So yes, if you are lucky enough to earn 75,000 pounds for 30 years in Britain then you will pay more tax in the UK, but the vast majority of people in this country don't even earn half of that so it's not really a particularly relevant or helpful comparison.
@Yngwie Malmsteen According to an online tax calculator I just looked at, if you live in California (not sure if that adds or reduces tax from where you live) at $75000 you would pay around $20000 tax (approx 26%). In the UK the equivalent pay (current exchange rate is £1 is $0.72) is £54000. The amount of tax payable on this is approx £14000 (£9000 income tax, £5000 National Insurance) which is almost exactly 26%, the same amount as would be paid in the US (California). So the question should be what are you NOT getting for your money? The answer is a free at point of use universal healthcare system.
@Yngwie Malmsteen The whole point of this discussion and the video is about healthcare, not the welfare state and those who rely on it. You stated that way pay significantly higher taxes than you and I have clearly pointed out we don't. You said a US citizen would pay 25% tax the calculator I looked at said a person from CA would pay 26% tax and you say they pay a lot more taxes because of "reasons". I would say 1% is not a lot more, and I am sure the exact number was slightly less than 26%. So getting back to the actual point I was making, if we pay approximately the same amount of tax, why don't the US have a "free at point if use" universal healthcare system? What do Americans get for their money that I don't?
It's worth remembering that if you have ongoing prescriptions you can prepay for them; this can save a lot of money. My wife has several medications prescribed on a bimonthly basis; she pays £103 (I think) per year and that covers all her medication for the year.
Wow! What an intelligent, comprehensive and thoughtful review of our NHS. Very accurate and fair. Thank you. I have never experienced the American system but I have never felt anything other than well-cared for by the NHS throughout my (73) years of life
I think it's hard-wired into the UK psyche that when you leave school and start working you pay National Insurance contributions. I know it's impossible to compare the two countries, but I've never understood US hostility to this type of scheme. Well explained video, btw..
@@kevl6396 That's a caricature. The "hostility" to socialized care is a simple difference in how much government intrusion Americans allow into their lives, including their health care and decisions on personal matters. There are numerous programs in the States that provide coverage for the poor.
We're British, we'll complain about everything! But I'll be damned if we're not some of the luckiest people in the world, in so many different areas of life. Will I spend 80% of my waking life complaining? Absolutely, and I wouldn't change it for anything
@@yorke97 if you were rich and you had certain businesses that your account says are available to be covered tax wise, would you take that to become a little bit richer? Rich people aren’t the problem, its certain *People* who are rich that are problems
@@n0body550 if I was already rich, why would I need to be a little bit richer? If I had more than enough money to live off of comfortably, support a family, have savings etc, my first thought wouldn’t be ‘how can I get even more money that I don’t actually need’. I understand that it’s a life I’ve never known and probably will never know, so people who are very well off may see things very differently. I just don’t understand why you would constantly feel the need to have more when you already have plenty. As you said, not all rich people are the problem, unfortunately it seems to be some of the 1% who have the most wealth that don’t want to pay their share, something I will never understand.
@@yorke97 Point is, are you afraid of losing what you already have? Scale that up and people are still people regardless of how much you have, the more you have the greater chance you can lose it, go be ignorant elsewhere
One of the benefits of seeing different Doctors at the Surgery (Office) is that you are constantly getting a second or third opinion on your complaint or treatment.
I wanted to make an appointment with a doctor, the receptionist said that my named doctor was not available with the next week, would I mind seeing another doctor in the practice. I asked (Tongue in cheek) " is he or she qualified, she said, "Of course" I got an appointment for the next day. We both laughed.😄
I’m 19 years old and I don’t think I’ve ever even met my registered GP. I just see whichever Dr is available and explain what issue I have, they won’t give you the same treatment because they can see what you’re last Dr said and prescribed to you.
American here, I needed to see a neurologist (specialist) and it took 4 months for an available appointment! We still have long wait times for specialized needs. Not to mention the bill at the end of it all after my insurance didn’t cover it even though it was in network. My family doc: go see a specialist. Me: Calls to make an appointment. Receptionist: best I can do is 4 months from now lol
Brit here. The NHS was created post war in 1948. So most of our population living now, like me were born into the system. In my case 1956. To me having to pay for something as fundamental as health care is an anathema. You might as well tell me I need to pay for the air I breath.
In the UK the family doctor would refer you to a specialist and you would get a letter within a couple of weeks giving you an appointment at a specialist clinic. You go along and are seen by a nurse then a junior doctor. They might treat you or call in a more senior doctor who might treat you or send you to a ward for more extensive investigation.
I love the NHS so much I’m now part way through my nursing degree as a mature student. It is truly the best healthcare system in the world. Yes it has its problems but it’s still amazing. Going private speeds things up in some cases but for emergency care you can’t beat it. NHS rules!
Thank you for what seemed to be a very fair and balanced reflection on the NHS. I am a dual national British/American myself, but I have been brought up and have lived my life in the UK. My dad spent most of his adult life here, before moving back to the USA in his late 60s, after my mother died and died there aged 92. He had some fantastic medical care both here in the UK and also in America at the end, where he was in a continuing care facility at the end of his life. One recent contrast, I have seen was to do with transplants. A neighbour of mine needed a kidney transplant. Her brother in Australia was identified as a match and the NHS paid for his return flight to the UK to donate one of his kidneys and of course the surgery and all other treatment was provided for him and his sister by the NHS. Last year, a family member of mine in America needed a kidney transplant and his family set up a GoFundMe page to pay for dialysis, while he was waiting. Eventually, one of my cousins donated one of her kidneys to an unrelated person as part of a donor exchange scheme, so that her son in law could receive a kidney from someone else. Without this, he would have unable to afford to have the surgery.
Wow that is crazy! The NHS is paying for return flights from Australia including all treatment costs and American's are having to set up go fund me's. Ah the American Dream! It's actually sad but what's funny is the go fund me idea is essentially the same as how the NHS works, everyone pays in so you can get treatment. The Americans hate the idea of universal healthcare because they think it's "socialism" but they're a little more socialist than they think!!
The NHS is a long way from perfect but performs miracles for the per head investment. The issue with American healthcare is the obscene profit taken out of the system - just look at the inflated costs of some drugs. Germany operates a similar system put achieves significantly better health outcomes for much less, and no one goes bankrupt or can’t afford treatment EVER.
Just to back up the point about the 'fast-track': my mum went to her GP with headaches. The doctor was concerned and my mum got a full MRI and other tests the same day at her local hospital.
I agree my GP practice is very good, they have high demands on them and many people from other lands but they do a wonderful job. I have been with them since I was born in 1955.
@@GolfWhisky I note that you say that you have to convince the doctor that their diagnosis is wrong. I assume you went to medical school and are qualified to point out the error? I have doctor friends who spend too much valuable time convincing / arguing with 'armchair consultants' who think they are Dr Christian Barnaard because they have spent five minutes on WebMD. It is not in a doctor's interest to misdiagnose you. The NHS is based on triaging patients. The fact that you are around and able to leave your comment would suggest that you are, perhaps, not going to imminently expire. I had to wait ages to see, and be treated by, an ENT consultant for Meniere's Disease. I accepted this wait as I knew that I would get the best possible care, which I did. We need to appreciate the fundamental difference between private (i.e the US) healthcare and the NHS: the NHS system is designed to give sick and injured people what they NEED. Private healthcare is designed to give healthy people what they WANT.
I think this is one reason why you see so many complaints, it tends to be the non-critical cases who complain, those who got bumped because the system is triaging based on need.
I am passionate about preserving and protecting the NHS and so I really appreciated your honest assessment of this precious institution. It’s not perfect but it’s still a national treasure. There is one or two things which needs clarification and which some American ex-pats like yourself occasionally fail to mention. These are coverage and how we all pay. Coverage is 100% of the people and there are no exceptions. Yes, we pay through our taxes but that’s not a qualifying requirement. If you lose your job you don’t lose your coverage. This is crucial to know. I have a son who has married an American girl and is living and working in the USA. Losing a job and thus your healthcare is a constant worry and consideration. It can ti3 you to a rotten job that you don’t want to do. Regarding how we pay. Every person in employment is charged at the same % rate, based solely their income. You don’t pay more because you have have a wife and children who need access to the NHS. Your liability doesn’t increase because your family grows. Anyway, great video. Good health to you and yours, from a new subscriber.
Any chance of freelance work is out the window because my infusions are $168,600 per year. I’m chained to a corporate job because of the health insurance. I miss living in the UK for a variety of reasons and because of the healthcare.
I was visiting over in Britian when my 3 year old son had a high fever they took him in checked him over prescribed medication totally free of charge and same day even the medication was free really nice people I couldn't believe it when I asked how much money and then said no nothing
@@grizzlymrbobo it's more of a travesty that Americans aren't treated that way in America. They need to sort that out before they worry about how to treat foreigners.
Thats the annoying thing about it aswel. Foreigners should be charged to use it. That’s why you get a lot of people coming here abusing it unfortunately which means citizens can’t access it
@@xoxo_9389 it depends on the type of medical care. If you come to Britain with cancer in order to get treatment you will be charged. If you come here on holiday and your kid breaks their arm that's on the house. When in doubt, I'd rather we help people for free than risk a visitor suffering because they can't afford to pay their way, which is the danger if you insist on always charging.
I went to see my GP and he referred me on the fast track to the hospital. I had an ultrasound, biopsy, was called in to talk to a specialist and had an operation all within the 2 weeks. I then had radiation treatment. If I was in the USA and could not afford private health care I would be dead by now instead of which thanks to the wonderful NHS I am 8 years past when I was diagnosed.
I had the same. Saw my GP before work. Was told to phone them and tell them I was being immediately referred to hospital. So went to the hospital. Ultrasound and biopsy and then results same day. Had to call work and inform them I was having a MRI and a bone marrow biopsy the next day and that I had cancer. Next day (Wednesday) had everything as planned. Went to work Thursday and obviously had emergency meetings because cancer and time off. During one of these the hospital phoned. I was starting my chemo Monday and then carrying it on every two weeks for 6 months with constant monitoring by my GP due to other health conditions that could be made worse by chemo. In the US I would have died. I wouldn't have had a minor lump on my neck checked - I initially thought it was just a stubborn infection
I'm not sure if it's just emergency care, but I think in USA you can get the treatment, they won't refuse you, but it just means at the end you'll get a huge bill which you'll spend a good part of the rest of your life paying off.
@@marsmacl6211 Why would you have a bill for emergency care? Why would you have a bill for any care? A healthy population means less sickness? Treating things before they become major seems common sense and a money saver!
@@chrisdavies9821 I agree. I'm in the UK. I was just commenting on the way the US system works. Yeah, I think that there are a lot of people in the States who put off going till the problem gets a lot more serious. It's quite sad considering they're the richest nation on the planet and a lot of their citizens struggle financially because of healthcare.
The funny thing when speaking to Americans about the NHS is that many seem to think there is no private health care in the UK when there is a thriving private health care sector. It’s just that with the NHS there it has to be competitive. You could pay for NHS through taxes and have private insurance and it would probably still be cheaper than in the US.
Your speculation is correct: a colleague of mine has UK private health insurance and it is cheaper than the US. My college has a lot of health needs and sometimes used the NHS and sometimes private. The two systems work well together. He gets specialist consultations quicker through the private system but is often seeing specialists who also work through the NHS. But all his procedures have been NHS coz they’ve been quicker.
When you reach the age of 60 or on benefits prescriptions are free here in the UK. If it wasn't for our NHS I wouldn't be here today. I had a heart attack last year, ambulance was here within 10 minutes of my wife's call the ambulance had to take me 25 miles from my home as my local hospital didn't have heart specialists I was given medication on the way to hospital and on my arrival there was an emergency heart team waiting for me and I was straight into theatre. Our specialists, Drs & Nurses are brilliant
@Alfie Green wrong ...... we all pay for each other ...... and you could say that it’s similar to paying by instalment, but we call it National Insurance ..... yes it’s a tax but the amount you pay in is very affordable and is proportional to the amount you earn......... everybody’s covered so nobody needs to worry about not having health insurance. If you get laid off work you’re covered ....... everybody’s children are covered ....... if you’re old you’re covered. It’s our NHS paid for by everyone and hopefully you will never need to use it but it’s always there if you do.
My mum while in hospital with cancer was in one of those not so flashy wards after being in private room. She much preferred being on the ward and made some real friends who she spoke to even after leaving hospital and even being in her later 50s was offered a free beast implant which she rejected because and I quote "I don't need one I'm not going to be breast feeding or looking for a man to play with them!" God I love my mum. She had the best humour.
The only thing you missed is that the NHS puts a lot of focus on preventative medicine. So for example, men will routinely get prostate exams, and women breast screening and cirvical scans.
