The interviewer literally cant believe what hes hearing, I'm British and despite all the remarkable things my country has done in history if ahnyone ever asks me what im most proud of being British it will always be the NHS. RIP NYE BEVAN.
@Hammer 001 correction, fire services / police / ambulaces are funded by the county or city councils ! the central government does however give some funding to them !
@@jaywhyeff3797 dude you can have a soft capitalist state that looks after its people through fair taxing and principles of spreading some wealth. Fucking hell the rich are rich enough. The medical insurance companies in america run a true racket....thats if you xcan afford it.. Here we dont have to worry. we get a good health system for everybody...end of
@@paintedjaguar Right with you on the health care statements but you are way off about the railways. British Railways was created out of a devastated country and EVERYTHING was nationalised just to survive. From 1947 to 1997 that organisation decimated thousands of services, killed freight traffic, lifted thousands of miles of tracks and lost rights to the trackbeds forever. And happily stuck to steam for 20 years longer than anywhere else. And couldn't even build a reliable diesel freight locomotive. It made on successful train: The HST Since privatisation passenger numbers have doubled, new routes have been created, £ Bns of new trains have been delivered and freight has been growing (all private as well).
I love how all the British people in th comments are like the NHS is not perfect. Then you have the Americans who are arrogant and think their system is perfect.
+Muffin Man The NHS is not, by any means, perfect. There is always room for improvement, but the NHS is going through a pretty tough time at the moment (2015) as our Government has put a major squeeze on public spending. (for reasons known only to the chancellor of the exchequer., but probably motivated by Conservative Party ideology) Despite the best efforts of the Government to close down the NHS (while appearing to support it) the NHS does what it says on the tin - it takes care and cures the sick and injured at no point of service cost. The NHS is not free (despite a lot of people thinking it's free because they do not have to pay. The exceptions to this 'free' service do not include dentistry (for which there remains a token charge) Prescriptions (unless you are one of the 94% who qualify for free prescriptions) and eyesight, (treatment for which is extended only to the partially sighted or 'registered blind'). All surgical operations, accidents,doctor's appointments etc are free at point of delivery. No b ills are ever sent. Ever.
Yeah, essentially, because the central government is making money off Scottish Gas, the Scottish Government gets more money per person back from Westminster. Hence why you still get free prescriptions. Plus I think you still get free University. I might be mistaken.
tersecleric2 Pretty much. It’s the only political way to handle the situation. That way, the U.K benefits as a whole from Scottish Gas, but Scotland then gets to demand special privileges, like free prescriptions, on the grounds they are supplying so much gas. Everyone wins.
The range of help NHS offers is second to none. I've paid taxes in the UK for many years and my contributions towards healthcare system were far above what I actually used. I didn't mind paying for others' healthcare, and now in the past year other taxpayer paid for mine: When struggling with depression and unable to work, apart from care from my GP and CBT therapy (all on the NHS) I was referred to charity funded by the NHS. They sent me to a course of trapeze lessons. Bizarre? I don't care, because it had a fantastic effect on my health and self-confidence, better than any medication. I developed a new hobby, I'm fitter than ever … and it cost me absolutely nothing. When few weeks ago I was punched in the face by a stranger who tried to sexually assault me. I went to A&E, had X-ray, was given medication and ended up staying few days in a hospital as my broken jaw required surgery. I received fantastic care and I'm healing perfectly. Again, it cost me absolutely nothing, including all the medication and post-surgery appointments. NHS isn't perfect, but it is constantly improving and provides free essential healthcare to all who need it. Health should never be a luxury available only to those who can afford it.
@@mairiconnell6282 US please take note. We're not communists here. We have a QUEEN for God's sake, and hereditary lords. Maybe our rich people are nicer than your rich people, and don't make a fuss about paying twice for health care if they choose to go private.
No true. Not in every way. If a person needs a hip operation they wont get it straight away. If a person needs psychotherapy for depression it wont happen for at least a number of months.
@@brianbozo2447 not true, why, because there is also private care in the uk that still remains cheaper than uS healthcare. I could get either treatment tomorrow cheaper than you can.
@@brianbozo2447 what I'd say for that is that not every insurance plan covers mental health in America. So some patients in America don't get it,... At all.
@@brianbozo2447 The wait isn't as long as people think. My dad had a hip replacement. From his first consultation with his GP, referral to a specialist, tests, diagnosis, physiotherapy treatment, to deciding surgery was the best option as opposed to just physio treatment, to the actual surgery.... All happened in a 12 week timeline. That's quite fast considering all of the steps in between and the fact my dad initially asked to try other treatments before opting for surgery as a last resort. As for the mental health side, I myself have rapid cycle bipolar, OCD and borderline personality disorder. At the beginning, my GP referred me to a mental health team, the wait was 3 months but my GP also arranged for therapy in the meantime from a charitable organisation called MIND so I wasn't left without treatment for the 3 month wait period. The 1 time I had a mental health emergency where my life was at risk, I was hospitalised in an NHS psychiatric hospital immediately. So there is no wait for life or death emergencies. Other experiences to compare: I had a bunion on my toe. The wait to have a simple bunion removed was 4 months. I had a suspected mini stroke. I saw my doctor, the doctor admitted me to hospital straight away, a specialist was called in on his day off just to treat me. There was zero wait and an entire unit of my local hospital was opened and staffed just for me. (I live in a small town and the local hospital is small and units often close completely when not needed to save money) So all in all, I find the wait times vary depending on the severity of each case. I've never had to wait longer than 4 months for non urgent surgery and I've never waited longer than a couple of weeks for moderately urgent surgery and all life and death things have always been tended to immediately.
what i love is that ive paid about 5 grand in national insurance and had about 750 thousand pounds worth of treatment, and ive hd so much free and discount medicine its unbelievable jeff
People exempt from prescription charges wasn't mentioned. I'm retired and don't pay for a permanent monthly repeat prescription for seven different pills.
Good to hear an informed view in this debate of Medical Insurance funded care vs an NHS type of system. Rather than listening to opinions and hearsay, this is an informed opinion from somebody who has had expereince of both the US and UK health system.
Or if you're living in Scotland. I'll never forget when an English friend of mine went to the chemist for the first time and the woman behind the counter was very confused when he tried to pay.
In the U.K it works out at £41 ($60) a month for total coverage through (middle)income-tax. My friend says she is spending $250/m on insurance depending on income, hours worked and health. My conclusion; the insurance based system is ripping American's off.
$60 a month for all those benefits? I so jealous and angry it hurts. I spend $180 a month for the privilege to spend even more money when I actually try to use any kind of healthcare.
louis43233 $60 when you earn middle income. Lower if you don't earn over a threshold. £0 if you happen to be jobless. That also includes visits to the dentist, opticians and therapists.
MrDeits97 Basic charges are means tested. But if you want anything cosmetic done to your teeth they will charge. For dentistry they have a stricter entitlement policy; if you are young, old, physically/mentally unable or earning small amounts you can get everything for free. By small amount I mean; when I was earning £22k a year and I got basic procedures for free.
When you or a family member is ill, the last thing you want to be thinking about is getting your credit card out and are we covered for this. The NHS is not perfect, nothing ever is, but I am so glad that I live in the UK, with our fantastic Drs and Nurses.
I live in England. One time I had to goto hospital because a car hit me. i was seen in less than 5 minutes x-rays, pain killers polite doctors and nurses who seemed to care about me getting better. all the care i needed and not a penny exchanged hands.
The difference between the British Healthare and the American System is:- In Britain Doctors Practice the hypocratic Oath in America They Practice the hippocritic oath its the money that counts not the patients wellness!!
Im a nurse in health and social care and i think the care is exeptional ..maybe im biased ...and we dont want it changed ..no way ...def not private its an option already so if u want /can pay you can ..
I honestly can't imagine having a healthcare system like the US. It just makes me think about all the hospital appointments I've had and how much it would've cost. How much my inhalers would cost, how much my migraine medication would cost, how much future appointments would cost (it's just my type of luck that every few years I have a problem that I need checking out quite a bit😂). All of it was free (and yes I know about taxes before anyone says so at the point of use it's free). I honestly can't even begin to think about what it's like in the US.
please fellow Americans get real guys the UK NHS is so good..they treat you, give emergency treatment, hospital treatment, your own doctor, nurse, specialist, surgery of all types and it's Free no questions asked Prescriptions are either free for most or very cheap for others free ambulances,free psychiatric and counselling believe me it's incredible!
Most people don't pay for prescriptions however if you do pay you can reduce the cost by getting an NHS Prescription Prepaymant Card. It costs about £100 for a year and covers any prescriptions you need during that time.
The NHS is something we are proud of. How much would it have cost me for the care and treatment I have had in the states. Heart attack - diabetes type 2- surgery for carple tunnel syndrome - surgery for myelopathy ( the removal of a disc between the 3 rd and 4 th vertebrae. In the neck. All the medication since I turned 60 free of charge. So which system would I choose? It's a no brainer is it !!!!!!!
The tax is called National Insurance and it is 2% of you salary after the first £60 (I believe). If you earn £100k, £2k is paid per annum. The guy mentions that it can take time to get an MRI. The fact is that everything is based on the need. If you need an MRI like say you've just come out of a car crash, the likelihood is you'll get an MRI when you get in to the hospital. All the hospitals can take care of you but when you require specialist treatment, you then may end up at a hospital that has a specialty in that treatment. I have private healthcare provided as a perk from my job and am taxed additionally for it. I rarely use the NHS but like all my fellow Brits, I treasure it. Healthcare is a right for all not just for those that can afford it.