I was born in the UK now live in the US. Physicals, routine Colonoscopies, Mammograms and Gyn appointments are free here. I live in NY, the taxes here are ridiculous. It should include healthcare. Sadly the only people who get free medical are those on welfare. Even retired people don't have free health care.
This is brilliant. Great unbiased, pretty accurate & informative from a young American living here in the UK. Glad you like living here. We do have our issues, like everywhere else, but It us, a great place to live. Xxx
@Alfie Green and that’s the trouble with the US, “why should I pay for someone else’s healthcare”. I’m 73 and never been in Hospital overnight in my life, I have paid taxes all my life, still do, and I’m proud of the NHS, and happy to know that through my contributions I’ve saved countless lives. Because we are a caring society, not a selfish nation of individuals.
@Alfie Green But that's exactly what the US health insurance system is -you pay for something you may never need while others less fortunate may claim. The same principle applies in the UK, except the government hold the bank and not an insurance company profiteering to serve its shareholders. And please don't tell me your employers pay for your health insurance. Sure they do, which is why you are not legally entitled to annual leave, whereas we all get a minimum of five weeks by law.
the average tax rate paid in the us is 24% whilst the average tax in the uk is 23,.4%, so the assertian that brits pay higher taxes than th the us is wrong. Besides this, the cost of providing that healthcare is much cheaper (to the government) thanks to collective bargaining the nhs can bring to bear on drug companies etc during procurement. just saying
That’s directly a result of your system though, our drugs are only cheap because our government won’t accept higher prices and controls the market, it gives drug companies no other option.
Needs saying over and over again ..... why don’t the Americans get it ?? Socialised taxes ..... your already paying them ...... think about it ..... how do you pay the military , how do you pay for homeland security etc etc etc ???
@@mcbusted1985 12% for the NHS is bargain of the century ..... ask Americans how much they pay for health insurance if they haven’t got a job ..... or they have a job but the company they work for don’t provide health insurance benefits i.e. part time workers and the low paid (minimum wage) workers. My nephew in the USA had appendicitis recently and spent 1 night in hospital having had his appendix removed and although he was covered by his parents (father’s health insurance through work) they still had to pay $500 dollars, would you in the UK be expected and be prepared to pay extra for your child’s appendicitis operation ?? Also that 12% tax is proportional to the amount that you earn therefore it’s affordable for all.
@@mcbusted1985 well technically no, reread the statement, it clearly states the *average* tax payed by... some people pay less some more. i'm guessing that maybe your revealing your own tax situation there kathleen. fair enough, your not average.
Great explanation and summary of your experience. I have struggled myself to explain the NHS to Americans and there is a lot of misinformation in USA about healthcare in the rest of the world. There is an assumption that “it can’t really be free” and it can’t be any good if it isn’t “private” healthcare. I was called a liar to my face in Texas for describing how the NHS works!
In England, certain conditions entitle you to a medical exemption from prescription charges. I am diabetic so do not pay for my daily Metformin tablets. There are many such exemptions in England.
I have had severe head wounds and I have got a brain disorder from it and I am unable to work now and I get free prescription medicine and I get money from the government and I have got a bus pass too and I am lucky that I am English because if I wasn’t I would have been left to my own devices to die but because of my homeland being about the helping hand I am alive and relatively well but alone it’s wonderful how every time I am in hospital I am treated just like everyone else it’s a brilliant system and all those iron fist countries are rubbish and I don’t like republicans either
@@lisethyblue2926 I was on the phone for half an hour trying to get through and when I did get through it was that they have not got any phone appointments until next Thursday but I am damaged goods so it doesn’t matter
I had an op. on my back at Walton, Merseyside, one of the best Neurological hospitals in the country. It was an eye opener! Not only were the staff fantastic, it was like staying in a five star hotel! Six weeks after going home I was still in pain, phoned the spinal ward and I saw the Surgeon the same week, had another MRI straight away, had another procedure the following week, all sorted.
Yes, although the 'decor' WILL eventually have to be seen to. Heating systems break down, windows get smashed, doors fall off their hinges, walls sometimes collapse, and yes, paint will flake off a little too much for comfort.
Most hospitals are clean and tidy, not unlike the USA ones I see on TV. We don’t have half our money swallowed up by insurance company CEOs share holders and admin costs, variously reported as between 30% and 50% of the cost of your premiums.
Fading decor that has been scrubbed within an inch of its life by the cleaning staff is absolutely the norm! UK hospitals are scrupulously clean but they don't worry so much about looks.
@@davidbgreensmith Yes, for some inexplicable reason, some Americans seem to think this is important and more important than curing patients of their ills. No UK hospital I've ever walked into was even remotely grotty. It certainly didn't look like a palace, but it's clean and tidy and that is all you really need.
Great video. I'll point out too though, that the lack of flashiness, allows a cost that doesn't get transferred to making the wage taxes higher. Keep up the good work. You seem very fair, and are clear in your delivery.
Yeah some older UK hospitals look like poop, but it's still a hospital where your health is more important than the decor or architecture from last century, but nowadays, just like new schools, the newly built hospitals are much better.
I disagree with you. It's the older hospitals (i.e. pre- 1945) that are built to a much better standard and are far more sustainable than their modern counterparts. I think that it is a shame that so many old hospital buildings are being sold off by the NHS, or worse demolished.
@@charlestalks5638 Er No! A very small number of pre '45 hospitals are good, most aren't. They often have rooms and corridors that are just incapable of supporting the type and variety of equipment etc. This means having to add additional buildings to cater. But of course there's no room, because all the older hospitals are in heavily built up areas. My wife is a band 5 nurse working in A&E in a brand new hospital, It's a few miles outside of the town centre with lots of space around for both expansion and for the peace and quiet that often helps with recovery. I've worked on the ambulances locally (not emergency!) and can tell you that all the modern hospitals around here are truly wonderful places. The olders ones really are quite abysmal.
Maybe worth mentioning that if you do want insurance based private healthcare like the USA, no one is stopping you. We have private care paid for by some employers which gives you the fancy reception, private room, restaurant menu etc etc so our health care caters for everyone, just depends what you want but there is always access for everyone regardless of status.
Also if there is no space in the nhs hospital an nhs doctor can do surgery in a private hospital with all the bells and whistles. My sister had heart op in one when there wasn’t room on the list at the local nhs hospital
@@craigflower13 icu are not generally in private hospitals, they may actually buy an nhs icu bed but anything emergency like an MI or stroke you are referred to the NHS.
@@dianeshelton9592 I didn't say there were general I said some do. Most private hospitals have a high dependency area and one locally to me has 5 ICU beds. I worked for ten years in ICU in the NHS and 10 years in the private sector.
Very interesting. Aside from the physical austerity of the buildings, I feel like the cons of the NHS you mention are worse or magnified in the US. Depending on which health insurance carrier you use, it’s very common to require a referral from your primary care physician for a specialist. If you skip it your insurance carrier is likely to deny your claim and leave you on the hook for a very large bill. I also feel like specialists are stretched very thin here and sometimes even for serious issues you will wait a significant amount of time for an appointment. I’ve waited 6 months between appointments with a specialist that were supposed to be 4 weeks apart. Meanwhile, my insurance company decided I was “non-compliant” in my treatment because of the wait and refused to pay for any further appointments.
I recently watched a an American youtuber react to the NHS. He recently had a child. C section delivery with a two day stay in hospital was 42K. Thats unacceptable
@@AlainNaigeon My why was based on the following - the stay was not long enough. For our children who were not C sectioned, my wife was in hospital for at least 4 days. I'm in Australia we have the horrible "socialist health scheme" much like the UK. There was NO Mention in my comment about the cost. So your comment sounds judgemental and patronising. Have a nice day!
Try Dubai. My daughter had insurance for her delivery and maternity care but she saw the bills. Eye watering. Every swab every bandage was listed and priced. Hideous way of going on. I'd rather pay tax.
@@philward6582 If you don't like socialist healthcare then pay for private. Though be prepared for big bills. Especially if any of your family get cancer or have an accident. Your wife must of had complications or a hard labour to of been kept in for four days. Two days is pretty standard for a normal delivery without complications.
Me and my kids have a disability that requires on going treatment. The medication alone costs the NHS £2000 per dose (once every 2 weeks). They also required life saving surgery which was free. As a low income family, if we lived in the USA there's no chance my children would be alive today. I wouldn't have been able to afford to give birth, let alone the ongoing medical costs. The NHS has it flaws but they're nothing compared the the massive flaw of having to sell your house in order to afford a minor surgery. My kids and me are alive and healthy today thanks to the NHS. And let's face it, I'd rather pay a little each month to maintain the massive amount of help my family get than pay a massive amount for a little bit of help.
My son had cancer. He had numerous hospital status, chemo, cutting-edge radiotherapy and finally CAR-t cell (immunotherapy) treatment that would have cost $1million in the US. Sadly, my boy didn't survive but did gain 7 years of life having been given days to live originally. Thank goodness that we have the NHS so he had the best available treatment without the additional stress of dealing with insurance companies and money worries.
The nhs gave my mum cancer treatment, delivered my child by emergency c section, saved my daughters life when she had severe croup. I never had to worry about money or making ends meet because of a bill. I’ve never been stuck in a crap job because it has good healthcare insurance, Thank you nhs!
The NHS is far better equipped than the private system... if you are in a private hospital and suddenly need surgery in the middle of the night (eg for unexpected internal bleeding) it is highly likely that you would taken to an NHS hospital.
Yep. Private hospitals turf you into the NHS if the opportunity is there. Private insurers actually pay people per night if they choose to get stay in treatment on the NHS rather than use a private hospital.
The Private system is for the nice to have surgeries, knee replacement, breast implants, the doctors are the same, but if you require acute care then NHS.
That was a very good explanation of how the NHS works. A few observations: pregnancy is treated less like an 'illness' over here than in the US. If you want a system where you can demand as many tests as you want, then if you can afford it or have private health insurance, you can get it ...just the same as in the US. The doctors you see in the private healthcare system are the exact same doctors you see under the NHS, and the private hospitals are just as 'flashy' as US hospitals. We do pay for the NHS through taxes, but US citizens pay much more per capita for healthcare than UK citizens. The NHS is FAR more efficient and cost effective than the US system overall -- profits are not being leached out of the system as in the US. Life expectancy in the UK is greater than in the US and is increasing. In the US, life expectancy is decreasing. The NHS has a great deal to do with that.
I work in the NHS and over the years I have watched hundreds of you going through my hospital learning your skills, I admire your dedication and the hard work you put in. You are a fabulous bunch of young people, take care.
@Alfie Green LOL!. I have lived in UK, Australia and New Zealand and paid less taxes than I did in California. I am not just talking about Federal tax, I am talking about all the payroll deductions. State Taxes, SS, SDI and all the other crap they nickel and dime you with, I was losing 42% of my pay check in CA I was losing 33% in Australia and NZ - honest!
@Alfie Green So is American health insurance dude. You pay in and you’re insurance company pools all the money and then pays out for all the claims of their clients. The difference is that with the NHS the ‘left over money’ goes to help the poorer folk whereas the left over money from an insurance goes to giving their executives new cars and huge bonuses.
@Alfie Green There is no overpaying into the system because it is not designed to make a profit. You are overpaying into an insurance company because it is a for profit organisation. We underpay massively compared to the US system. People can have bills going into the tens or hundreds of thousands for one stay at a hospital. Most UK residents will not pay that much into the NHS in their lifetime.
You sat its higher taxes in the UK. But it doesn't compare with how much the health insurance, copay and any other extras you have to pay in the US. The US pay almost x2 as much even with insurance.
This is EXACTLY the bit of math that American's don't understand. UK: pays taxes based on your circumstances US: pays less taxes + insurance + copay + deductibles The numbers vary but the bottom line is that like for like the UK will always be less unless you earn a super high salary. If you are fit as a fiddle and never get ill, never get run over by a car, fall off a ladder, cut yourself badly, never get cancer, and die of old age and never bother to get insurance, you will pay SIGNIFICANTLY less in the US. But in the real world, everyone gets ill, lots of people get cancer (or other maladies), and currently "old age" is just a pipe dream for a lot of obese Americans.
@@AdrianBawn The NHS costs less per person than Medicare+Medicaid. Someone on moderately low income (gbp 25k) in New York will pay *higher* income tax than in UK, and on moderately high (gbp 100k) about the same, but sales tax is lower than VAT. Dunno how property tax vs council tax compare (but in some states it is huge).
@@carlmuller8967 tax is possibly more complicated in the UK and you need to take them all into account as the nhs comes out of general taxation. There’s your basic income tax. Then there’s national insurance, which is basically a 2nd income tax that is supposed to be linked to that state pension too. Then there’s the national insurance that your employer pays, and when you think about it, they could be paying you that money. It’s part of the cost of employing to so it’s really more money taken by the government that could be coming to you. There’s sales tax, which is 20% on a lot of things. Then there are the high “duties” (taxes) on fuel, tobacco an alcohol. So higher taxes in the UK aren’t just income tax there are lots of other taxes knocking about that all add up and ultimately are potential ways that money can get into the NHS.
@@aloonatronrex3472 There may well be higher taxes in the UK than some states of the US for various occupations/ages/states of family etc. but the NHS is not the cause of it, since it costs less than medicare/aid (Hmm, unless the "off-the-books" PFI capital expenditure makes an appearance I guess but that is a whole world of accounting hurt) both countries run a raging deficit so taxes and expenditures don't match up. I would guess unemployment benefits make up some of the difference but I haven't checked that out, and surely the US spends more on its endless wars than the UK. Don't forget trumps tarrifs on steel etc if you are worried about tobacco and alcohol taxes.
There is plenty of private healthcare in the UK but it’s mainly used to jump the queue for elective surgeries, however if your private healthcare service finds a serious problem they send you to the NHS because that’s where you’ll get the best treatment and specialists.
Thank you so much for sharing this!!! I’m passionate about getting Medicare For All here in the USA. As someone who lost their insurance when i was laid off due to “the situation”, because it was tied to my employer I can tell you that the cost of my Rx is insane.... healthcare is a human right.
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial I'm on a committee here in Orlando, and we are working to get a resolution passed for Medicare for All here in the city. I shared your video to our group. :)
@@paulgreen758 I am British, my son married a lovely, smart, Southern Belle and they live in South Carolina. We haven't seen them or our grandchildren for 18 months and probably won't for six months. My son works for the US part of the company that I run; the company pays around $1000 a month for private health insurance for his family, and they still have costs that they have to cover themselves. Their housing is way cheaper than where we live in Sussex, around about 30% of the cost I would say, but they have lots of expenses that we don't have, so it balances out.
I watched a film where one of the characters had just been diagnosed with a serious condition and the doctor was discussing how they could pay for the treatment. That was really strange and a brought he the complete cultural difference.
Nice video. In the UK you do actually have a ‘Primary Registered Doctor’. In more rural areas, it’s quite normal to see the same doctor (assuming they’re available). Also worth mentioning many NHS hospitals are university hospitals and networked research centres, it’s pretty much where all UK doctors train. You’re quite right the NHS hospitals look rather drab, but I’m certainly seeing improvements. I think most Brits are just used to it. If a hospital were spending money to create hotel environment, their would be outrage at wasting public money for sure.
Enjoyed the video and im from uk. I think a couple of points are important for US viewers I think as a society in principal we are a collective that feel that we should look after all our people for the benefit of us all vs the usa who aren't and look after themselves. The society seem to think profit making flashy billion dollar companies are more trustworthy than accountable government. Our higher taxes come to half of what an american pay for healthcare, Insurance nd health care are some of the most profitable businesses in US. The US system comes a very poor second to uk in terms of medical outcomes. All fur coat and no knickers as my gran would say!
Indeed I think most US citizens have no idea of the comparative costs, I suspect where their workplace provide health insurance, they don't think of the cost of that being money they could otherwise receive in their salary.
@@grahvis I think the previous administration was trying to tackle those monopoly big pharma companies to bring lower prices for life long medication such as insulin. Imagine being type one diabetic and not having the funds to purchase the medication that saves your life.
I like the fact there are no leather sofas and no customer` culture in the NHS. When I had extensive physiotherapy the physio beat the crap out of me and bullied me into doing my exercises right - exactly what I needed. Brilliant
I didn't realise that emergency treatment was free to everyone, I assumed those who are not covered by the NHS would be billed. Immediately I thought damn that's gonna cost US money but I slapped myself and said No.... emergency treatment for anyone is a basic human right and knowing our country does this makes me so very very proud of all those people who created and now work within the NHS.
@Zefram Cochrane Also.....the armed militia of citizens were the ones that expelled the British army by force......and at the time the British were one of the most powerful militaries in the world....... something to think about. We are not an old country but we have a history being good fighters. We would win pretty much anything we tried if our weak politicians could stand the sight of blood and didn't tie the military with unwinnable rules of engagement.
@@bmphil3400 That Armed Militia was “losing nearly every battle they came across until the French directly got involved. American’s always seem to forget the impact the French military had in the war of independence. If the Royal Navy had stopped that French fleet sailing to reinforce the militia you wouldn’t have won independence. The real hero that won the American revolution was French General De Rochambeau
@@bmphil3400 You did have France, Spain and the Netherlands on your side. That may have helped. there were around 3,000 citizen militia at the final battle of Yorktown, alongside 7,800 French troops and 8,000 continental regulars.
As a uk citizen I thought this was an excellent video and one of the most balanced explanations I've seen from an American point of view . I really hope the US eventually see the light but unfortunately I think the pharmaceutical / insurance industries with their lobbyists will fight tooth and nail to keep the status quo . Healthcare should be a right not a privilege . Thinking of the greater good for one's fellow citizens as well as one's own family does not mean one's views are purely socialist which gets spread around the US media propaganda . I consider myself centre right in political leanings and would defend the NHS to the last . Keep up the great videos .
Very interesting video. One thing I would add about the UK, slightly off topic, is the amount of medication available direct from Pharmacies and also Grocery Stores without the need of a prescription or seeing a GP
The "wait and see" approach can actually lead to better outcomes than the "use diagnostic tests for screening" or the "let's try every treatment in addition to symptom management" approach. It's counterintuitive but it's well-established in the medical literature.
I had 3 stents put in when I was in the US and the total bill to insurance was well over $250,000 for 2 days in hospital and a 45 minute procedure. If my memory serves me the paint was flaking off the walls in the room I was in and I was charged for band aids. You would think they'd throw them in for free when they're charging you that much.
I had four stents. Phoned my GP at 8:30. All done and in recovery at 17:00. All free and 7 years on I'm 83 and play golf 3 times a week. I happily paid taxes and NI contributions for 45 years without ever needing any treatments because I knew if I ever needed them the NHS it would be there for me.
You're missing out on exclusive weekly videos (and the controversy over how I tiered British food...sorry, Yorkshires are the best!) if you haven't checked me out on Patreon! www.patreon.com/girlgonelondon
As an atheist but moral Scandinavian I like to think about health care like this: Jesus told us to take care of the sick and the poor and not make the poor sick and the sick poor. It has never had anything to do with socialism, at least not in Finland. Our right-wing always supported public health care because of Christianity/ethics.
The biggest medical provider in the uSA is called Remote area medical. It is a charity/not for profit, which is based upon the NHS, and was set up by an Englishman called Stan brock, because he was appalled at the state of US healthcare. Just thought you may like to know there is a large company in the USA who provides NHS style healthcare. Plus the NHS is paid for exclusively by National insurance, not taxes at all.
@@jackoh991 FYI the biggest provider of health care in the USA is NOT a private comapny, or an insurance company. It is called Remote Area Medical it is very simply based on the NHS because the founder of Remote area Medical was so appalled at the state of health don't care in the USA. Remote Area Medical is a not ofr profit organisation (charity here in the UK) and it speaks reams about the US health don't care system that this idea has taken off in just 35 years (it was founded by Englishman Stan Brock in 1985), to become the largest health care provider inside the USA as well as the largest US health provider outside the USA. That speaks reams about how miserable the US system really is.
UA-cam wouldn't allow me to post my original reply but I basically said that the NHS is broken and is in the process of being privatised. Waiting times in our emergency departments are around 10 hours, or less if you are an immigrant and bring all 12 members of your family with you. The NHS has been a disgrace over the last 3 years.
@@truthseeker7794
The irony of using the name”truth seeker” but lying through your teeth.
I went over 30 years paying taxes towards the NHS, without ever using it. I didn't complain, it is called being a social human being. Over the last 10 years, I have certainly got my money back many times over, thanks to the contributions made by others. The NHS is one of the few things we can be truly proud of.
Nicely put. X
Exactly. I too pay each month. The less I need to use it the better.
I truly think how many people in the US cause themselves illness stressing over healthcare, the fact that one serious illness could derail your entire life financially, must be a ridiculous stress for anyone to handle and we know how much stress can affect your health
Totally agree.
@@miriamllamas224 agreed. I'm more than happy to pay for the peace of mind
As a NHS doctor coming from India, I’ll always vouch for NHS, despite it’s minor flaws. I’m glad that I’m working in an universal healthcare system and I feel protected and secure as NHS will look after me even if I am to fall sick.
‘Minor flaws’? 🤣 I don’t know where to start about how badly the NHS is run, complete shambles unless you are in an acute situation, in which case it is very good. Ten percent of its budget spent on diabetes, staff pensioned off for minor ailments, consultants who have little time and little empathy, no one looking beyond their narrow specialty, zero diet and lifestyle advice, drugs and surgery their only solution, endless layers of bureaucracy, the list goes on and on ...
@@mooskamoo What would you call the American system then that has 10x the bureaucracy costs of the NHS?
Also you are wrong. When I had a heart attack I had 16 weeks of weekly diet advice and showing you how to exercise correctly for 3 hours a week for those 16 weeks.
@@mooskamoo Rubbish. I am a Pharmacist and worked for the NHS. ..and you ? Lionsingh MRPharmS .
Lion Singh I'm a long suffering patient of the NHS and have seen so much inefficiency and incompetence in the system it's hard to believe.
As a pill pusher yourself I can understand why you think the status quo is acceptable, but as a tax paying patient I understand the reality of the situation and it's clear massive reform and modernisation is needed in the NHS.
@@mooskamoo Oh, shut up.
The NHS saved my Swedish cousin’s life when she was over here because of the expertise they had. They have saved my mum’s life, my dad’s life, my grandad’s life twice, kept my gran alive for longer, brought all of my family into the world, have dealt with countless visits to the GP for all of our family members etc. Aside from the national insurance payments we have only paid for prescriptions and hospital parking (which everyone still complains about - we are British after all!) Quite frankly the NHS is fucking awesome and the staff deserve more than the pitiful 1% pay rise offered during the COVID pandemic.
They deserve 20% nevermind 1% FUCKING disgraceful
Couldn’t put it better myself!
Yeah. The NHS is massively undervalued - and I have a feeling soon enough we'll see the fact that people have to pay for ambulances like in the US due to how run down the service has become. It's honestly disheartening. Even when the Government bangs on about "record funding" it isn't. The funding is lower than all our counterparts.
Liverpool care Pathway was awesome too! Nhs will murder you in a minute if you're vulnerable and have no-one visiting you. Just Google Eric Levy, he's the latest murder victim of nhs that I know
Couldn’t agree with you more, everyone should be eligible for healthcare as they need it no matter what their wealth status is✊❤️
i'd rather wait 3 months for an operation, than have to sell my house...
Exactly 👌 and if that operation was an emergency you would get it straight away anyway, it’s only a non-emergeny you have to wait for
Exactly and if it’s an emergency you get surgery immediately
@@fatherson5907 Go on believing that rubbish. I have never had to wait for any service in over 60 years, Heart surgery, Pregnancy, suspected heart attacks Twice, immediate and following necessary treatment. Short waits for hip surgery and cataract surgery. My son had his first stroke whilst working 100 mike's from home, he was treated in London, where he had the stroke, was treated for about two weeks, then when appropriate he was taken by ambulance ,100 miles to the local hospital. No bills.😅😅
@@fatherson5907 There's nothing stopping them selling everything they own to pay for immediate surgery at a private hospital. I do understand though, your, I want it free and I want it imediately attitude.
@@fatherson5907 The American Healthcare System is outdated Garbage.
I've no doubt the NHS has its faults, but it's better than what Americans currently have.
In the UK a medical professional tells you what treatment you need. In the US an insurance salesman tells you what treatment you they'll pay for.
In the UK you die from cancer or heart disease before you can complain. Highest cause if death, higher mortality rate in UK vs US. But hey, at least your premature death is free.
@Alfie Green I pay $122 a month. My out of pocket limit (the max I would have to pay for servicrs a year is $3000). I have access to world class medicine, e.g. the Mayo Clinic, and I rarely have to wait even a day for appointments or imaging services. Well over a 150 million Americans rate their healthcare as excellent. It's not a perfect system, by any means, but it actually works well for a lot of people.
@@SaltedMeats sadly typical. Patriotic nationalism without thought.
@@SaltedMeats what about the millions that it doesnt work for? Let me guess. You couldn't care less.
@@SaltedMeats at least everyone can use a hospital no matter what your wealth is. What about those that die because they can't afford insurance?
As a Brit that has experienced emergency health care in the US/Tampa Fl, I can seriously vouch for our NHS system and care, luckily I worked for our Flag Carrier and was insured but the hospital wouldn’t treat or admit me until my employers Medicare insurance was confirmed, in fact, due to the wait I very nearly died in a corridor on a gurney, it was only by my colleagues being on the phone to our managers in the uk to get the hitch with “who’s gunna pay” was I eventually treated, thank god my parents were able to fly out to take care of me too as I wouldn’t have eaten or being cleaned for weeks, I saw the medical bill that was incurred during my stay, if I had to pay it, it would have bankrupt me, NEVER taken the NHS for granted since. Plus NHS nurses are amazing, funny and caring people.