The NHS provides around 85% of healthcare in the UK so it is effectively a monopoly buyer able to deal with all the private suppliers from a position of huge strength. So it is able to achieve similar outcomes to the USA for about half the cost, because in general you can't charge the NHS stupid money. It costs around £2,000 per person per annum.
As a brit i had a tingling feeling in my jaw went to see the dentist. Couldn't find anything wrong. Went to see the dr. He sceduled an mri and got it done wasn't so bad but im glad i kept my eyes shut though. When I went back to work a friend asked what happened to my arm as they put some dye in you to get your brain to highlight. I told her and she said she hated them she must have had a few. It's nice to know you can go get help if i need it without having to worry about my bills
I don't think people in the US understand how economically advantageous these systems are, not only for the people but also for the governments. A nation's economy stands on the work of its citizens. If you're healthy you're productive, if you're productive you pay taxes. So keeping people healthy is in a country's best interest. You don't want someone to keep coming back, wasting resources and time, you want people as healthy as possible as soon as possible. Prolonging treatments is absurd, and no life-threatening treatments are denied. In private care only the companies are guaranteed to always get something out of the process. If you don't completely ignore human dignity and the right to live, no matter who you are or the situation you find yourself in at the moment, this is the only right answer. And I had to chuckle when he said some of the buildings are old. My local hospital, which is the oldest and largest in the country continuously working since it was established, is located in a converted XVI century monastery. There have obviously been extensions and new modern wings, but parts of it are older than entire nations. Our own version of the NHS is also amazing, so horray for universal healthcare.
Thank you for highlighting how good the UK health care system is and how much cheaper it is than US model. Give Bernie Sanders your vote. His brother lives in UK and so he knows full well how Americans can benefit from it.
@MissEgasMoniz So how can "The quality of American healthcare be the best in the world" it it only caters for the rich and famous? To have "quality" care must mean "quality" for all.
Ask him if he gets fined if he can't pay. He stated it comes from his taxes. No mention of fines or penalties or opting out. Ask also if his Drs feel that his illness is is going to cost "To Much" that treatment is denied and he is told that he won't be treated, as under the American system. Ask how much they spend on a cancer patient before they say no more treatment. If some one is unemployed how is that treated?
PAPA MARTY its been three years since your comment but just so you know: He does't have to pay, the treatment received has already been paid for. The taxes he paid, and I paid, and the millions of others have already paid. There is no 'opting out'. Exactly the same as paying for public pavements, you pay for them and other people walk on them. They pay for them and you walk on them too. Everyone pays taxes and they are spent on services that everyone uses. Roads, pavements, police, firefighters, paramedics, the military and the NHS. Treatment doesn't get denied, it cost what it costs, depending on seriousness. Decisions are taken based on prognosis and quality of life. If the patient is medically unlikley to survive a certain treatment then Doctors would consult with the patient and next of kin on whether to continue treatment. If some treatments are exceptionally expensive due to being cutting edge, or highly unlikely to succeed then a decision would be taken on whether to go ahead with it. Either fully funded, partially funded or in the rare cases funding be denied it must be medically justified. I.e if the patient will mostly likely still die no matter how much money is spent on specific treatments. This can include referal to the courts. A recent case was a very sick baby, the baby had no chance of survival. The family wanted to have the baby flown out to the US to continue trying to treat the baby using an experimental treatment that would cost millions. The courts decided, based on medical evidence of the attending doctors, independent doctors and the dr in the US that treatment would be stopped. It wasn't the cost, the baby had no chance of survival with or without the treatment and it was judge cruel to try to prolong the babies life, there was nothing that could be done. Patients are still free to pursue private health care if they choose. Cosmetic surgery is not covered for example, unless there is a medical reason. For example skin grafting, or reconstructive surgery after injury is nessecery and part and parcel of trestment you may receive, say after a car crash. A boob job (generally thought it has been known) or liposuction is not, if you want it - you pay for it. People moan about waiting times, yes you may wait a day or two to have a joint pain checked out but it isn't going to kill you. However you'll find yourself getting treatment up to and including surgery very rapidly after an accident depending on what is medically required. If your GP diagnoses cancer, you'll be in hospital the same day as they conduct further tests and beging planning your treatment. What matters is seriousness. A cold is not as urgent as a broken leg and you'll wait according to need. Finally the unemployed get exactly the same treatment. They don't pay tax. But they did before the became unemployed, and they will when they re-enter employment so it works out. And if they are are permanently unable to work, they still pay nothing and receive exactly the same treatment, that which they need. The NHS has saved my life once, fought cancer into remission for a member of my family twice, treat various illnesses and injuries swiftly and effectively for both myself and my family, friends, neighbors, enemies, strangers my whole life. Never once has treatment been denied, or payment ever been asked for. And never once have I had to argue with a private insurance company.
The US is very good at specialisms, if I had a rare type of cancer, I would want to be in the US. However, for day to day stuff - broken arms, child birth, etc. I would rather be in the UK. The stats bear this out, see infant mortality or life expectancy for example. From memory, US healthcare is ranked 37th in the world between Costa Rica and Poland. The UK is 6th (France is 1st). The UK spends 8% of GDP on healthcare, the US spends 16%. IMO, until the US adopts a mixed public/private healthcare system (like France), it cannot improve the standards of care or reduce costs.
i had testicular cancer and hepC and i was operated on the same day i went to see the doctor it was that quick and the doctors who treatment for the hepC were brilliant
It is fair for many reasons you are still registered with a NHS GP's practise giving you full access to NHS services.The bulk of private health insurance used to be with companies (it was a perk to managers and executives) now the private sector heath insurance is taking a hit and survives because the NHS subcontracting to the private sector. Don't you pay twice for heath care via taxes on things like medicare and privately for your cost limited insurance? Don't knock it till you've tried it.
International health service. We treat everybody worldwide free of charge. Don't fall ill abroad .you'll die if you don't pay. We should adopt the same attitude.
For some years I have argued that healthcare is not so much a human right but a human need! For me that over-rides the right and moves it to another level. For me universal (socialised) healthcare recognises and meets that need! Wake up America!
(1) You explicitly stated that everything was double the price. Go back and read. (2) You cited cab fare and then said you could travel from LA to Chicago in a cab for $129. (3) If I am going to educate you, I should at least be getting paid for it - don't you think? (4) Think before you type, child. Think.
also,food was at least double.movies were much more expensive.hotels,cab fare,milk most everything was more expensive.you can go from L.A to chicago for 129 bucks which would be like 70 pounds or so i am not sure on the conversion rate.
@MissEgasMoniz I'll try again "The quality of American healthcare is the best in the world" which for those that can afford it might possibly be true. It would also be true that if you are wealthy in any advanced economic Country you are all but guaranteed to get the best healthcare. When it comes to those lower down the financial pecking order compared to those same Countries the U.S comes out a piece of crap please see “the U.S. Healthcare system in international Context:” Regards from spud
.....and pay the mortgage, and feed the family, and pay for staff, the car and the vacation COULD be highly tempted to be diagnose a problem. In the NHS doctors are mostly salaried. They get paid anyway and don't have worry about keeping the patients coming. They get great job satisfaction because their ONLY concern is to do the best for their patient.
No wonder. It's easy to assume responsibility for your own health when you are young and healthy. Just wait until you have serious health issues and are older and you can't afford the medical assistance you need. The lack of good health care for all is hurting our economy and putting us at a disadvantage compared to other countries that don't have to spend so much on health care. It's part of why so many businesses offshore their manufacturing.
On thing Americans need to know is how Health Care costs in US compare to the costs in other developed countries. Americans pay at least twice as much than Canadians,French the English & every other developed nation.. The major cause is due to administrative costs taking 40% of all health care dollars. Another reason is that medical professions are self-regulated. One of the main objectives of regulating bodies is to keep the number of professionals low, so to maintain Extremely high wages.
You don't see British people going broke due to illness or accident. You don't see people going to hospital with gunshot wounds and subsiquesntly going broke. Americans are looking hard for reasons to reject socialised medicine.
At this present in time most NHS GP do minor surgery, and the wait time for operations depends on how urgent they are, most NHS GP surgeries and NHS Hospitals are now modern Hospitals as good as any in the US plus all equipment is modern and up to date, one that comes to mind is The Queen Elizabeth University Medical Hospital in Birmingham, not only has it not long opened, it is one of the Major Cardiology Hospitals in Great Britain with top surgeons but it also treats injured British Military Personnel, no the Americans have it all wrong about our NHS, it saved my life in doing a Heart Valve replacement and repair plus all checks which was absolutely free which included attending 3 different Hospitals for relevant consultations , checks and operations, it would of cost me $70000 or more in the States if I had no Health insurance or my Health Insurance didn't cover it, no give me the NHS any day, I's rather pay for my health our way through Taxes no all to well that if something goes wrong I get my health cover free, oh forgot the cost of a ride in an Ambulance in the States, $3000 + a time.