Actually you have a law suit. It's illegal to deny treatment to anybody in a life threatening situation. That's the law but that's also the state of our medical establishment. We really do need to clean house here.
I had a very similar situation Kissimmee FL, America is so backwards in too many ways!
@@correctpolitically4784 Another favourite past-time of Americans.
@@davidhuett3579 well if they know the law and they should , they know what happens next. The hospital can either loose a lot of money and drs can't afford cocaine , or they do what they're supposed to.
It's against the law in the US for any hospital to refuse emergency medical treatment to anyone.
It is probably worth mentioning that all UK trained doctors have to go through the NHS before being able to go into the private sector so training is the same regardless
Also worth noting that the private sector don't do emergency care and select the profitable/easy patients to treat. Private medicine leeches doctors from the NHS without investing in their training and development....yay capitalism!
A lot of private hospitals also take NHS patients (I've been treated through the NHS at a private hospitals facilities a few times).
@@TheBeavil Are you still playing that flute.
@@mikepxg6406 never been in a flute band
@@SkonkBot Me too. It probably makes sense to do this for routine procedures as it frees up NHS beds for patients needing treatment for serious conditions. No doubt there is an agreed flat fee for private providers. It may cost the NHS less than doing it themselves as the private sector is set up for this type of work and can do it very efficiently.
The UK doesn't pay higher taxes for the NHS, the UK govt spends less on health than the US govt does. The combined cost of medicare, medicaid and VA is higher per capita than the NHS
More than double in fact. People assume the NHS is wasteful with its management structure etc but it is actually a super efficient organisation. Therein lies the problem, due to continued funding cuts (in real terms) and lack of investment per capita compared to other developed countries, it has no slack in the system. Imagine what the NHS would be like if it had the same funding as many other comparable countries.
@@artspooner Total US spending is more than double, but a lot of that is private spending on health insurance. Public spending is only a little higher in the US
You are 100% right. The American system is so expensive because the drug companies and insurance companies take all the money. For example, a simple asthma inhaler is around $250, depending on the company, the NHS buys the same inhaler for about £12.
@@MyBelch Before insulting people's education I suggest looking up what "per capita" means
@@MyBelch PER CAPITA - If you hadn't started typing, we would have assumed you weren't stupid, now we have no doubt.
My little grandson has a tiny bit of one chromosome duplicated. We know because they did a full genetic analysis when they discovered his hearing loss. He has been seen at three of the top hospitals in the country for different aspects of his care, been provided with a state-of-the art hearing aid, physiotherapy, Deaf teaching support, you name it. All in the middle of a pandemic and with no question of any sort of payment. He's not even two yet and he's had treatment that most of the taxes I have ever paid would possibly not cover.
There are very good reasons why Brits are more relaxed about questionng your religion than the NHS. I am perpetually deeply thankful for it.
Thank goodness for the NHS, wishing your precious grandson a long & wonderfully healthy life✊❤️❤️
@@JulieLevinge thank you. He's starting school in September!
NHS has it's problems but I would never trade it for any other system.
And nor would I. I want to see a GP? I can the same day. I get a prescription from the GP? I get it filled the same day (for free - Wales) I have an emergency? I ring 999 (and I have) and I don't worry. I NEVER worry about (ever) money.
Why, what experience do you have of other systems
I got a diagnosis/prognosis from the NHS.
The waiting list was longer than my prognosis.
I went private and had a life saving procedure within 24 hours.
The NHS is shit and had I not gone private would be dead today.
British, 34 years old, put over £50,000 into the NHS, and when I finally needed it, they said no. Or, not no, but such a long waiting time, effectively no.
My mother also worked in the NHS. She's not with us anymore, but boy, the stories.
The NHS is a mess. People use it "freely" when they have a booboo and claim it is superior. Try having a serious disease. They don't prevent or do things early. It advances and then everyone says how the palliative care was so nice. Not realising had they gone private they wouldn't have a 9 month waiting list on a 6 month prognosis.
Quite frankly it is a cult. I have seen too many mess-ups and know of the issues to ever defend the NHS.
@@quantumhelix8668 bully for you. Shame that millions of peoples experience differs from yours. You sound like a massive cult.
@@sirskullington9213 My family and friends all had similar experiences.
I guess we live in a twilight zone and everywhere else is rainbows and sunshine.
Your response proved my point of cults. Anyone who disses the NHS is instantly c bombed or attacked. At no point has anyone ever said "wow must have been scary to have a prognosis like that". Nope. As soon as I mention the NHS rejected me their eyes flare and the rage starts.
It's a cult. Nothing is perfect, yet people somehow irreverantly worship the NHS like a God.
I mean jesus christ people went out their doors and film crews filmed millions CLAPPING the NHS.
That shit is found in North Korea propaganda where people have designated times to worship their leader who is seen as a God.
It's a cult. A poorly financed one.
If there are any NHS staff reading these comments, thank you for all you do. Especially during these horrendous Covid times.
Much appreciated 🙏🏻
Thank you
Nhs doctors are the best always nice careing this country would crumble without them
They are the very best !!!!!!
I’ve been extremely ill for 24 years and I’ve had some great laughs with doctors and nurses, beings,I know can be a giggle.
I had testicular cancer last year in the UK (May/ June 2020 full pandemic lockdown time). From the first doctors appointment to having surgery was 4 weeks and 5 hospital visits. And two hospital visits every three months since for CT-scans, X-rays and blood work followed by a consultation with a oncologist. I can't state enough how lucky we are in the UK for our NHS system. Added to that I am diabetic. I would literally be bankrupt or dead if I lived in the states with the above.
Testicular cancer must have been a pain in the balls to live with.
Hope you're doing well. I had the same unfortunately. I live in the States. The day of the procedure, before they inserted the IV in my arm, someone from the billing office came down with "what I'd be expected to pay." It came close to 4 grand (with insurance). I had to wait three weeks to get approval from my insurance company (United Healthcare) before I could begin chemotherapy. $40 co-pays to see a specialist, and crazy high deductibles. I've met very few of my fellow Americans who are happy with their health insurance plan. It's a shame.
Then you should be doing something about it. I can’t understand why you Americans put up with the lack of universal healthcare for all. You’ve got the republicans bleating on about how it’s socialism or communism. No it’s not! Also,the same people who would benefit from universal healthcare, don’t want it because it would mean paying out money every month and someone who doesn’t pay into it may need it. Selfishness knows no bounds. Don’t get me started on medication, as I’m over 65 I don’t pay a penny for 4 prescriptions I need every month, if I were under 65 each prescription would be under £10. How much would it cost you. Would you have to drive to Mexico or Canada for cheaper medication or suck it up and pay thousands of dollars. The only people to blame for this is you the people. You should be out there protesting every day to change the system, that’s the only way the politicians will do anything. Good luck, hope you never get sick.
@@grocerygoat06This is why the world laughs at America. You guys have less of a right to almost everything compared to most Western countries, and yet you guys champion your own subservience. Armed to the teeth and yet held down more than almost anywhere on earth.
I have family in America and i go there 2 weeks every year. I get 38 days full pay vacation time. I'm legally entitled to 28. You guys don't even have the right to vacation time, and it's sad.
Plenty of guns though i guess.
I was convinced on National system when I had an accident in London as a year abroad program. I was more scared of the emergency care bill than the injury. The ambulance, the x-rays, the meds.... Nothing. No bills received. And never having to worry again. Tax me, if that means I have care for life.
Yes they do realise that, that's why they said tax me.
You just have to pay an insurance or to save.
The best healthcare system in the world are private (Netherland, Switzerland and Singapore)
@@maten146 bullshit, since at least the first two of your examples are government regulated.
@@ghughesarch Yea, and the USA healthcare system is regulated as well
But the exemples I gave you are way less regulated and way more privately funded
Pay private health insurance or pay National (health) Insurance. Both involve paying for your health care.
When your hospital looks like a 5 star hotel, you know your system is fucked up.
That’s called private healthcare in the uk lol
@@suemount6042 Yep I had treatment on the NHS and the surgeon they used was resident at a private hospital so I was sent there, I knew it was private and so expected to have to cover some costs but didn't have to pay a thing, it was a really nice building etc but the food they served was all pompous pretentious crap that made me miss the food I got in Bath RUH after my bike accident 🤣
@@stuffanthings did you get the cloth napkin instead of the paper serviette too lol I didn’t quite believe my eyes at the difference in presentation of my humble sandwich it came on a platter served with a salad garnish and crisps my tea was in a little silver pot with a tea strainer and individual milk jug and sugar lumps in a tiny bowl the napkin even had a ring. I felt like a princess lol, no plastic wrapped dry sandwich slapped on a plate and stewed tea for me that day lol. But seriously we are lucky to have the NHS I would have died long ago had we not had it so I’m very grateful to have access to it, and to be fair the support staff do their best with what they are allowed to work with. The actual care is the same but you may get it a bit quicker if you can pay and every tiny little thing is billed my friend was charged £60 to have a new bandaid/plaster put on a minor injury you would normally get sorted yourself at home. People suffering and dying because they can’t afford healthcare doesn’t sit well really does it.
Well that depends on the hospital &/or the treatment given. E.g. a private hospital vs a NHS hospital.
Especially if it might bankrupt you...
I am 66 yrs old, every day I am grateful for the NHS, my husband had epilepsy and needed treatment for the whole of his lifetime. He died when he was 71 yrs, in hospital but I am so thankful that we live in the U.K. because it kept him alive and relatively healthy.
We pay through our taxes to spread the cost and help each other. If I don't need healthcare than great. Someone who needs it can get it. Any other system seems crazy to me.
@@MyBelch So you prefer to pay for your insurance company executive's flash car instead? SMH
You know when you pay private insurance, you don't get that money back if you don't need to use it? It's not like, "I didn't need any treatment, so I get all of my money back." The insurance company then pays YOUR money out on someone who did need the treatment... You kind of see how that works..? Either way the money you're paying either helps you or helps others.
@@MyBelch you have full coverage so what you pay nothing at all ever. That’s just not true, you’re paying someone something either when you’re not ill or when you are. But most would rather not be stung with a few thousand because they want a baby or a hundred thousand because they have an ongoing health condition
Their is absolutely no reason america cannot continue with its own system that's fine. Let everyone else do it this way. When you fall you are picked up. Weather you can afford it or not. We are a society of equals when it comes to heakthcare. That's just the way it is.
@@MyBelch that just isn’t true now is it. Why would another government pay for your healthcare without any compensation and why would the company who’s compensating not take any money from you. Seems like they’d become bankrupt if they just gave it out for free
I had a cancer op 7days after seeing the surgeon, NHS has saved my life At no real cost to me.
Whatever you Brits do - fight, fight, fight, to keep your NHS!!! It sounds like the vast majority of Brits want to keep their NHS so make sure that you do! Don't let anybody tell you that there is a better way - better for somebody else but not the British public.
The whole country would riot if the government tried to bring US healthcare to UK lol.
We don't have to fight for it. We pay taxes for it and the NHS has an obligation to prpvide the best possible service, because each citizen basically owns it.
Thank you, I hope Brits watching this will realise what we have and appreciate it.
and we have had it since 1948.
I think the people who really need to watch it live in the US.
With this bunch of crooks in charge, how long will we have it? Until the Yanks demand access to the NHS as part of a trade deal I guess.
The Canadian system is universal awesome like the NHS. Higher taxes are still cheaper than paying into a private insurer! I lived in the UK, France, Finland and they are all the same. Wonderful!
I believe that when the NHS was established, it was based on a healthcare system already running in Canada somewhere. Alberta maybe ? Can't remember, but if so, thanks again Canada! :)
It was based on a system running in South Wales.
@@annpowell8599 in 1948 after the war.
The Canadian system was formed by a Scotsman, who lived less than two miles from where I live.
@@crimsonwizard2560 It was in 19__? In The Province of _______________?
“Free at the point of use” is the standard description for how we pay. This may help you simply explain the system.
Ask any brit, we'd rather pay higher taxes than lose the NHS. Healtbcare is a right not a privilege of the rich.
I quite agree !
So do I.
so what's the difference, pay less tax and instead take out health insurance. The private sector is competitive so it must perform whereas the NHS does not. Having a choice always produces a better outcome.
@@delladog firstly, not everyone has the choice of paying ( even in America). And your second point does not play out either as your competitive system produces powered results at an extremely higher cost. The NHS has huge buying power and as such is in a very strong position to drive the costs of pharma and medical equipment down.