We disagree. OK you take out private insurance and you stop paying in to the Welfare State. And after 20 years you fall ill and can't pay the premiums. Who do you turn to? Who picks up the tab for your misfortune? And if thousands of people 'opt out' because they are able to what are those who haven't the resources or are too old or are just too ill to look after themselves to do? After all there will be less money to look after them? Its the 'all in' social aspect of the NHS which is its sucess
Two: In other words you are Ok as a 'Have' but who takes care of the 'Have Nots' my friend? The American system sends out the message that your Nation doesn't really care. Looking after ourselves is not enough although of course we have that responsibility. We must also care for the less fortunate and a 'social' health system like the British model does precisely that and we are immensely proud that as a Nation we take care of our own and don't push them out in the cold when they need help
I've lived in this country my whole life and I had to wait 9 months to see a physiotherapist. This guy can get an MRI scan inside two weeks? Not likely. The NHS is nothing but a monopoly on Health Care. He also mentions Europeans coming to the UK to get health care. I hope they are paying for it because it doesn't seem right that we pay taxes for Europeans to use our health service.
That's not at all what the health care mandate that Obama proposed is setting up. It's more like the system that Romney set up in Massachusetts when he was governor. All of the insurance companies stay completely private.
Except of course in the US you are treated well if you have the ability to pay and the more you have the ability to pay better you will be treated. That is true if you come from the US, UK, France, South Africa, China, Peru, Chad, or any other country you can name. Unlike the US the UHC systems around the world allows every citizen access to comprehensive health care without the fear of not being able to pay or being made bankrupt in the process, this is not true of the US system.
He forgot about free prescriptions for a chronic conditions, such as insulin, inhalers or blood thinning medication. Simple rule of thumb: "if it's keeping you alive, it's free"
Not really. There are several cost comparisons on here showing that the healthcare-component of income tax that UK taxpayers pay is on average half of the insurance premium that US citizens pay for an equivalent coverage*. The main reasons is that there are no insurance companies or heath care businesses to take huge profits in UK like there are in USA. *Quality of healthcare is equivalent is most areas for adults, but for children the US is not even close to UK. USA has lower life expectancy, and has one of the highest child death rates in the western world.
@@waysaunut we pay reasonable taxes. The crappy state of infrastructure, environmental protection, public transport and a dozen other failings in America can be placed at the door of decades of neo-con, Ann Randt fiscal policy that reduces taxes for your super wealthy at the expense of your health and happiness. Our wealthy pay more than your wealthy, our poor pay nothing. And yet our healthcare covers everyone and just about everything. And per capita is nearly 3 times cheaper to boot.
We don't all pay high taxes in the UK. If you're unemployed, a child or a student you pay no tax or National Insurance. If you're on a low wage you pay no income tax and very little NI. Between £21,500 and £50,000 ($65,000) it's 20% tax.
And my experience as well as statistics most of all of Europe and Australia and Japan. Canada is trying and is still better than the US with its short comings that it only does bodily and Rx that is issued in a hospital only, doesn't cover Rx at a pharmacy nor dentistry, that you have to buy supplemental insurance... but my understanding politics there is attempting to bring dental and especially Rx coverage to them too. Despite that, Canada Rx prices are lower than the US often by 50% to 90% depending on the item as their cost controls are based on actual cost of production, they don't have insurance and the producing companies "regulate" it... like letting the fox regulate the hen house.
Correct. We have many private hospitals and many "private" patients from some of the wealthiest countries in the world. A lot of rich Arabs come here for treatment in private hospitals. They are treated by NHS doctors who work a day or two per week in the private sector. The rest of the time these doctors, who could earn fortunes in some other countries, work in the NHS. That means we have some of the best doctors in the world treating us if we need them. God bless the NHS.
@@TheNick279 Just to add, you can speed up your diagnoses by "going private" and then bring them to your NHS doctor or specialist. I saw my specialist the following week privately which cut down the wait. Depends how you want prioritize you own money so best of both systems if need it.
@@jrosam9569 if they are in such a rush to get treatment then they should pay for all of that treatment. Why should they jump the queue just becausevthey can afford to pay to see a consulant, wrong anyway you look at it. I'm not sure I agree with private health care. I personally believe every man, woman and child should solely rely on the NHS. Be they royal, a politician or just any old plain jane. I'm sure if that was the case more money would be invested in our national treasure.
Amricans say 'why should I pay for someone else to get treatment?' I say 'Because it is the right thing to do, and because this way we all look out for each other. Someone else wopuld be paying for you when you need it.' All you do is cut out the profit and focus on the service.
+Whoami691 What you've said is true, but what may be more compelling to people is that they already ARE paying, this is a way of paying less. Right now, the US pays for people who should have been treated months ago, didn't and then require emergency care and longer treatment. Or, they die; something that doesn't happen here. We actually spend LESS of our tax on healthcare than you would in the states, DESPITE their insurance system.
***** Working hard is all well and good, but with, as you say, and 'aging population' and in fact and 'increasing' population, there are only so many jobs. Jobs people like yourself (I am assuming you are working or a board or something) Like cutting to the bone and pay less than the amount needed to live on. When the minimum wage is also the living wage, work will pay, people are on welfare because companies don't like paying their staff. I work 6 days a week and still can't afford to live. Keep taking the moral high ground, view must be great when you are standing on those beneath you.
When the NHS was setup the government had to persuade doctors to accept it, at that time they were reluctant to give up their “private” fees in exchange for government payments. Perhaps this is the real reason why US won’t move to an equitable health system for all its citizens; claiming a UK style system is socialist is a smoke screen designed to scare their people. For the US socialism = communism, and we all know their historical fear of that political system.
We complain about everything and anything. That just how we roll out of bed. 🤣 I complain about our idiot Tory politicians that want to privatise the NHS, and not the NHS itself.
I'm in the UK, last month I fell off my skateboard and hurt my hip. I went to the hospital within 15 minutes I was seen by a nurse, within 1 hour I was having an x-ray. It turned out that I'd broken my hip and the surgeons wanted to know if anymore of the bone was damaged so they wanted me to have CT scan, I had to wait an hour or 2 for that. They said they think the bone should heal naturally but if not than in a month I may need an operation, in the last 5 weeks I'v had 4 x-rays. No charge up front at all. Yes its paid by taxes, but if i was American and had no health insurance how much would all this have cost me?
This guy is spot on. I am from North Carolina and I have lived in the UK for 9 years and this is 100% true!! The propaganda about about the NHS spread in the USA is very misleading.
If the people in the USA are not willing to believe what they hear, of course all people lie to the USA!!!!! let them do without. I for 1 am sick of hearing about this debate. Let them do without medical care, or lose everything because they were sick. You can't fix stupid.
In the US they have gone so far right that to even suggest that we should care about other people is enough to be called a fringe socialist fanatic, probably a communist. It is crazy.
They're terrified at the mere mention of the word 'socialism'. It's funny how they're supposedly more Christian in the States than over here, yet most of them couldn't bear to have a fairer system which is better for everyone, especially the people most in need. The majority are are a bunch of hypocrites. Capitalism at its finest.
@das datics Yes I know. But to me it is still about looking after each other. It should also be add that, many doctors and surgeons were apposed to the formation of the NHS at the Time.
err THAT is socialism, looking after all ... not the fearmongering communist agenda, just looking after your neighbour who coincidentally looks after you.... it depends who gets sick. We pay to look after each other!
@ShariaFreeUK You are full of shit. You can't even tell the difference between Communism and Socialism - which is a spectrum of differing political ideas. The UK is a democratic socialist country - guess what, that's on the Socialist spectrum. If you were a Marxist, you were a communist - they like calling themselves socialists but they are the most extreme examples and not taken seriously.
Doctors and other medical professionals from all over the world have chosen to work in the UK. I have met people from Sweden, Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Poland, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand, who work for the NHS. If I asked any of my friends who work for the NHS what other nationalities they have met working for it, I could get a far longer list than this!
as a brit, i fucking love the nhs... how many time times have i done something or been a situation that i now realise it would me a bomb in another country. take a ni cut of my wages anyday...
When I emigrated to the US for family reasons (to Cleveland, actually), it took me a little while to get a handle on how US healthcare works. I was absolutely horrified. The labyrinthine bureaucracy of signing up for it in the first place, the sheer _cost_ coming out of my weekly pay, the struggles to find a doctor anywhere nearby who accepted our insurance, and THEN...it all changed, because the insurer my employers were using wanted to increase our costs 50%, so my employers chose for me another insurer who would only increase our costs 15%. And then I had to find a new doctor. And THEN, after getting expensive and essential dental work done for my children, I find out that I hadn't crossed all the i's and dotted all the t's, and my kids weren't insured. Honestly, all the ''horror stories' I hear about how terrible socialised medicine would be already apply in the US, it's just private companies with no accountability who screw you over instead of politicians - and I still got better care in the UK.
@@fionagregory5774 I'm a Brit that lived in the USA for 12 months. I can see why Americans believe the stuff they believe, they are lied to about so much on a daily basis. I honestly think the USA has become everything it was created to fight AGAINST.
@@TonyEnglandUK American citizens are living in a CULT . So entrenched within it are they they don't notice it . Its only when they leave it becomes apparent! It is so obvious to the rest of the world though!
@@mikedakin2016 No kidding. Ask any American today _"What is the most-free country in the world?"_ and I guarantee they'll say _"The USA"._ (The United States doesn't even make the top ten.)
Lol.... education isn't socialized... something called private schools. There is private security big boi..... not only that it's unconstitutional to "socialize " healthcare, education, and etc etc on the federal level.