@@delladog except it rarely ever produces better outcomes and choice is only choice if you can afford to choose. Privatisation of healthcare means less choice more bureaucracy and vastly increased cost like you see in the US. There are copays and preexisting conditions, claims departments whose job it is to deny claims, and overheads which means private healthcare just costs more money and end up just giving rich people what they ‘want’ rather than giving sick people what they need....Healthcare doesn’t work like goods and patients in a public system are not ‘customers’. The goal of health insurance companies is not to be cheap or provide the best service - it is to make money, and it doesn’t do that by being cheap. The US pays nearly three times for generally poorer outcomes (with the exception of most cancers!)....
45,000 Brits don’t die every year from lack of health care.
What this figure might be in the US. It is much more in proportion to the population.
I am one of them
And the UK has a fraction of the US population, So 45,000 is probably statistically egual. I've proven this argument before about crime and statistically, without guns and smaller population the UK had a 6.3 crime rate and the US had 6.4 crime rate per capita... Do your homework before speaking in absolutes!
@@TuomasLevoniemi yes, many people don't or cannot grasp proportion and statistics... I have TRICARE (retired military), it's very similar to NHS. Health care is ok that's it, ok.
@@victorglaviano No it won't be statistically equal. Because there isn't anyone hear without health cover.
Congrats on delivering a very well informed and balanced appraisal of the NHS, as well as the cultural differences between the UK and US. You pretty much nailed it. The NHS is Britain's greatest Treasure. I have no doubt that the US medical services are great but there is profit in the equation. Strip that out and the US could have universal care that is affordable.
Us brits would rather give up the monarchy than the NHS
I'd give up the monarchy anyway!
@@marypetrie930 Apart from Kate and the Canadian woman. Rather tasty.
We sent two of them to the US. They'll have their own royal family
@The reverend Hey, hey. Let's not get hasty... I love the NHS, but no tea or Yorkshire puddings might make me die quicker than no NHS...
@@marypetrie930 We did once - but then thought better of it.
The Canadians did the same.
The Americans did - and ended up with Trump!
Am from Northern Ireland and if not for the NHS I wouldn't be here was in car crash when I was a kid don't want to go into all the detail was rushed to hospital was put on a life support machine for weeks was in a comma for 3 nearly 4 months when I came out of the comma I had severe brain damage couldn't walk couldn't talk couldn't remember anything didn't know how to write had to go to a physio therapist months after and speech therapist also was in wheel chair for atleast a year now am back on my feet got my speech back and am enjoying life again all thanks to the NHS and nurses and doctors also god bless the NHS
Oh wow, happy for you!!
Well done Paul. Hope you've made a full recovery 👍
Ditto,
Congratulations, you must have put in a lot of hard work into your recovery, well done mate
Has it occurred to you that the reason the US offers or recommends loads of tests (that usually aren't needed) is because they get paid for each one you take? You may say "that is fine, my insurance covers it" - but not everyone has insurance, and that is one of a number of reasons your insurance is so expensive.
As far as wait times are concerned, I had a co-worker who went into his doctors with a headache one day, had a test the next, 48 hours after that he was having brain surgery for a tumour. If something is urgent, the NHS deals with things quickly.
I personally have never suffered too long with waiting at the A&E... they may feel long, but that's just because everything feels like forever when you are in pain.
I work in a Dr's office here in the US. We send people for SO many tests every day. Unless is an emergency, radiology departments are booking more than a month out! If I was to have a MRI for example, and I get 2 a year for MS, even though I have good insurance, I have a huge deductible I have to meet before I switch to co-pays! Wish we had the NHS. I'm still a British citizen, maybe I should pop over if I need anything 😉
When I found a lump in my breast, I saw the GP the next day. I was referred to hospital and was seen 10 days later, I was screened and a biopsy taken. I returned 2 weeks later and was thankfully given the all clear. The NHS is a good service and I’m grateful for it!
This is the exact story I can tell about a breast lump I found in November. (Except I had an abscess so I got antibiotics for it, then the all clear on a follow up)
@@starkyfarrell7109 That’s interesting, six months earlier I had been taking antibiotics for a soreness in my breast, it was very red and tender, I needed two courses to clear it up. When I saw the doctor at the initial examination, he told me that the ultrasound had indicated “cancer” and therefore I needed a biopsy. At the biopsy the lump ‘popped’! I was reassured by this, though the specialist had shaken me! He was quite adamant that it was cancer, despite the history I had given him. Two weeks later I went back for the results of the biopsy, thank goodness I was right and he was wrong 🙂
@@san8524 My father was a doctor, a very good one, I'm proud to say, and his motto was always eliminate the 'nasties' first, not later. Or it could be too late. He hated taking on private patients. He used to tell those who wanted to go private that it made him very uncomfortable when having to prescribe drugs because often the best would be the most expensive, and he would worry about it. But, on the NHS, he was free to prescribe what he felt would be the most effective without this worry. This was decades ago so maybe things have changed.
@Charlie Boyyabass liar
I find that very difficult to believe, Charlie. No doctor would diagnose cancer and then not treat it unless their patient declined treatment.
In an emergency you get the treatment you need. End of. We don’t let people die because they are poor.
We also don"t make people poor so they don't die...
We have Medicaid for the poor and emergency care for everyone.
@@noahremnek3615 and we don't have wait lists.
@@noahremnek3615 I heard you are made to pay for ambulances in the US, even if it's an emergency. Is that a slander on the US to make the US look awful, or is it true?
@@madeleinewelch6316 Yes we pay for everything not just healthcare. We pay for the roads, police department, fire departments, public schools, etc nothing is free that comes from the government.
The thing is with our NHS is that you will get the tests your doctor the medical professional thinks you require ...they don’t do test a patient does not need ...eg..why do an MRI an expose the patient to large amounts of radiation if you don’t need an MRI....why waste NHS money on irrelevant tests ... ps lm an NHS nurse
I doubt you’re a nurse as you think Magnetic Resonance Imaging involves radiation. I call BS
@@kafkaspen that inaccuracy doesn’t mean they’re not right. Having worked in the NHS I know they will not over test, as it’s nugatory and expensive . They will - for instance - not CT where an X-ray will do the job. Im a senior medical assistant BTW.
I think ur thinking of a CT scan or xray,
@@kafkaspen MRI scanners use radio waves.
This argument that our taxes are higher is flawed - the total deductible for a British person is significantly lower than Americans when you factor in all comparable expenses.
Exactly what we pay in taxes they pay more in insurance each month
Indeed. Its also flawed in that it is a flat rate % of income. Earn more, you pay more. Earn nothing, you get the same coverage.. as in full. Unemployed for a year, no problem. No back money to pay. And nobody checks you balance at any point. A new born baby has equal access than a company director. Same for all, based on need.
@@marydavis5234 And your health insurance includes everything with no expensive copays and no limitations of the cost of treatment? And no threat of termination if you get a very expensive chronical disease? And it's not tied to an employer?
@@johaquila Reality will hit the moment he/she actually needs to health care system.
@@marydavis5234 I'm assuming your employer also has to pay a contribution? Which in reality is deducted from your salary before they ever pay you. You'll also pay taxes that goes to healthcare too (USA and UK central government spending on health s about the same per capita). Any deductibles? Any copays? What if an ambulance takes you to a hospital which isn't covered by your insurance? Does it cover absolutely every illness? What if you're fired, are you covered indefinitely? Why do others pay higher amounts than you? Is it because it lowers their copays, means they are covered for a wider range of conditions?
With the COVID crisis in full swing a lot of minor operations have been cancelled on the NHS. I decided i would book an appointment at the local private hospital to have the issue resolved. After talking to the consultant who also works for the NHS, he told me the cost for the proceedure and i said i couldnt afford it. He kindly told me to contact my local GP or doctor with his findings and he would pick it up from there when he was back at the NHS hospital. Priceless. Love them to bits
The NHS has saved my life a couple of times, and have helped me so much over the years. I LOVE the NHS, and it really is the jewel in our crown. It is the greatest thing to come out of our country since the industrial revolution
A couple of facts that often get overlooked is that; one of the reasons drugs cost far less in the UK is because the price is negotiated by the NHS. Obviously negotiating on behalf of 60M+ customers with the drug companies allows you to get a much better price. Prescriptions are payed for by all tax payers thus spreading the load, but they are cheaper to buy in the first place. Secondly one of the biggest benefits to me as a tax payer is knowing that my taxes are helping others less fortunate than myself. Would be happy to pay more if the NHS needs it.
AS an American, recently relocated to London, I am so happy with the NHS. I do want to point out, yes there are taxes for the NHS, but when compared with Insurance premiums, PLUS co-pays PLUS deductibles, PLUS out of pocket PLUS prescription cost. The taxes are lower than what the average American pays. Saying the word TAX to an American and they freak. If you say your "premium" is set and just deducted from your check, its fine. Also if you're not working it costs nothing.
I was just thinking this: their "tax" can't be more than our premiums, plus deductibles, plus co-pays, plus prescription costs, plus out-of-pocket costs for whatever the insurance DIDN'T cover (bcuz you know there's always something that they refused to pay for 🙄). And you have absolutely NO idea how much it's going to be... you just have to wait for all of the bills and the sticker shock that comes with...
Hell, I often feel like what's the point of even having insurance? Unless some type of major CATASTROPHE happens. It's ridiculous!
Well you’ve got to have insurance in the US to get the “negotiated rate”, which is already very high. Without that you have a target on your back when you go to the hospital, there is no rhyme or reason to what you will be charged. You go get a few stitches and they charge you a percentage of running the whole hospital.
What ? Americans not liking tax ? Like on tea and such ? Noooo way . Americans hate tax so much it was declared there would be no taxation without representation . See how long that lasted , meaningless now isn't it. There's barely representation .
@@therealkoolaidandkale- Also, you only pay a percentage of your pay. So the more you earn, the more you contribute. Conversely, the less you earn, the less you contribute. People on very low earnings or not working - don't pay at all, but they still get healthcare. Then, you only pay for prescriptions up to the age of 60 in England... Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are free at all times. But 'life changing' prescriptions i.e. Insulin for diabetes are free throughout all of the UK. And as she mentions, currently any prescription whatever it is, is subsidised and capped at (currently April 2022) £9.35.
Another factor often not considered is; when you are really sick or have been in an accident (i.e. a motorcycle crash) - the last thing you need is the additional worry and stress of wondering what an emergency ambulance or helicopter, the surgery, the hospital bed, the surgeons or nurses, the drugs/medications/bandages or all the other services are going to cost AND IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT ALL !? The NHS is free to ALL at point of need - you cannot put a price on that ! Which is why the majority of Brits are HAPPY to contribute, because at some point in their lives they WILL need it.
I broke my hand whilst on holiday in the US. I waited a couple of days until I flew home and the NHS operated and fixed me up the day I got home. NHS is wonderful.
Stay away from the States.
So many things are better in the U.K. life expectancy is longer for a start. Medical bankruptcy is non existent. It must be terrifying to live in the USA.
Nerdwallet estimated that 57.1 percent of U.S. personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills, making it the leading cause of the financial calamity that often precedes homelessness.
An American friend of mine ended up with pneumonia because her GP charged upfront for appointments and so she had to wait until pay day, by which time her condition had deteriorated. And the cost of the antibiotics she was prescribed was ridiculous!
Elderly people go without food so they can afford medication
@AUA-cam User Yes, that’s my point, the UK system is much better, and particularly the systems in Scotland, Wales, and I think Northern Ireland.
@Alfie Green This thread isn’t about iPhones, mate.
In summary: NHS = Priceless 😊
Agreed. It has meant I can live. It has meant I haven't gone bankrupt.
@Alfie Green at the expense of everyones account which ammounts to almost nothing being taken out of your account
@Alfie Green we all pay taxes toward the NHS. We all care about eachother. Do you pay for vehicle insurance? If so that's the same. You pay in so you are able to claim should you have an accident but also your paying towards others claims as well.
I don't see why it's so hard to grasp that helping your fellow citizens have access to healthcare as well as securing your right to medical care is great. It's the right thing to do. Helping others as well as yourself. That's what a society should be doing. Why be so selfish and only think of yourself.
Those that earn more help those that don't. That's a good society.
@Alfie Green Why is it so hard to understand that we all want access to healthcare and don't mind helping eachother. I'll gladly pay more taxes if necessary to know that I can help save my fellow citizens lives. I don't look down on those that can't or don't pay the same as me. A life is still a life.
@Alfie Green Alfie , I think you're a bit of a wind up merchant .
I’m Australian and we have a very similar healthcare system here. The wait times can be an issue but we also have an excellent private health system as well which you can voluntarily pay for (which I do). I suffer from a chronic health condition and I couldn’t even imagine how I’d survive living in a country without affordable healthcare
You guys have a two tier system? That idea is blasphemy here in canada. Our system here is crumbling apart and any politicans who try to di something to make some changes are almost run out with torches and pitchforks
Watching this as I sit in my local A&E department and feeling so very grateful for our NHS
Aw, hope you're on the mend very soon!!!