@@popbasketball1696 point to the part of the constitution that says socialised healthcare is unconstitutional. We also have private hospitals, people just choose the NHS because its more effective for what you pay. You have schools funded by the government, that's socialism.
@@popbasketball1696 You have public schools which are paid for by the government for everyone to use, and private schools which people have to pay for themselves. That is exactly the same as Socialised healthcare, like in England where the NHS is paid for by the government for everyone to use, and we also have private hospitals, clinics etc which people can pay for out of their own pocket if they so choose.
@@jackmason7823 Exactly, since there is no where in the Constitution that reserve the power to the federal government, it is reserved to States. Look up the 10th amendment. It's up to the People of the several States to decide whether they want a tax funded healthcare system for their respective State.
I peed blood 18 months ago. I got an appointment with my GP the same day. Within a week I had MRI, CT and ultrasound scans. WIth a month I had surgery. I have regular treatment now for incurable cancer. It is ALL FREE. God bless the NHS.
Not only is the NHS better than the US system, but the amount I pay toward it through my taxes plus the BUPA private health insurance I paid until recently, still comes to less than two thirds of what it would cost me for a single health policy in the United States. Not only are several aspects of US healthcare sub-standard, but they cost the earth, largely becaude they are sold and traded by schysters who are more concerned with bleeding you dry than making you well. For all its faults, and there are quite a few, I would back the NHS with my life.
+Tony England To keep it, we must leave the EU, there is no way we can keep the system with unlimited, unregulated mass immigration from Eastern Europe.
when in Florida quite a few years ago, one of my sons, had a very serious throat/tonsils issue and having severe breathing difficulty we had to go to a hospital and before they would even look at him or help in any way, they took my credit card details !!!!!! I was frantic and horrified, we are so used to getting treated without question here. You can keep your US healthcare, it makes me shudder to think what would have happened if I had forgotten to take my AMEX card with me!
No sick person will be turned away from treatment in the US, regardless of their ability to pay, but anyone living in the US knows the importance of having medical insurance and avoiding massive bills. Believe me during the Covid disaster, the NHS failed miserably and many people were not given necessary treatment for their illnesses and not just people who wanted elective surgery. I was so glad to live here in Florida where world class treatment is always available and was throughout the Covid pandemic. I admit that we have always had great insurance, but that was because we were very aware of the importance of having it. We do not pay anything like the amount of taxes that UK residents pay, especially because there are many states that do not impose a separate tax , like Florida. We are retired, but I would be willing to bet that our taxes plus our medical insurance is still less than would be imposed in UK.
@@franceslucas8945 You’re most welcome to your treatment for the wealthy system, i was in-effect turned away. I am very happy to live in a civilised country where I don’t have to show my credit card before I get treatment. My family has had only superb treatment from our wonderful NHS. At age 76, I’ve had ongoing pain treatment for severe injuries suffered as a toddler and now a new surgical procedure has repaired my severely damaged pelvis, replaced the hip and is providing spinal surgery for my back which was worn out as a result of the way I walked due to the accident. I’ve also had eye surgery for a detachment retina, in addition to this I have had leukaemia for the past eight years which had been treated successfully. If I had moved permanently to America as I almost did in 1997, I enquired about the pelvis/hip surgery and was told firmly that insurance wouldn’t pay for any treatment at all as it was a “pre-existing condition”. American “healthcare” no thank you very much. I know me and my family need never worry about nor being able to afford illness or injury.
To the exhibit ' hawken ' My daughter is a doctor in a UK NHS hospital. Come over here and tell her she's an inferior product of a substandard system ! You better have one hell of an insurance plan to cover your air-ambulance back where you came from, and the years of treatment you'll need before you can walk again !
That's what I love about it here - the whiners who want private health care over the NHS can do that anyway. Just point to BUPA and say _"It's over there, mate."_
The NHS was born in 1948 3 years after a devastating war. Our towns and cities were in rubble and we were half starved. The country was bankrupt and yet the people pulled together and made the worry for sick or poor people facing medical bills impossible. The NHS is a miracle
OK we may moan about the NHS from time to time, but I love it. I would probably be dead, if it wasn't for the wonderful doctors, nurses and my local practitioners.
Patient with undiagnosed Ebola arrives at the hospital with symptoms of being unwell, having recently arrived from Liberia (which is awash with Ebola). The triage nurse asks the usual questions including the ones about symptoms and travel history. The doctor later tells the guy to go home but 2 days later he was seen again and admitted with Ebola. Why not the first time? "At a news conference Wednesday, hospital officials said a triage nurse performed the recommended screening - asking about his symptoms and his travel history - but her report wasn't communicated to the rest of his health care team". Report in USA today about Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas. Bad and good things can happen in any system. NHS is not perfect, but neither is the American health care system.
9 years ago I suffered a pretty major stroke and spent four months in neurological rehab unit learning to walk again all paid for by the NHS, last year I had skin cancer diagnosed and treated within five weeks and I still a free check up twice a year again paid for by the NHS.
Also....... if you’re unemployed, over 60, or are on a low wage, you are entitled to free prescriptions. There is also a certificate you can buy for about £30 which lasts three months, if you need a lot of medication but you aren’t entitled to free prescriptions.
As a Brit I would say that’s a fair assessment of the NHS. Staff are nearly all very passionate about helping people the only thing I would say is that nurses need to be treated and paid better by the government, and they need to bring bursaries back.
"you must like it here"
"it's OK"
Spoken like a proper brit
Not sure. I’d say ‘it’s alright’. Chaps a foreigner. (I speak in jest)
@Lil PUMP nice beer in Belgium.
It's alright.
It's not bad.
Mustn't grumble.
The interviewer literally cant believe what hes hearing, I'm British and despite all the remarkable things my country has done in history if ahnyone ever asks me what im most proud of being British it will always be the NHS. RIP NYE BEVAN.
yes it is great being British.
Yes RIP Nye Bevin ,and thank you for your great work.
@Hammer 001 correction, fire services / police / ambulaces are funded by the county or city councils ! the central government does however give some funding to them !
@@jaywhyeff3797 dude you can have a soft capitalist state that looks after its people through fair taxing and principles of spreading some wealth. Fucking hell the rich are rich enough.
The medical insurance companies in america run a true racket....thats if you xcan afford it.. Here we dont have to worry. we get a good health system for everybody...end of
@@paintedjaguar Right with you on the health care statements but you are way off about the railways. British Railways was created out of a devastated country and EVERYTHING was nationalised just to survive. From 1947 to 1997 that organisation decimated thousands of services, killed freight traffic, lifted thousands of miles of tracks and lost rights to the trackbeds forever. And happily stuck to steam for 20 years longer than anywhere else. And couldn't even build a reliable diesel freight locomotive. It made on successful train: The HST
Since privatisation passenger numbers have doubled, new routes have been created, £ Bns of new trains have been delivered and freight has been growing (all private as well).
Is the British Health Care System Really Better?
Yes.
Next dumb question?
+Chris Dansey Umm, what's the wingspan of a Swallow?
African or European?
yes.. Britain is best in everything I can think of
@@fionagregory8078
Fiona might I suggest you travel more
Why do the English go to Spain to do health tourism?
I love how all the British people in th comments are like the NHS is not perfect. Then you have the Americans who are arrogant and think their system is perfect.
+Muffin Man - but ignore the comments of the guy in the vid who actually knows!
+Muffin Man The NHS is not, by any means, perfect. There is always room for improvement, but the NHS is going through a pretty tough time at the moment (2015) as our Government has put a major squeeze on public spending. (for reasons known only to the chancellor of the exchequer., but probably motivated by Conservative Party ideology) Despite the best efforts of the Government to close down the NHS (while appearing to support it) the NHS does what it says on the tin - it takes care and cures the sick and injured at no point of service cost. The NHS is not free (despite a lot of people thinking it's free because they do not have to pay. The exceptions to this 'free' service do not include dentistry (for which there remains a token charge) Prescriptions (unless you are one of the 94% who qualify for free prescriptions) and eyesight, (treatment for which is extended only to the partially sighted or 'registered blind').
All surgical operations, accidents,doctor's appointments etc are free at point of delivery. No b ills are ever sent. Ever.
I heard in usa a medi co can cancel your med insurance making the docs throw u out of their clinic? which i dont get how that comes about.
If anyone wants to come to UK to sample the NHS they'd better be quick before our tame Conservative nitwits - er - government scraps it.
+John Benton ... You are so thick .. no government including the Tories you seem to hate are never going to scrap the NHS
i would like to add Scotland is part of the UK and we have free prescriptions no charge .
Yeah, essentially, because the central government is making money off Scottish Gas, the Scottish Government gets more money per person back from Westminster. Hence why you still get free prescriptions. Plus I think you still get free University. I might be mistaken.
@@Erakius323 As far as I'm aware, Scottish people receive more tax payers money back per head than people in England do bar London.
tersecleric2 Pretty much. It’s the only political way to handle the situation. That way, the U.K benefits as a whole from Scottish Gas, but Scotland then gets to demand special privileges, like free prescriptions, on the grounds they are supplying so much gas. Everyone wins.
Free Prescriptions, College Fees and Elderly Care. Go Scotland Alba Gu Brath!
@@mairiconnell6282 None of which will you be able to afford in the even of Scottish independence.