It's nice reading the comments and seeing everyone being so positive about our National Health Service :)
@Yngwie Malmsteen Are you saying 75 grand in each currency or after conversion? 75k pounds in dollars is roughly $103k.
Not many people are making 75k at age 30 in Britain, that is well above the average salary for all ages. The figures you are using only really apply to the exceptionally wealthy. The average wage in the UK is 30k and most people pay 20% income tax.
We get free education, benefits, we used to get a lot more for our taxes but thanks to austerity that's been largely cut to the bone in recent years.
The great benefit of the NHS that you don't really touch upon is that it covers everybody, rich or poor, no matter your position in life or healthcare issues because there is no profit incentive. Healthcare is also not linked to employment thankfully, so in times of economic hardship you are still able to use it. Not the case in America.
If you look at all healthcare spending, including treatment funded privately by individuals, the US spent 17.2% of its GDP on healthcare in 2016, compared with 9.7% in the UK. In pounds per head, that's £2,892 on healthcare for every person in the UK and £7,617 per person in the US. *as of 2018. It's a far more efficient system. One of the best arguments for single payer healthcare in the democrat race last year is that it would have drastically reduced the cost per head for healthcare in America.
So yes, if you are lucky enough to earn 75,000 pounds for 30 years in Britain then you will pay more tax in the UK, but the vast majority of people in this country don't even earn half of that so it's not really a particularly relevant or helpful comparison.
@Yngwie Malmsteen yes but brit tax on 12k income is 0%, and NHS care on no income (e.g job loss) is full care.
@Yngwie Malmsteen According to an online tax calculator I just looked at, if you live in California (not sure if that adds or reduces tax from where you live) at $75000 you would pay around $20000 tax (approx 26%). In the UK the equivalent pay (current exchange rate is £1 is $0.72) is £54000. The amount of tax payable on this is approx £14000 (£9000 income tax, £5000 National Insurance) which is almost exactly 26%, the same amount as would be paid in the US (California). So the question should be what are you NOT getting for your money?
The answer is a free at point of use universal healthcare system.
@Yngwie Malmsteen The whole point of this discussion and the video is about healthcare, not the welfare state and those who rely on it. You stated that way pay significantly higher taxes than you and I have clearly pointed out we don't. You said a US citizen would pay 25% tax the calculator I looked at said a person from CA would pay 26% tax and you say they pay a lot more taxes because of "reasons". I would say 1% is not a lot more, and I am sure the exact number was slightly less than 26%. So getting back to the actual point I was making, if we pay approximately the same amount of tax, why don't the US have a "free at point if use" universal healthcare system?
What do Americans get for their money that I don't?
It's worth remembering that if you have ongoing prescriptions you can prepay for them; this can save a lot of money. My wife has several medications prescribed on a bimonthly basis; she pays £103 (I think) per year and that covers all her medication for the year.
I dont pay for prescritions as I'm in Scotland, this should be UK wide
@McBartoi
I'm in England.
I have life long medical exemption. So don't pay anythin g. 👍.
Wow! What an intelligent, comprehensive and thoughtful review of our NHS. Very accurate and fair. Thank you. I have never experienced the American system but I have never felt anything other than well-cared for by the NHS throughout my (73) years of life
I think it's hard-wired into the UK psyche that when you leave school and start working you pay National Insurance contributions. I know it's impossible to compare the two countries, but I've never understood US hostility to this type of scheme. Well explained video, btw..
Their hostility comes from the word socialist "god damm commies" 😂
@@kevl6396 That's a caricature. The "hostility" to socialized care is a simple difference in how much government intrusion Americans allow into their lives, including their health care and decisions on personal matters. There are numerous programs in the States that provide coverage for the poor.
I do moan about NHS sometimes... But then seeing videos like this gives me a wake up slap, to be grateful for what we have!
We're British, we'll complain about everything! But I'll be damned if we're not some of the luckiest people in the world, in so many different areas of life.
Will I spend 80% of my waking life complaining? Absolutely, and I wouldn't change it for anything
@Alfie Green would be even better if the rich actually paid all of their taxes 👍🏻
@@yorke97 if you were rich and you had certain businesses that your account says are available to be covered tax wise, would you take that to become a little bit richer? Rich people aren’t the problem, its certain *People* who are rich that are problems
@@n0body550 if I was already rich, why would I need to be a little bit richer? If I had more than enough money to live off of comfortably, support a family, have savings etc, my first thought wouldn’t be ‘how can I get even more money that I don’t actually need’. I understand that it’s a life I’ve never known and probably will never know, so people who are very well off may see things very differently. I just don’t understand why you would constantly feel the need to have more when you already have plenty.
As you said, not all rich people are the problem, unfortunately it seems to be some of the 1% who have the most wealth that don’t want to pay their share, something I will never understand.
@@yorke97 Point is, are you afraid of losing what you already have? Scale that up and people are still people regardless of how much you have, the more you have the greater chance you can lose it, go be ignorant elsewhere
One of the benefits of seeing different Doctors at the Surgery (Office) is that you are constantly getting a second or third opinion on your complaint or treatment.
I wanted to make an appointment with a doctor, the receptionist said that my named doctor was not available with the next week, would I mind seeing another doctor in the practice. I asked (Tongue in cheek) " is he or she qualified, she said, "Of course" I got an appointment for the next day. We both laughed.😄
One can request an appointment at the doctor of your choice .. a female doctor for example.
@@mandywarren8566 Yes.
I’m 19 years old and I don’t think I’ve ever even met my registered GP. I just see whichever Dr is available and explain what issue I have, they won’t give you the same treatment because they can see what you’re last Dr said and prescribed to you.
American here, I needed to see a neurologist (specialist) and it took 4 months for an available appointment! We still have long wait times for specialized needs. Not to mention the bill at the end of it all after my insurance didn’t cover it even though it was in network.
My family doc: go see a specialist.
Me: Calls to make an appointment.
Receptionist: best I can do is 4 months from now lol
Brit here. The NHS was created post war in 1948. So most of our population living now, like me were born into the system. In my case 1956. To me having to pay for something as fundamental as health care is an anathema. You might as well tell me I need to pay for the air I breath.
In the UK the family doctor would refer you to a specialist and you would get a letter within a couple of weeks giving you an appointment at a specialist clinic. You go along and are seen by a nurse then a junior doctor. They might treat you or call in a more senior doctor who might treat you or send you to a ward for more extensive investigation.
You should get a different plan
I love the NHS so much I’m now part way through my nursing degree as a mature student. It is truly the best healthcare system in the world. Yes it has its problems but it’s still amazing. Going private speeds things up in some cases but for emergency care you can’t beat it. NHS rules!
Thank you for what seemed to be a very fair and balanced reflection on the NHS. I am a dual national British/American myself, but I have been brought up and have lived my life in the UK. My dad spent most of his adult life here, before moving back to the USA in his late 60s, after my mother died and died there aged 92. He had some fantastic medical care both here in the UK and also in America at the end, where he was in a continuing care facility at the end of his life. One recent contrast, I have seen was to do with transplants. A neighbour of mine needed a kidney transplant. Her brother in Australia was identified as a match and the NHS paid for his return flight to the UK to donate one of his kidneys and of course the surgery and all other treatment was provided for him and his sister by the NHS. Last year, a family member of mine in America needed a kidney transplant and his family set up a GoFundMe page to pay for dialysis, while he was waiting. Eventually, one of my cousins donated one of her kidneys to an unrelated person as part of a donor exchange scheme, so that her son in law could receive a kidney from someone else. Without this, he would have unable to afford to have the surgery.
I think it's a distance that a civilised nation can make people need to use go fund me to stay alive. It shocks me.
Wow that is crazy! The NHS is paying for return flights from Australia including all treatment costs and American's are having to set up go fund me's. Ah the American Dream! It's actually sad but what's funny is the go fund me idea is essentially the same as how the NHS works, everyone pays in so you can get treatment. The Americans hate the idea of universal healthcare because they think it's "socialism" but they're a little more socialist than they think!!
The NHS is a long way from perfect but performs miracles for the per head investment. The issue with American healthcare is the obscene profit taken out of the system - just look at the inflated costs of some drugs. Germany operates a similar system put achieves significantly better health outcomes for much less, and no one goes bankrupt or can’t afford treatment EVER.
If I'd relied on one GP, I'd be dead.
Always good to have a choice.
Just to back up the point about the 'fast-track': my mum went to her GP with headaches. The doctor was concerned and my mum got a full MRI and other tests the same day at her local hospital.
I agree my GP practice is very good, they have high demands on them and many people from other lands but they do a wonderful job. I have been with them since I was born in 1955.
@@GolfWhisky How many of the doctors and nurses who treat you are here because of immigration?
@@GolfWhisky I note that you say that you have to convince the doctor that their diagnosis is wrong. I assume you went to medical school and are qualified to point out the error? I have doctor friends who spend too much valuable time convincing / arguing with 'armchair consultants' who think they are Dr Christian Barnaard because they have spent five minutes on WebMD. It is not in a doctor's interest to misdiagnose you. The NHS is based on triaging patients. The fact that you are around and able to leave your comment would suggest that you are, perhaps, not going to imminently expire. I had to wait ages to see, and be treated by, an ENT consultant for Meniere's Disease. I accepted this wait as I knew that I would get the best possible care, which I did.
We need to appreciate the fundamental difference between private (i.e the US) healthcare and the NHS: the NHS system is designed to give sick and injured people what they NEED. Private healthcare is designed to give healthy people what they WANT.
Same thing happened with my brother, had an MRI scan and CT(?) scan the same day he was admitted into hospital
I think this is one reason why you see so many complaints, it tends to be the non-critical cases who complain, those who got bumped because the system is triaging based on need.
I am passionate about preserving and protecting the NHS and so I really appreciated your honest assessment of this precious institution. It’s not perfect but it’s still a national treasure.
There is one or two things which needs clarification and which some American ex-pats like yourself occasionally fail to mention. These are coverage and how we all pay.
Coverage is 100% of the people and there are no exceptions. Yes, we pay through our taxes but that’s not a qualifying requirement. If you lose your job you don’t lose your coverage. This is crucial to know. I have a son who has married an American girl and is living and working in the USA. Losing a job and thus your healthcare is a constant worry and consideration. It can ti3 you to a rotten job that you don’t want to do.
Regarding how we pay. Every person in employment is charged at the same % rate, based solely their income. You don’t pay more because you have have a wife and children who need access to the NHS. Your liability doesn’t increase because your family grows.
Anyway, great video. Good health to you and yours, from a new subscriber.
A homeless person can receive the same care as a billionaire
Tell me about it. I was once going to start on my own and I didn't because I would have lost health care.
Any chance of freelance work is out the window because my infusions are $168,600 per year. I’m chained to a corporate job because of the health insurance. I miss living in the UK for a variety of reasons and because of the healthcare.
@ Martin Smith - Your clarification was needed, good points.
Good points
The UK health care is so much better and compassionate!!!
I was visiting over in Britian when my 3 year old son had a high fever they took him in checked him over prescribed medication totally free of charge and same day even the medication was free really nice people I couldn't believe it when I asked how much money and then said no nothing
I personally think as a Englishman we should be treated like wise in the US it’s a travesty that we are not
@@grizzlymrbobo it's more of a travesty that Americans aren't treated that way in America. They need to sort that out before they worry about how to treat foreigners.
Thats the annoying thing about it aswel. Foreigners should be charged to use it. That’s why you get a lot of people coming here abusing it unfortunately which means citizens can’t access it
Did you not get a bill when you returned home? They should provide a bill but I think they get lost in the post and picked up by the UK tax payer.
@@xoxo_9389 it depends on the type of medical care. If you come to Britain with cancer in order to get treatment you will be charged. If you come here on holiday and your kid breaks their arm that's on the house. When in doubt, I'd rather we help people for free than risk a visitor suffering because they can't afford to pay their way, which is the danger if you insist on always charging.
I went to see my GP and he referred me on the fast track to the hospital. I had an ultrasound, biopsy, was called in to talk to a specialist and had an operation all within the 2 weeks. I then had radiation treatment. If I was in the USA and could not afford private health care I would be dead by now instead of which thanks to the wonderful NHS I am 8 years past when I was diagnosed.
I had the same. Saw my GP before work. Was told to phone them and tell them I was being immediately referred to hospital. So went to the hospital. Ultrasound and biopsy and then results same day. Had to call work and inform them I was having a MRI and a bone marrow biopsy the next day and that I had cancer. Next day (Wednesday) had everything as planned. Went to work Thursday and obviously had emergency meetings because cancer and time off. During one of these the hospital phoned. I was starting my chemo Monday and then carrying it on every two weeks for 6 months with constant monitoring by my GP due to other health conditions that could be made worse by chemo. In the US I would have died. I wouldn't have had a minor lump on my neck checked - I initially thought it was just a stubborn infection
I'm not sure if it's just emergency care, but I think in USA you can get the treatment, they won't refuse you, but it just means at the end you'll get a huge bill which you'll spend a good part of the rest of your life paying off.
@@marsmacl6211 Why would you have a bill for emergency care? Why would you have a bill for any care? A healthy population means less sickness? Treating things before they become major seems common sense and a money saver!
@@chrisdavies9821 I agree. I'm in the UK. I was just commenting on the way the US system works. Yeah, I think that there are a lot of people in the States who put off going till the problem gets a lot more serious. It's quite sad considering they're the richest nation on the planet and a lot of their citizens struggle financially because of healthcare.
@@chrisdavies9821 I believe that , even if you've been mugged and shot in America , you get a bill for treatment .
The funny thing when speaking to Americans about the NHS is that many seem to think there is no private health care in the UK when there is a thriving private health care sector. It’s just that with the NHS there it has to be competitive. You could pay for NHS through taxes and have private insurance and it would probably still be cheaper than in the US.
Your speculation is correct: a colleague of mine has UK private health insurance and it is cheaper than the US. My college has a lot of health needs and sometimes used the NHS and sometimes private. The two systems work well together. He gets specialist consultations quicker through the private system but is often seeing specialists who also work through the NHS. But all his procedures have been NHS coz they’ve been quicker.
You said it priceless long live the NHS and the priceless people who work in it
I have been here 20 years. I couldn’t agree with you more.
When you reach the age of 60 or on benefits prescriptions are free here in the UK. If it wasn't for our NHS I wouldn't be here today. I had a heart attack last year, ambulance was here within 10 minutes of my wife's call the ambulance had to take me 25 miles from my home as my local hospital didn't have heart specialists I was given medication on the way to hospital and on my arrival there was an emergency heart team waiting for me and I was straight into theatre. Our specialists, Drs & Nurses are brilliant
Prescriptions are free in Wales to all.
Also free for certain illnesses, I'm type 1, born with it
America land of the free, If you can afford it.
Exactly ........ socialised taxes ...... they’re already paying them ...... armed forces, Police Force, Homeland security
Etc etc etc.
@@flyingfox7854 they can not see the wood through the trees.
In the USA if you are poor you are dead.
@Alfie Green yeah ...... but can you afford the after care/physical and mental therapy etc etc ?
@Alfie Green wrong ...... we all pay for each other ...... and you could say that it’s similar to paying by instalment, but we call it National Insurance ..... yes it’s a tax but the amount you pay in is very affordable and is proportional to the amount you earn......... everybody’s covered so nobody needs to worry about not having health insurance.
If you get laid off work you’re covered ....... everybody’s children are covered ....... if you’re old you’re covered.
It’s our NHS paid for by everyone and hopefully you will never need to use it but it’s always there if you do.
My mum while in hospital with cancer was in one of those not so flashy wards after being in private room. She much preferred being on the ward and made some real friends who she spoke to even after leaving hospital and even being in her later 50s was offered a free beast implant which she rejected because and I quote "I don't need one I'm not going to be breast feeding or looking for a man to play with them!" God I love my mum. She had the best humour.
The only thing you missed is that the NHS puts a lot of focus on preventative medicine. So for example, men will routinely get prostate exams, and women breast screening and cirvical scans.
I just think she couldn't mention every single bit, talking about NHS, or the video would never end, but she did great i think . Well done :)
I was born in the UK now live in the US. Physicals, routine Colonoscopies, Mammograms and Gyn appointments are free here. I live in NY, the taxes here are ridiculous. It should include healthcare. Sadly the only people who get free medical are those on welfare. Even retired people don't have free health care.
@@janiceglogowski4698 Don't get me started on the evils of American health care!
This is brilliant. Great unbiased, pretty accurate & informative from a young American living here in the UK. Glad you like living here. We do have our issues, like everywhere else, but It us, a great place to live. Xxx
Mad to think the whole plot of Breaking Bad just couldn’t happen in the UK!
Or john-q
It was hard for Europeans to understand that it really could happen in America.Such a terrible system
@Alfie Green so someone chooses to get cancer?
@Alfie Green and that’s the trouble with the US, “why should I pay for someone else’s healthcare”. I’m 73 and never been in Hospital overnight in my life, I have paid taxes all my life, still do, and I’m proud of the NHS, and happy to know that through my contributions I’ve saved countless lives. Because we are a caring society, not a selfish nation of individuals.
@Alfie Green But that's exactly what the US health insurance system is -you pay for something you may never need while others less fortunate may claim. The same principle applies in the UK, except the government hold the bank and not an insurance company profiteering to serve its shareholders. And please don't tell me your employers pay for your health insurance. Sure they do, which is why you are not legally entitled to annual leave, whereas we all get a minimum of five weeks by law.
the average tax rate paid in the us is 24% whilst the average tax in the uk is 23,.4%, so the assertian that brits pay higher taxes than th the us is wrong. Besides this, the cost of providing that healthcare is much cheaper (to the government) thanks to collective bargaining the nhs can bring to bear on drug companies etc during procurement. just saying
That’s directly a result of your system though, our drugs are only cheap because our government won’t accept higher prices and controls the market, it gives drug companies no other option.
Needs saying over and over again ..... why don’t the Americans get it ?? Socialised taxes ..... your already paying them ...... think about it ..... how do you pay the military , how do you pay for homeland security etc etc etc ???
Wrong. We pay 20% tax, 12% NI, so 32% in total. So if you pay 24% we are paying a LOT more.
@@mcbusted1985 12% for the NHS is bargain of the century ..... ask Americans how much they pay for health insurance if they haven’t got a job ..... or they have a job but the company they work for don’t provide health insurance benefits i.e. part time workers and the low paid (minimum wage) workers. My nephew in the USA had appendicitis recently and spent 1 night in hospital having had his appendix removed and although he was covered by his parents (father’s health insurance through work) they still had to pay $500 dollars, would you in the UK be expected and be prepared to pay extra for your child’s appendicitis operation ?? Also that 12% tax is proportional to the amount that you earn therefore it’s affordable for all.
@@mcbusted1985 well technically no, reread the statement, it clearly states the *average* tax payed by...
some people pay less some more.
i'm guessing that maybe your revealing your own tax situation there kathleen. fair enough, your not average.
Great explanation and summary of your experience. I have struggled myself to explain the NHS to Americans and there is a lot of misinformation in USA about healthcare in the rest of the world. There is an assumption that “it can’t really be free” and it can’t be any good if it isn’t “private” healthcare. I was called a liar to my face in Texas for describing how the NHS works!
I spent 9 days in intensive care, had 3 MRI’s and two emergency procedures. Spent a further 6 day son a nice ward, and the cost to me...NOTHING
It cost you a fortune its called tax
@@angrybrit7331 less than America
@@non-masturbatingtyrannosau3476 A LOT less than in America...
@@angrybrit7331 well fortune is subjective, for all you know he could be on disability benefits and pay no tax so...............
We created all that stuff to treat you all free loaders. You're welcome!
In England, certain conditions entitle you to a medical exemption from prescription charges. I am diabetic so do not pay for my daily Metformin tablets. There are many such exemptions in England.
I have had severe head wounds and I have got a brain disorder from it and I am unable to work now and I get free prescription medicine and I get money from the government and I have got a bus pass too and I am lucky that I am English because if I wasn’t I would have been left to my own devices to die but because of my homeland being about the helping hand I am alive and relatively well but alone it’s wonderful how every time I am in hospital I am treated just like everyone else it’s a brilliant system and all those iron fist countries are rubbish and I don’t like republicans either
In Wales all prescriptions are free, which is even better!
@@lisethyblue2926 but can you get through to the doctor as well? Because here in Kent it’s impossible to get an appointment
@@alundavies8402 Not impossible, but takes a couple of phone calls to get through.
@@lisethyblue2926 I was on the phone for half an hour trying to get through and when I did get through it was that they have not got any phone appointments until next Thursday but I am damaged goods so it doesn’t matter
I had an op. on my back at Walton, Merseyside, one of the best Neurological hospitals in the country. It was an eye opener! Not only were the staff fantastic, it was like staying in a five star hotel! Six weeks after going home I was still in pain, phoned the spinal ward and I saw the Surgeon the same week, had another MRI straight away, had another procedure the following week, all sorted.
Excellent hospital at Walton. Hope you are doing well.
☮️💙🙏
i had a heart attack and had 5 hours of surgery.
cost? ................ naff all.
god bless the NHS.
We spend the money on looking after the patient not on the decor.
Yes, although the 'decor' WILL eventually have to be seen to. Heating systems break down, windows get smashed, doors fall off their hinges, walls sometimes collapse, and yes, paint will flake off a little too much for comfort.
Most hospitals are clean and tidy, not unlike the USA ones I see on TV. We don’t have half our money swallowed up by insurance company CEOs share holders and admin costs, variously reported as between 30% and 50% of the cost of your premiums.
Fading decor that has been scrubbed within an inch of its life by the cleaning staff is absolutely the norm!
UK hospitals are scrupulously clean but they don't worry so much about looks.
In 2018 when I was suffering from an appendicitis I really wasn't concerned that the room I was in didn't look like a Marriott Hotel lobby.
@@davidbgreensmith Yes, for some inexplicable reason, some Americans seem to think this is important and more important than curing patients of their ills. No UK hospital I've ever walked into was even remotely grotty. It certainly didn't look like a palace, but it's clean and tidy and that is all you really need.
Great video. I'll point out too though, that the lack of flashiness, allows a cost that doesn't get transferred to making the wage taxes higher. Keep up the good work. You seem very fair, and are clear in your delivery.
Yeah some older UK hospitals look like poop, but it's still a hospital where your health is more important than the decor or architecture from last century, but nowadays, just like new schools, the newly built hospitals are much better.
I disagree with you. It's the older hospitals (i.e. pre- 1945) that are built to a much better standard and are far more sustainable than their modern counterparts. I think that it is a shame that so many old hospital buildings are being sold off by the NHS, or worse demolished.
@@charlestalks5638 Er No! A very small number of pre '45 hospitals are good, most aren't. They often have rooms and corridors that are just incapable of supporting the type and variety of equipment etc. This means having to add additional buildings to cater. But of course there's no room, because all the older hospitals are in heavily built up areas. My wife is a band 5 nurse working in A&E in a brand new hospital, It's a few miles outside of the town centre with lots of space around for both expansion and for the peace and quiet that often helps with recovery. I've worked on the ambulances locally (not emergency!) and can tell you that all the modern hospitals around here are truly wonderful places. The olders ones really are quite abysmal.
Maybe worth mentioning that if you do want insurance based private healthcare like the USA, no one is stopping you. We have private care paid for by some employers which gives you the fancy reception, private room, restaurant menu etc etc so our health care caters for everyone, just depends what you want but there is always access for everyone regardless of status.
Also if there is no space in the nhs hospital an nhs doctor can do surgery in a private hospital with all the bells and whistles. My sister had heart op in one when there wasn’t room on the list at the local nhs hospital
private hospitals don't do ER or intensive care, they rely on the NHS.
@@shaun906 Several private providers provide ICU beds but you are correct in that this is not the norm.
@@craigflower13 icu are not generally in private hospitals, they may actually buy an nhs icu bed but anything emergency like an MI or stroke you are referred to the NHS.
@@dianeshelton9592 I didn't say there were general I said some do. Most private hospitals have a high dependency area and one locally to me has 5 ICU beds. I worked for ten years in ICU in the NHS and 10 years in the private sector.
Very interesting. Aside from the physical austerity of the buildings, I feel like the cons of the NHS you mention are worse or magnified in the US. Depending on which health insurance carrier you use, it’s very common to require a referral from your primary care physician for a specialist. If you skip it your insurance carrier is likely to deny your claim and leave you on the hook for a very large bill. I also feel like specialists are stretched very thin here and sometimes even for serious issues you will wait a significant amount of time for an appointment. I’ve waited 6 months between appointments with a specialist that were supposed to be 4 weeks apart. Meanwhile, my insurance company decided I was “non-compliant” in my treatment because of the wait and refused to pay for any further appointments.
I recently watched a an American youtuber react to the NHS. He recently had a child. C section delivery with a two day stay in hospital was 42K. Thats unacceptable
Why?
@@philward6582 Because you should be allowed to have a child even if you can't pay that much. Your "why" sounds obscene to me, sorry.
@@AlainNaigeon My why was based on the following - the stay was not long enough. For our children who were not C sectioned, my wife was in hospital for at least 4 days. I'm in Australia we have the horrible "socialist health scheme" much like the UK. There was NO Mention in my comment about the cost. So your comment sounds judgemental and patronising. Have a nice day!
Try Dubai. My daughter had insurance for her delivery and maternity care but she saw the bills. Eye watering. Every swab every bandage was listed and priced. Hideous way of going on. I'd rather pay tax.