The range of help NHS offers is second to none. I've paid taxes in the UK for many years and my contributions towards healthcare system were far above what I actually used. I didn't mind paying for others' healthcare, and now in the past year other taxpayer paid for mine:
When struggling with depression and unable to work, apart from care from my GP and CBT therapy (all on the NHS) I was referred to charity funded by the NHS. They sent me to a course of trapeze lessons. Bizarre? I don't care, because it had a fantastic effect on my health and self-confidence, better than any medication. I developed a new hobby, I'm fitter than ever … and it cost me absolutely nothing.
When few weeks ago I was punched in the face by a stranger who tried to sexually assault me. I went to A&E, had X-ray, was given medication and ended up staying few days in a hospital as my broken jaw required surgery. I received fantastic care and I'm healing perfectly. Again, it cost me absolutely nothing, including all the medication and post-surgery appointments.
NHS isn't perfect, but it is constantly improving and provides free essential healthcare to all who need it. Health should never be a luxury available only to those who can afford it.
yes correct. in belgium also this system. only you pay a little every visti doctor or hospital yourself. no refund for that.
@@kurth9439 I don't like that, imagine if you don't have the funds at the time when it's needed.
Good for you. You are absolutely right. And I do hope you are recovering now from what sounds like a terrible experience.
It is a wonderful thing, I paid in years and years, now I am in need. God Bless the NHS and woe betide anyone who puts it at risk.
@@mairiconnell6282 US please take note. We're not communists here. We have a QUEEN for God's sake, and hereditary lords. Maybe our rich people are nicer than your rich people, and don't make a fuss about paying twice for health care if they choose to go private.
From cradle to grave NHS 🙏🙏❤️❤️
British Health care is unequivocally better in every single way.
No true. Not in every way. If a person needs a hip operation they wont get it straight away. If a person needs psychotherapy for depression it wont happen for at least a number of months.
@@brianbozo2447 not true, why, because there is also private care in the uk that still remains cheaper than uS healthcare. I could get either treatment tomorrow cheaper than you can.
@@brianbozo2447 what I'd say for that is that not every insurance plan covers mental health in America. So some patients in America don't get it,... At all.
@@brianbozo2447 The wait isn't as long as people think. My dad had a hip replacement. From his first consultation with his GP, referral to a specialist, tests, diagnosis, physiotherapy treatment, to deciding surgery was the best option as opposed to just physio treatment, to the actual surgery.... All happened in a 12 week timeline. That's quite fast considering all of the steps in between and the fact my dad initially asked to try other treatments before opting for surgery as a last resort.
As for the mental health side, I myself have rapid cycle bipolar, OCD and borderline personality disorder. At the beginning, my GP referred me to a mental health team, the wait was 3 months but my GP also arranged for therapy in the meantime from a charitable organisation called MIND so I wasn't left without treatment for the 3 month wait period. The 1 time I had a mental health emergency where my life was at risk, I was hospitalised in an NHS psychiatric hospital immediately. So there is no wait for life or death emergencies.
Other experiences to compare: I had a bunion on my toe. The wait to have a simple bunion removed was 4 months.
I had a suspected mini stroke. I saw my doctor, the doctor admitted me to hospital straight away, a specialist was called in on his day off just to treat me. There was zero wait and an entire unit of my local hospital was opened and staffed just for me. (I live in a small town and the local hospital is small and units often close completely when not needed to save money)
So all in all, I find the wait times vary depending on the severity of each case. I've never had to wait longer than 4 months for non urgent surgery and I've never waited longer than a couple of weeks for moderately urgent surgery and all life and death things have always been tended to immediately.
@@brianbozo2447 did you listen to what this guy said
what i love is that ive paid about 5 grand in national insurance and had about 750 thousand pounds worth of treatment, and ive hd so much free and discount medicine its unbelievable jeff
People exempt from prescription charges wasn't mentioned. I'm retired and don't pay for a permanent monthly repeat prescription for seven different pills.
Good to hear an informed view in this debate of Medical Insurance funded care vs an NHS type of system.
Rather than listening to opinions and hearsay, this is an informed opinion from somebody who has had expereince of both the US and UK health system.
If you're on benefits, singles parent or pensioner all prescriptions are free.
Or if you're living in Scotland. I'll never forget when an English friend of mine went to the chemist for the first time and the woman behind the counter was very confused when he tried to pay.
Good to see the guy being interviewed giving a honesty appraisal of the UK, NHS and US healthcare very informative
Bankruptcy due to medical default is the biggest reason for bankruptcy in the US and its causes more bankruptcy than every other reason put together.
In the U.K it works out at £41 ($60) a month for total coverage through (middle)income-tax. My friend says she is spending $250/m on insurance depending on income, hours worked and health. My conclusion; the insurance based system is ripping American's off.
$60 a month for all those benefits? I so jealous and angry it hurts. I spend $180 a month for the privilege to spend even more money when I actually try to use any kind of healthcare.
louis43233 $60 when you earn middle income. Lower if you don't earn over a threshold. £0 if you happen to be jobless.
That also includes visits to the dentist, opticians and therapists.
+Jack Ah don't you get free dentistry and optician visits if you're under 18 only?
MrDeits97 Basic charges are means tested. But if you want anything cosmetic done to your teeth they will charge. For dentistry they have a stricter entitlement policy; if you are young, old, physically/mentally unable or earning small amounts you can get everything for free.
By small amount I mean; when I was earning £22k a year and I got basic procedures for free.
don't forget in the USA having a health insurance does not mean they would actually pay for treatment its still 50/50 on them paying up
When you or a family member is ill, the last thing you want to be thinking about is getting your credit card out and are we covered for this. The NHS is not perfect, nothing ever is, but I am so glad that I live in the UK, with our fantastic Drs and Nurses.
I live in England. One time I had to goto hospital because a car hit me. i was seen in less than 5 minutes x-rays, pain killers polite doctors and nurses who seemed to care about me getting better. all the care i needed and not a penny exchanged hands.
The difference between the British Healthare and the American System is:- In Britain Doctors Practice the hypocratic Oath in America They Practice the hippocritic oath its the money that counts not the patients wellness!!
If it’s an emergency, you will be seen there and then.
The National Health Service is the one single thing that makes me proud to be a Brit.
The best healthcare system in the world. It has its faults but had experience of the US and UK systems. Give me the UK every time!
Im a nurse in health and social care and i think the care is exeptional ..maybe im biased ...and we dont want it changed ..no way ...def not private its an option already so if u want /can pay you can ..
I honestly can't imagine having a healthcare system like the US. It just makes me think about all the hospital appointments I've had and how much it would've cost. How much my inhalers would cost, how much my migraine medication would cost, how much future appointments would cost (it's just my type of luck that every few years I have a problem that I need checking out quite a bit😂). All of it was free (and yes I know about taxes before anyone says so at the point of use it's free). I honestly can't even begin to think about what it's like in the US.
Why does healthcare in the US need to be run as a business?
please fellow Americans get real guys the UK NHS is so good..they treat you, give emergency treatment, hospital treatment, your own doctor, nurse, specialist, surgery of all types and it's Free no questions asked
Prescriptions are either free for most or very cheap for others free ambulances,free psychiatric and counselling believe me it's incredible!
The NHS is not free by any means but it is the most Efficient Healthcare system in the world
I love how he says 'our taxes'
Most people don't pay for prescriptions however if you do pay you can reduce the cost by getting an NHS Prescription Prepaymant Card. It costs about £100 for a year and covers any prescriptions you need during that time.
The NHS is something we are proud of. How much would it have cost me for the care and treatment I have had in the states. Heart attack - diabetes type 2- surgery for carple tunnel syndrome - surgery for myelopathy ( the removal of a disc between the 3 rd and 4 th vertebrae. In the neck. All the medication since I turned 60 free of charge.
So which system would I choose? It's a no brainer is it !!!!!!!
Makes you proud to be British
The tax is called National Insurance and it is 2% of you salary after the first £60 (I believe). If you earn £100k, £2k is paid per annum. The guy mentions that it can take time to get an MRI. The fact is that everything is based on the need. If you need an MRI like say you've just come out of a car crash, the likelihood is you'll get an MRI when you get in to the hospital. All the hospitals can take care of you but when you require specialist treatment, you then may end up at a hospital that has a specialty in that treatment. I have private healthcare provided as a perk from my job and am taxed additionally for it. I rarely use the NHS but like all my fellow Brits, I treasure it. Healthcare is a right for all not just for those that can afford it.
You can also go private in the u.k just like the u.s
Great Camera work. I need to see a doctor.
richard bloor Dude needs to stand still. This is very distracting for a nice video.
The NHS has always been good to me, Even though allot of people abuse it...
The NHS provides around 85% of healthcare in the UK so it is effectively a monopoly buyer able to deal with all the private suppliers from a position of huge strength. So it is able to achieve similar outcomes to the USA for about half the cost, because in general you can't charge the NHS stupid money. It costs around £2,000 per person per annum.
As a brit i had a tingling feeling in my jaw went to see the dentist. Couldn't find anything wrong. Went to see the dr. He sceduled an mri and got it done wasn't so bad but im glad i kept my eyes shut though.
When I went back to work a friend asked what happened to my arm as they put some dye in you to get your brain to highlight. I told her and she said she hated them she must have had a few. It's nice to know you can go get help if i need it without having to worry about my bills
I don't think people in the US understand how economically advantageous these systems are, not only for the people but also for the governments. A nation's economy stands on the work of its citizens. If you're healthy you're productive, if you're productive you pay taxes. So keeping people healthy is in a country's best interest. You don't want someone to keep coming back, wasting resources and time, you want people as healthy as possible as soon as possible. Prolonging treatments is absurd, and no life-threatening treatments are denied. In private care only the companies are guaranteed to always get something out of the process. If you don't completely ignore human dignity and the right to live, no matter who you are or the situation you find yourself in at the moment, this is the only right answer.
And I had to chuckle when he said some of the buildings are old. My local hospital, which is the oldest and largest in the country continuously working since it was established, is located in a converted XVI century monastery. There have obviously been extensions and new modern wings, but parts of it are older than entire nations. Our own version of the NHS is also amazing, so horray for universal healthcare.
Its not about money in the USA its about can't take my guns mentality
Thank you for highlighting how good the UK health care system is and how much cheaper it is than US model. Give Bernie Sanders your vote. His brother lives in UK and so he knows full well how Americans can benefit from it.
@MissEgasMoniz So how can "The quality of American healthcare be the best in the world" it it only caters for the rich and famous? To have "quality" care must mean "quality" for all.
Ask him if he gets fined if he can't pay. He stated it comes from his taxes. No mention of fines or penalties or opting out. Ask also if his Drs feel that his illness is is going to cost "To Much" that treatment is denied and he is told that he won't be treated, as under the American system.
Ask how much they spend on a cancer patient before they say no more treatment.
If some one is unemployed how is that treated?
PAPA MARTY its been three years since your comment but just so you know:
He does't have to pay, the treatment received has already been paid for. The taxes he paid, and I paid, and the millions of others have already paid.
There is no 'opting out'. Exactly the same as paying for public pavements, you pay for them and other people walk on them. They pay for them and you walk on them too. Everyone pays taxes and they are spent on services that everyone uses. Roads, pavements, police, firefighters, paramedics, the military and the NHS.
Treatment doesn't get denied, it cost what it costs, depending on seriousness. Decisions are taken based on prognosis and quality of life. If the patient is medically unlikley to survive a certain treatment then Doctors would consult with the patient and next of kin on whether to continue treatment.
If some treatments are exceptionally expensive due to being cutting edge, or highly unlikely to succeed then a decision would be taken on whether to go ahead with it. Either fully funded, partially funded or in the rare cases funding be denied it must be medically justified. I.e if the patient will mostly likely still die no matter how much money is spent on specific treatments. This can include referal to the courts.
A recent case was a very sick baby, the baby had no chance of survival. The family wanted to have the baby flown out to the US to continue trying to treat the baby using an experimental treatment that would cost millions. The courts decided, based on medical evidence of the attending doctors, independent doctors and the dr in the US that treatment would be stopped. It wasn't the cost, the baby had no chance of survival with or without the treatment and it was judge cruel to try to prolong the babies life, there was nothing that could be done.
Patients are still free to pursue private health care if they choose. Cosmetic surgery is not covered for example, unless there is a medical reason. For example skin grafting, or reconstructive surgery after injury is nessecery and part and parcel of trestment you may receive, say after a car crash. A boob job (generally thought it has been known) or liposuction is not, if you want it - you pay for it.
People moan about waiting times, yes you may wait a day or two to have a joint pain checked out but it isn't going to kill you. However you'll find yourself getting treatment up to and including surgery very rapidly after an accident depending on what is medically required.
If your GP diagnoses cancer, you'll be in hospital the same day as they conduct further tests and beging planning your treatment.
What matters is seriousness. A cold is not as urgent as a broken leg and you'll wait according to need.
Finally the unemployed get exactly the same treatment. They don't pay tax. But they did before the became unemployed, and they will when they re-enter employment so it works out. And if they are are permanently unable to work, they still pay nothing and receive exactly the same treatment, that which they need.
The NHS has saved my life once, fought cancer into remission for a member of my family twice, treat various illnesses and injuries swiftly and effectively for both myself and my family, friends, neighbors, enemies, strangers my whole life.
Never once has treatment been denied, or payment ever been asked for. And never once have I had to argue with a private insurance company.
And the prescription charge in Scotland is £00.00.
Look at the title. Then look back at this comment. Yes.
The US is very good at specialisms, if I had a rare type of cancer, I would want to be in the US. However, for day to day stuff - broken arms, child birth, etc. I would rather be in the UK. The stats bear this out, see infant mortality or life expectancy for example.
From memory, US healthcare is ranked 37th in the world between Costa Rica and Poland. The UK is 6th (France is 1st). The UK spends 8% of GDP on healthcare, the US spends 16%. IMO, until the US adopts a mixed public/private healthcare system (like France), it cannot improve the standards of care or reduce costs.
i had testicular cancer and hepC and i was operated on the same day i went to see the doctor it was that quick and the doctors who treatment for the hepC were brilliant
It is fair for many reasons you are still registered with a NHS GP's practise giving you full access to NHS services.The bulk of private health insurance used to be with companies (it was a perk to managers and executives) now the private sector heath insurance is taking a hit and survives because the NHS subcontracting to the private sector. Don't you pay twice for heath care via taxes on things like medicare and privately for your cost limited insurance? Don't knock it till you've tried it.
International health service.
We treat everybody worldwide free of charge.
Don't fall ill abroad .you'll die if you don't pay.
We should adopt the same attitude.
For some years I have argued that healthcare is not so much a human right but a human need! For me that over-rides the right and moves it to another level. For me universal (socialised) healthcare recognises and meets that need! Wake up America!
If their is a wait of 6 months you can pay for it or go to a hospital with a less wait time further away still free
(1) You explicitly stated that everything was double the price. Go back and read.
(2) You cited cab fare and then said you could travel from LA to Chicago in a cab for $129.
(3) If I am going to educate you, I should at least be getting paid for it - don't you think?
(4) Think before you type, child. Think.
What he never stated was that prescriptions for children under 16, or is it 18, are free, as are senior citizens and the unemployed.
also,food was at least double.movies were much more expensive.hotels,cab fare,milk most everything was more expensive.you can go from L.A to chicago for 129 bucks which would be like 70 pounds or so i am not sure on the conversion rate.
@MissEgasMoniz I'll try again "The quality of American healthcare is the best in the world" which for those that can afford it might possibly be true. It would also be true that if you are wealthy in any advanced economic Country you are all but guaranteed to get the best healthcare. When it comes to those lower down the financial pecking order compared to those same Countries the U.S comes out a piece of crap please see “the U.S. Healthcare system in international Context:” Regards from spud
.....and pay the mortgage, and feed the family, and pay for staff, the car and the vacation COULD be highly tempted to be diagnose a problem. In the NHS doctors are mostly salaried. They get paid anyway and don't have worry about keeping the patients coming. They get great job satisfaction because their ONLY concern is to do the best for their patient.
No wonder. It's easy to assume responsibility for your own health when you are young and healthy. Just wait until you have serious health issues and are older and you can't afford the medical assistance you need. The lack of good health care for all is hurting our economy and putting us at a disadvantage compared to other countries that don't have to spend so much on health care. It's part of why so many businesses offshore their manufacturing.
On thing Americans need to know is how Health Care costs in US compare to the costs in other developed countries. Americans pay at least twice as much than Canadians,French the English & every other developed nation.. The major cause is due to administrative costs taking 40% of all health care dollars. Another reason is that medical professions are self-regulated. One of the main objectives of regulating bodies is to keep the number of professionals low, so to maintain Extremely high wages.
You don't see British people going broke due to illness or accident. You don't see people going to hospital with gunshot wounds and subsiquesntly going broke.
Americans are looking hard for reasons to reject socialised medicine.
NHS you couldn't get any better care we are lucky in this country to have it
At this present in time most NHS GP do minor surgery, and the wait time for operations depends on how urgent they are, most NHS GP surgeries and NHS Hospitals are now modern Hospitals as good as any in the US plus all equipment is modern and up to date, one that comes to mind is The Queen Elizabeth University Medical Hospital in Birmingham, not only has it not long opened, it is one of the Major Cardiology Hospitals in Great Britain with top surgeons but it also treats injured British Military Personnel, no the Americans have it all wrong about our NHS, it saved my life in doing a Heart Valve replacement and repair plus all checks which was absolutely free which included attending 3 different Hospitals for relevant consultations , checks and operations, it would of cost me $70000 or more in the States if I had no Health insurance or my Health Insurance didn't cover it, no give me the NHS any day, I's rather pay for my health our way through Taxes no all to well that if something goes wrong I get my health cover free, oh forgot the cost of a ride in an Ambulance in the States, $3000 + a time.
We disagree. OK you take out private insurance and you stop paying in to the Welfare State. And after 20 years you fall ill and can't pay the premiums. Who do you turn to? Who picks up the tab for your misfortune? And if thousands of people 'opt out' because they are able to what are those who haven't the resources or are too old or are just too ill to look after themselves to do? After all there will be less money to look after them? Its the 'all in' social aspect of the NHS which is its sucess
Two: In other words you are Ok as a 'Have' but who takes care of the 'Have Nots' my friend? The American system sends out the message that your Nation doesn't really care. Looking after ourselves is not enough although of course we have that responsibility. We must also care for the less fortunate and a 'social' health system like the British model does precisely that and we are immensely proud that as a Nation we take care of our own and don't push them out in the cold when they need help
I've lived in this country my whole life and I had to wait 9 months to see a physiotherapist. This guy can get an MRI scan inside two weeks? Not likely. The NHS is nothing but a monopoly on Health Care. He also mentions Europeans coming to the UK to get health care. I hope they are paying for it because it doesn't seem right that we pay taxes for Europeans to use our health service.