@@philward6582 If you don't like socialist healthcare then pay for private. Though be prepared for big bills. Especially if any of your family get cancer or have an accident.
Your wife must of had complications or a hard labour to of been kept in for four days. Two days is pretty standard for a normal delivery without complications.
Me and my kids have a disability that requires on going treatment. The medication alone costs the NHS £2000 per dose (once every 2 weeks). They also required life saving surgery which was free. As a low income family, if we lived in the USA there's no chance my children would be alive today. I wouldn't have been able to afford to give birth, let alone the ongoing medical costs. The NHS has it flaws but they're nothing compared the the massive flaw of having to sell your house in order to afford a minor surgery.
My kids and me are alive and healthy today thanks to the NHS. And let's face it, I'd rather pay a little each month to maintain the massive amount of help my family get than pay a massive amount for a little bit of help.
My son had cancer. He had numerous hospital status, chemo, cutting-edge radiotherapy and finally CAR-t cell (immunotherapy) treatment that would have cost $1million in the US.
Sadly, my boy didn't survive but did gain 7 years of life having been given days to live originally. Thank goodness that we have the NHS so he had the best available treatment without the additional stress of dealing with insurance companies and money worries.
The nhs gave my mum cancer treatment, delivered my child by emergency c section, saved my daughters life when she had severe croup. I never had to worry about money or making ends meet because of a bill. I’ve never been stuck in a crap job because it has good healthcare insurance, Thank you nhs!
The NHS is far better equipped than the private system... if you are in a private hospital and suddenly need surgery in the middle of the night (eg for unexpected internal bleeding) it is highly likely that you would taken to an NHS hospital.
Yep. Private hospitals turf you into the NHS if the opportunity is there. Private insurers actually pay people per night if they choose to get stay in treatment on the NHS rather than use a private hospital.
@@itsonlysound That is so true... Americans should be told
The Private system is for the nice to have surgeries, knee replacement, breast implants, the doctors are the same, but if you require acute care then NHS.
In British English, a surgery can be where a professional gives advice. An MP or a lawyer, for example, may also hold surgeries.
There is no such thing as "British English". There is correct English and bad English.
I'm from England,
I speak English, 😛
What a surprise.
That was a very good explanation of how the NHS works. A few observations: pregnancy is treated less like an 'illness' over here than in the US. If you want a system where you can demand as many tests as you want, then if you can afford it or have private health insurance, you can get it ...just the same as in the US. The doctors you see in the private healthcare system are the exact same doctors you see under the NHS, and the private hospitals are just as 'flashy' as US hospitals. We do pay for the NHS through taxes, but US citizens pay much more per capita for healthcare than UK citizens. The NHS is FAR more efficient and cost effective than the US system overall -- profits are not being leached out of the system as in the US. Life expectancy in the UK is greater than in the US and is increasing. In the US, life expectancy is decreasing. The NHS has a great deal to do with that.
As a junior doctor in the NHS I really enjoyed this! Thanks for taking the time to be honest and explain the differences so well:)
Thanks for all you do! So grateful to have the NHS!
Also , from a Truck Driver , thank you for being a Junior Doctor.
I work in the NHS and over the years I have watched hundreds of you going through my hospital learning your skills, I admire your dedication and the hard work you put in. You are a fabulous bunch of young people, take care.
@@bepolite6961 💙 thanks so much 💙
@@dickdastardly635 💙 thanks so much; you guys are the backbone of our economy, thanks for all your hard hard work on our behalf! 💙
I paid way higher taxes in the US, add in your healthcare premiums for my family and it's like a second home payment.
@Alfie Green LOL!. I have lived in UK, Australia and New Zealand and paid less taxes than I did in California. I am not just talking about Federal tax, I am talking about all the payroll deductions. State Taxes, SS, SDI and all the other crap they nickel and dime you with, I was losing 42% of my pay check in CA I was losing 33% in Australia and NZ - honest!
@Alfie Green So is American health insurance dude. You pay in and you’re insurance company pools all the money and then pays out for all the claims of their clients. The difference is that with the NHS the ‘left over money’ goes to help the poorer folk whereas the left over money from an insurance goes to giving their executives new cars and huge bonuses.
@Alfie Green There is no overpaying into the system because it is not designed to make a profit. You are overpaying into an insurance company because it is a for profit organisation. We underpay massively compared to the US system. People can have bills going into the tens or hundreds of thousands for one stay at a hospital. Most UK residents will not pay that much into the NHS in their lifetime.
@Alfie Green 1300 per year. BARGAIN. I was paying that PER MONTH over there in "Land of the Free"
@Alfie Green Your mileage may vary. I could no longer stand paying $18,000/year in health insurance in "Land of the Free". I was not a big earner.
You sat its higher taxes in the UK. But it doesn't compare with how much the health insurance, copay and any other extras you have to pay in the US. The US pay almost x2 as much even with insurance.
This is EXACTLY the bit of math that American's don't understand.
UK: pays taxes based on your circumstances
US: pays less taxes + insurance + copay + deductibles
The numbers vary but the bottom line is that like for like the UK will always be less unless you earn a super high salary.
If you are fit as a fiddle and never get ill, never get run over by a car, fall off a ladder, cut yourself badly, never get cancer, and die of old age and never bother to get insurance, you will pay SIGNIFICANTLY less in the US.
But in the real world, everyone gets ill, lots of people get cancer (or other maladies), and currently "old age" is just a pipe dream for a lot of obese Americans.
@@AdrianBawn The NHS costs less per person than Medicare+Medicaid. Someone on moderately low income (gbp 25k) in New York will pay *higher* income tax than in UK, and on moderately high (gbp 100k) about the same, but sales tax is lower than VAT. Dunno how property tax vs council tax compare (but in some states it is huge).
@@carlmuller8967 tax is possibly more complicated in the UK and you need to take them all into account as the nhs comes out of general taxation.
There’s your basic income tax.
Then there’s national insurance, which is basically a 2nd income tax that is supposed to be linked to that state pension too.
Then there’s the national insurance that your employer pays, and when you think about it, they could be paying you that money. It’s part of the cost of employing to so it’s really more money taken by the government that could be coming to you.
There’s sales tax, which is 20% on a lot of things.
Then there are the high “duties” (taxes) on fuel, tobacco an alcohol.
So higher taxes in the UK aren’t just income tax there are lots of other taxes knocking about that all add up and ultimately are potential ways that money can get into the NHS.
@@aloonatronrex3472 There may well be higher taxes in the UK than some states of the US for various occupations/ages/states of family etc. but the NHS is not the cause of it, since it costs less than medicare/aid (Hmm, unless the "off-the-books" PFI capital expenditure makes an appearance I guess but that is a whole world of accounting hurt) both countries run a raging deficit so taxes and expenditures don't match up. I would guess unemployment benefits make up some of the difference but I haven't checked that out, and surely the US spends more on its endless wars than the UK. Don't forget trumps tarrifs on steel etc if you are worried about tobacco and alcohol taxes.
Remember that Boris Johnson renounced being an american because the US taxes were too high!
1500 comments so far.
Score; as expected:
1500 to Nil in favour of NHS.
There is plenty of private healthcare in the UK but it’s mainly used to jump the queue for elective surgeries, however if your private healthcare service finds a serious problem they send you to the NHS because that’s where you’ll get the best treatment and specialists.
Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
I’m passionate about getting Medicare For All here in the USA.
As someone who lost their insurance when i was laid off due to “the situation”, because it was tied to my employer I can tell you that the cost of my Rx is insane....
healthcare is a human right.
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial I'm on a committee here in Orlando, and we are working to get a resolution passed for Medicare for All here in the city. I shared your video to our group. :)
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial My American daughter-in-law had two cesarean sections, the hospital bill for each one was $30,000.
@@glynnwright1699 that is insane, 30,000 to have a baby, 60,000 is a house in some areas here, I feel sorry for you guys
@@paulgreen758 I am British, my son married a lovely, smart, Southern Belle and they live in South Carolina. We haven't seen them or our grandchildren for 18 months and probably won't for six months.
My son works for the US part of the company that I run; the company pays around $1000 a month for private health insurance for his family, and they still have costs that they have to cover themselves.
Their housing is way cheaper than where we live in Sussex, around about 30% of the cost I would say, but they have lots of expenses that we don't have, so it balances out.
I watched a film where one of the characters had just been diagnosed with a serious condition and the doctor was discussing how they could pay for the treatment. That was really strange and a brought he the complete cultural difference.
"Breaking Bad" would be a boring 5-minute short film in Europe. :-)
Nice video. In the UK you do actually have a ‘Primary Registered Doctor’. In more rural areas, it’s quite normal to see the same doctor (assuming they’re available). Also worth mentioning many NHS hospitals are university hospitals and networked research centres, it’s pretty much where all UK doctors train. You’re quite right the NHS hospitals look rather drab, but I’m certainly seeing improvements. I think most Brits are just used to it. If a hospital were spending money to create hotel environment, their would be outrage at wasting public money for sure.
Enjoyed the video and im from uk. I think a couple of points are important for US viewers I think as a society in principal we are a collective that feel that we should look after all our people for the benefit of us all vs the usa who aren't and look after themselves.
The society seem to think profit making flashy billion dollar companies are more trustworthy than accountable government. Our higher taxes come to half of what an american pay for healthcare, Insurance nd health care are some of the most profitable businesses in US. The US system comes a very poor second to uk in terms of medical outcomes. All fur coat and no knickers as my gran would say!
Indeed I think most US citizens have no idea of the comparative costs, I suspect where their workplace provide health insurance, they don't think of the cost of that being money they could otherwise receive in their salary.
@@grahvis I think the previous administration was trying to tackle those monopoly big pharma companies to bring lower prices for life long medication such as insulin. Imagine being type one diabetic and not having the funds to purchase the medication that saves your life.
I like the fact there are no leather sofas and no customer` culture in the NHS. When I had extensive physiotherapy the physio beat the crap out of me and bullied me into doing my exercises right - exactly what I needed. Brilliant
I didn't realise that emergency treatment was free to everyone, I assumed those who are not covered by the NHS would be billed. Immediately I thought damn that's gonna cost US money but I slapped myself and said No.... emergency treatment for anyone is a basic human right and knowing our country does this makes me so very very proud of all those people who created and now work within the NHS.
Why does the US allow socialised armed forces? Why not just take out insurance?
We have that.....it's called an armed citizen militia.....
@Zefram Cochrane
Also.....the armed militia of citizens were the ones that expelled the British army by force......and at the time the British were one of the most powerful militaries in the world....... something to think about.
We are not an old country but we have a history being good fighters.
We would win pretty much anything we tried if our weak politicians could stand the sight of blood and didn't tie the military with unwinnable rules of engagement.
@@bmphil3400 That Armed Militia was “losing nearly every battle they came across until the French directly got involved. American’s always seem to forget the impact the French military had in the war of independence. If the Royal Navy had stopped that French fleet sailing to reinforce the militia you wouldn’t have won independence. The real hero that won the American revolution was French General De Rochambeau
@@bmphil3400 You did have France, Spain and the Netherlands on your side. That may have helped. there were around 3,000 citizen militia at the final battle of Yorktown, alongside 7,800 French troops and 8,000 continental regulars.
Perfect, can I use that the next time I see my right wing retired military brother?
As a uk citizen I thought this was an excellent video and one of the most balanced explanations I've seen from an American point of view . I really hope the US eventually see the light but unfortunately I think the pharmaceutical / insurance industries with their lobbyists will fight tooth and nail to keep the status quo . Healthcare should be a right not a privilege . Thinking of the greater good for one's fellow citizens as well as one's own family does not mean one's views are purely socialist which gets spread around the US media propaganda . I consider myself centre right in political leanings and would defend the NHS to the last . Keep up the great videos .
Very interesting video. One thing I would add about the UK, slightly off topic, is the amount of medication available direct from Pharmacies and also Grocery Stores without the need of a prescription or seeing a GP
The "wait and see" approach can actually lead to better outcomes than the "use diagnostic tests for screening" or the "let's try every treatment in addition to symptom management" approach. It's counterintuitive but it's well-established in the medical literature.
I had 3 stents put in when I was in the US and the total bill to insurance was well over $250,000 for 2 days in hospital and a 45 minute procedure. If my memory serves me the paint was flaking off the walls in the room I was in and I was charged for band aids. You would think they'd throw them in for free when they're charging you that much.
We need to share more of these stories, so the crazy talk of privatizing health care in the UK stops
I had four stents. Phoned my GP at 8:30. All done and in recovery at 17:00. All free and 7 years on I'm 83 and play golf 3 times a week.
I happily paid taxes and NI contributions for 45 years without ever needing any treatments because I knew if I ever needed them the NHS it would be there for me.
In the UK, you may not get what you want, but you get what you need