That's not at all what the health care mandate that Obama proposed is setting up. It's more like the system that Romney set up in Massachusetts when he was governor. All of the insurance companies stay completely private.
Yes.
Yes
Except of course in the US you are treated well if you have the ability to pay and the more you have the ability to pay better you will be treated. That is true if you come from the US, UK, France, South Africa, China, Peru, Chad, or any other country you can name. Unlike the US the UHC systems around the world allows every citizen access to comprehensive health care without the fear of not being able to pay or being made bankrupt in the process, this is not true of the US system.
It's not an opinion it's fact whether you choose to believe it or not
Fine - just as a matter of interest - did you know Americans have NO legal entitlement to holidays from work whatsoever.
"Everybody in the country is covered."
"That's remarkable!"
Only remarkable in the US. It's standard in the civilized world
Not to mention if you are retirement age, on welfare, pregnant or children they do not even pay for prescriptions. They get all that free too.
@@TheWhale45 eh?
@@LouiseKernow2024 And it's free in Scotland also for everyone.
@@LouiseKernow2024 You pay peanuts otherwise. No one's prescriptions cost more than 5£ a month.
It's almost as if the interviewer got the majority of answers he would rather not have heard.
Yes
He forgot about free prescriptions for a chronic conditions, such as insulin, inhalers or blood thinning medication. Simple rule of thumb: "if it's keeping you alive, it's free"
Type 1 diabetic here waving my free medical exemption certificate that means I don't pay prescription fees, just to prove your point.
Not really. There are several cost comparisons on here showing that the healthcare-component of income tax that UK taxpayers pay is on average half of the insurance premium that US citizens pay for an equivalent coverage*. The main reasons is that there are no insurance companies or heath care businesses to take huge profits in UK like there are in USA. *Quality of healthcare is equivalent is most areas for adults, but for children the US is not even close to UK. USA has lower life expectancy, and has one of the highest child death rates in the western world.
@@waysaunut we pay reasonable taxes. The crappy state of infrastructure, environmental protection, public transport and a dozen other failings in America can be placed at the door of decades of neo-con, Ann Randt fiscal policy that reduces taxes for your super wealthy at the expense of your health and happiness.
Our wealthy pay more than your wealthy, our poor pay nothing. And yet our healthcare covers everyone and just about everything. And per capita is nearly 3 times cheaper to boot.
phillip nowhere near what americans have to pay for healthcare , so your comment is ignorant and stupid.
We don't all pay high taxes in the UK. If you're unemployed, a child or a student you pay no tax or National Insurance. If you're on a low wage you pay no income tax and very little NI. Between £21,500 and £50,000 ($65,000) it's 20% tax.
Is the British system better? Oh yes it's much better by light years, than in comparison to the USA.
I agree.
And my experience as well as statistics most of all of Europe and Australia and Japan. Canada is trying and is still better than the US with its short comings that it only does bodily and Rx that is issued in a hospital only, doesn't cover Rx at a pharmacy nor dentistry, that you have to buy supplemental insurance... but my understanding politics there is attempting to bring dental and especially Rx coverage to them too.
Despite that, Canada Rx prices are lower than the US often by 50% to 90% depending on the item as their cost controls are based on actual cost of production, they don't have insurance and the producing companies "regulate" it... like letting the fox regulate the hen house.
@@jmitterii2 Bullshit. My Canadian born daughter-in-law's parent came here damn quick when he needed a heart bypass.
Except its not.
@@mac11380 That's a pretty bold statement, care to prove it with facts, not opinions, *FACTS*
It's worth remembering that here in Britain, it's not "The NHS or nothing".
Private medical care is an option for those who would prefer it.
Correct. We have many private hospitals and many "private" patients from some of the wealthiest countries in the world. A lot of rich Arabs come here for treatment in private hospitals. They are treated by NHS doctors who work a day or two per week in the private sector. The rest of the time these doctors, who could earn fortunes in some other countries, work in the NHS. That means we have some of the best doctors in the world treating us if we need them. God bless the NHS.
@@TheNick279 Just to add, you can speed up your diagnoses by "going private" and then bring them to your NHS doctor or specialist. I saw my specialist the following week privately which cut down the wait. Depends how you want prioritize you own money so best of both systems if need it.
@@jrosam9569 it's true you can do that, but personally I think it's morally wrong. If you start the private route the you should finish private.
@@calicokittenproductions591 Oh morally wrong to reduce the waiting list by one, for the person behind you?
@@jrosam9569 if they are in such a rush to get treatment then they should pay for all of that treatment. Why should they jump the queue just becausevthey can afford to pay to see a consulant, wrong anyway you look at it.
I'm not sure I agree with private health care. I personally believe every man, woman and child should solely rely on the NHS. Be they royal, a politician or just any old plain jane. I'm sure if that was the case more money would be invested in our national treasure.
Amricans say 'why should I pay for someone else to get treatment?'
I say 'Because it is the right thing to do, and because this way we all look out for each other. Someone else wopuld be paying for you when you need it.'
All you do is cut out the profit and focus on the service.
+Whoami691 What you've said is true, but what may be more compelling to people is that they already ARE paying, this is a way of paying less. Right now, the US pays for people who should have been treated months ago, didn't and then require emergency care and longer treatment. Or, they die; something that doesn't happen here.
We actually spend LESS of our tax on healthcare than you would in the states, DESPITE their insurance system.
Im happy that my taxes go to making other people better. Why should a poor child not get care because their parents dont earn a lot?
*****
Working hard is all well and good, but with, as you say, and 'aging population' and in fact and 'increasing' population, there are only so many jobs. Jobs people like yourself (I am assuming you are working or a board or something) Like cutting to the bone and pay less than the amount needed to live on.
When the minimum wage is also the living wage, work will pay, people are on welfare because companies don't like paying their staff. I work 6 days a week and still can't afford to live. Keep taking the moral high ground, view must be great when you are standing on those beneath you.
*****
Keep paying tax, I will keep claiming welfare. Ok champ. ;) When you want to pay a decent wage, give me a shout.
***** I think the word "society" should be in parenthesis.
Hit the nail on the head - the NHS care is driven by just that "care" and not "cost" !
And it costs the government a lot less than the ridiculous prices for drugs and treatment in America.
When the NHS was setup the government had to persuade doctors to accept it, at that time they were reluctant to give up their “private” fees in exchange for government payments. Perhaps this is the real reason why US won’t move to an equitable health system for all its citizens; claiming a UK style system is socialist is a smoke screen designed to scare their people. For the US socialism = communism, and we all know their historical fear of that political system.
Us brits may complain about the NHS but we'd never want it to be privitised.
No don't fix what isn't broken. Privatisation would fuck it up for ever.
We complain about everything and anything. That just how we roll out of bed. 🤣 I complain about our idiot Tory politicians that want to privatise the NHS, and not the NHS itself.
Glad I found this video. Sometimes, this country is a shambles, but I couldn't be happier with the NHS, and I wouldn't give it up for all the world.
I agree
And me! 🤗 🇬🇧
How on Earth is it a "shambles"?
I'm in the UK, last month I fell off my skateboard and hurt my hip. I went to the hospital within 15 minutes I was seen by a nurse, within 1 hour I was having an x-ray. It turned out that I'd broken my hip and the surgeons wanted to know if anymore of the bone was damaged so they wanted me to have CT scan, I had to wait an hour or 2 for that. They said they think the bone should heal naturally but if not than in a month I may need an operation, in the last 5 weeks I'v had 4 x-rays. No charge up front at all. Yes its paid by taxes, but if i was American and had no health insurance how much would all this have cost me?
This guy is spot on. I am from North Carolina and I have lived in the UK for 9 years and this is 100% true!! The propaganda about about the NHS spread in the USA is very misleading.
If the people in the USA are not willing to believe what they hear, of course all people lie to the USA!!!!! let them do without. I for 1 am sick of hearing about this debate. Let them do without medical care, or lose everything because they were sick. You can't fix stupid.
Thank you for TALKING the Truth👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽....💯☮️💯🙏🏾🧿from 🇯🇲🇬🇧
I know
For me at least, the NHS is not socialist: it about a nation that cares about its people - for the people by the people.
In the US they have gone so far right that to even suggest that we should care about other people is enough to be called a fringe socialist fanatic, probably a communist. It is crazy.
They're terrified at the mere mention of the word 'socialism'. It's funny how they're supposedly more Christian in the States than over here, yet most of them couldn't bear to have a fairer system which is better for everyone, especially the people most in need. The majority are are a bunch of hypocrites. Capitalism at its finest.
@das datics Yes I know. But to me it is still about looking after each other. It should also be add that, many doctors and surgeons were apposed to the formation of the NHS at the Time.
err THAT is socialism, looking after all ... not the fearmongering communist agenda, just looking after your neighbour who coincidentally looks after you.... it depends who gets sick. We pay to look after each other!
@ShariaFreeUK You are full of shit. You can't even tell the difference between Communism and Socialism - which is a spectrum of differing political ideas. The UK is a democratic socialist country - guess what, that's on the Socialist spectrum. If you were a Marxist, you were a communist - they like calling themselves socialists but they are the most extreme examples and not taken seriously.
How dare they think that because it’s free that our doctors are sub standard
It's funny how you can't immediately get a job in the NHS with a US medical degree because it's not the same standard.
The fact that birth is not a medical procedure says something about your health care.
@@minahambleton512 because birth is natural ..if you go to hospital as a patient then its medical .
But surely, you're paying less, so it must be worse. That's how America works
Doctors and other medical professionals from all over the world have chosen to work in the UK. I have met people from Sweden, Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Poland, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand, who work for the NHS. If I asked any of my friends who work for the NHS what other nationalities they have met working for it, I could get a far longer list than this!
as a brit, i fucking love the nhs... how many time times have i done something or been a situation that i now realise it would me a bomb in another country. take a ni cut of my wages anyday...
What irritating camera work. Couldn't watch to the end - got a headache, so went to the doctor.
I'm a Brit that's lived in California for ten years. There is no comparison. UK all the way.
"The NHS is the closest thing the British have to a religion"-Nigel Lawson (British Conservative politician).
When I emigrated to the US for family reasons (to Cleveland, actually), it took me a little while to get a handle on how US healthcare works. I was absolutely horrified. The labyrinthine bureaucracy of signing up for it in the first place, the sheer _cost_ coming out of my weekly pay, the struggles to find a doctor anywhere nearby who accepted our insurance, and THEN...it all changed, because the insurer my employers were using wanted to increase our costs 50%, so my employers chose for me another insurer who would only increase our costs 15%. And then I had to find a new doctor. And THEN, after getting expensive and essential dental work done for my children, I find out that I hadn't crossed all the i's and dotted all the t's, and my kids weren't insured.
Honestly, all the ''horror stories' I hear about how terrible socialised medicine would be already apply in the US, it's just private companies with no accountability who screw you over instead of politicians - and I still got better care in the UK.
Werrf1 British is best full stop.
@@fionagregory5774 I'm a Brit that lived in the USA for 12 months. I can see why Americans believe the stuff they believe, they are lied to about so much on a daily basis. I honestly think the USA has become everything it was created to fight AGAINST.
@@TonyEnglandUK American citizens are living in a CULT . So entrenched within it are they they don't notice it . Its only when they leave it becomes apparent! It is so obvious to the rest of the world though!
@@mikedakin2016 No kidding. Ask any American today _"What is the most-free country in the world?"_ and I guarantee they'll say _"The USA"._ (The United States doesn't even make the top ten.)
".the US can't have socialized healthcare."
It can it socializes everything else: army, police, firemen, education, etc, etc.
Lol.... education isn't socialized... something called private schools. There is private security big boi..... not only that it's unconstitutional to "socialize " healthcare, education, and etc etc on the federal level.
@@popbasketball1696 point to the part of the constitution that says socialised healthcare is unconstitutional.
We also have private hospitals, people just choose the NHS because its more effective for what you pay. You have schools funded by the government, that's socialism.
@@popbasketball1696 You have public schools which are paid for by the government for everyone to use, and private schools which people have to pay for themselves. That is exactly the same as Socialised healthcare, like in England where the NHS is paid for by the government for everyone to use, and we also have private hospitals, clinics etc which people can pay for out of their own pocket if they so choose.
@@jackmason7823 Exactly, since there is no where in the Constitution that reserve the power to the federal government, it is reserved to States. Look up the 10th amendment. It's up to the People of the several States to decide whether they want a tax funded healthcare system for their respective State.
@@popbasketball1696 you're an idiot do some research before you open your mouth or type
I peed blood 18 months ago. I got an appointment with my GP the same day. Within a week I had MRI, CT and ultrasound scans. WIth a month I had surgery. I have regular treatment now for incurable cancer. It is ALL FREE. God bless the NHS.
Not only is the NHS better than the US system, but the amount I pay toward it through my taxes plus the BUPA private health insurance I paid until recently, still comes to less than two thirds of what it would cost me for a single health policy in the United States.
Not only are several aspects of US healthcare sub-standard, but they cost the earth, largely becaude they are sold and traded by schysters who are more concerned with bleeding you dry than making you well.
For all its faults, and there are quite a few, I would back the NHS with my life.
If there's one thing I love about this country more than anything else, it's the NHS. I'm very proud of - and very grateful to it.
+Me Here Likewise.
+Tony England To keep it, we must leave the EU, there is no way we can keep the system with unlimited, unregulated mass immigration from Eastern Europe.
Wepz UK
I could not agree with you more, Wepz UK, well said.
Voting on such an important thing just on emotional grounds is unbelievably stupid...
+Charlie there still welcome, it's the other kind that is not .
when in Florida quite a few years ago, one of my sons, had a very serious throat/tonsils issue and having severe breathing difficulty we had to go to a hospital and before they would even look at him or help in any way, they took my credit card details !!!!!! I was frantic and horrified, we are so used to getting treated without question here. You can keep your US healthcare, it makes me shudder to think what would have happened if I had forgotten to take my AMEX card with me!
I had a tonsilectomy at 6 yrs old and never had many colds since.
Relax. He would have been treated regardless. Everyone in the US gets treated, especially in an ER. No one gets turned away.
@@bumiker Not true. You only get treated if if your life is in danger. Also they would have been billed for it.
No sick person will be turned away from treatment in the US, regardless of their ability to pay, but anyone living in the US knows the importance of having medical insurance and avoiding massive bills. Believe me during the Covid disaster, the NHS failed miserably and many people were not given necessary treatment for their illnesses and not just people who wanted elective surgery. I was so glad to live here in Florida where world class treatment is always available and was throughout the Covid pandemic. I admit that we have always had great insurance, but that was because we were very aware of the importance of having it. We do not pay anything like the amount of taxes that UK residents pay, especially because there are many states that do not impose a separate tax , like Florida. We are retired, but I would be willing to bet that our taxes plus our medical insurance is still less than would be imposed in UK.
@@franceslucas8945 You’re most welcome to your treatment for the wealthy system, i was in-effect turned away. I am very happy to live in a civilised country where I don’t have to show my credit card before I get treatment. My family has had only superb treatment from our wonderful NHS. At age 76, I’ve had ongoing pain treatment for severe injuries suffered as a toddler and now a new surgical procedure has repaired my severely damaged pelvis, replaced the hip and is providing spinal surgery for my back which was worn out as a result of the way I walked due to the accident. I’ve also had eye surgery for a detachment retina, in addition to this I have had leukaemia for the past eight years which had been treated successfully. If I had moved permanently to America as I almost did in 1997, I enquired about the pelvis/hip surgery and was told firmly that insurance wouldn’t pay for any treatment at all as it was a “pre-existing condition”. American “healthcare” no thank you very much. I know me and my family need never worry about nor being able to afford illness or injury.
To the exhibit ' hawken '
My daughter is a doctor in a UK NHS hospital.
Come over here and tell her she's an inferior product of a substandard system !
You better have one hell of an insurance plan to cover your air-ambulance back where you came from, and the years of treatment you'll need before you can walk again !
US healthcare is primarily a business.
UK healthcare is primarily a service.
Is the camera man drunk?!? Wtf is wrong with them, swaying all over the place!
Bollocks to private health care give me socialised health care any day
That's what I love about it here - the whiners who want private health care over the NHS can do that anyway. Just point to BUPA and say _"It's over there, mate."_
The NHS was born in 1948 3 years after a devastating war. Our towns and cities were in rubble and we were half starved. The country was bankrupt and yet the people pulled together and made the worry for sick or poor people facing medical bills impossible. The NHS is a miracle
OK we may moan about the NHS from time to time, but I love it. I would probably be dead, if it wasn't for the wonderful doctors, nurses and my local practitioners.
Patient with undiagnosed Ebola arrives at the hospital with symptoms of being unwell, having recently arrived from Liberia (which is awash with Ebola). The triage nurse asks the usual questions including the ones about symptoms and travel history. The doctor later tells the guy to go home but 2 days later he was seen again and admitted with Ebola. Why not the first time?
"At a news conference Wednesday, hospital officials said a triage nurse performed the recommended screening - asking about his symptoms and his travel history - but her report wasn't communicated to the rest of his health care team".
Report in USA today about Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas.
Bad and good things can happen in any system. NHS is not perfect, but neither is the American health care system.
9 years ago I suffered a pretty major stroke and spent four months in neurological rehab unit learning to walk again all paid for by the NHS, last year I had skin cancer diagnosed and treated within five weeks and I still a free check up twice a year again paid for by the NHS.
Also....... if you’re unemployed, over 60, or are on a low wage, you are entitled to free prescriptions. There is also a certificate you can buy for about £30 which lasts three months, if you need a lot of medication but you aren’t entitled to free prescriptions.
Interesting. This is a guy with a good and presumably well-paid job, and even he thinks the NHS is good.
That's also why he had good experiences of the US health system.
Americans need to learn that not EVERY THING has to be a business!
It’s $10,000 to have a baby in US-and that’s with insurance!
Costs nothing in UK.
T F Forgot about that-I will day that to.
neil chetwoood. You fucking twit. You pay for it in taxes. Unless your doctors work for nothing.
@@johnmcdonald9304 yes of course we pay for it in taxes. But that is it.
@@johnmcdonald9304 You pay taxes according to your wealth, you get "free" health care according to your need. A rather different approach.
As a Brit I would say that’s a fair assessment of the NHS. Staff are nearly all very passionate about helping people the only thing I would say is that nurses need to be treated and paid better by the government, and they need to bring bursaries back.