What is it about the NHS????

[Rough Hewn]

Yep. Couldn't afford bupa.

[Woodlover]

My Mrs is in her 2nd year of being a student Nurse and what we have learnt so far is...2 hour lunch breaks are normal , if a patient is 5 minutes late for their appointment with the nurse ,the nurse can make them wait 15minutes more as punishment and twiddles her thumbs/texts friends until then...too much power and no one to reprimand her. Free 3 course meals for students and people they are placed with ,but not just the people they work with but also the manager gets to come for a free 3 course meal just to say thank you for helping train the student even though they did F-all..this all during a normal working day.

There is so much waste and abuse of position.

Also the students are all warned that slagging off the nhs may get them thrown off the course, so a lot will not tell.

[Ty Korrigan]

2 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Look at the French system.
It's state funded and private.
State pays 70%, your private medical insurance covers the other 30%.
And it bloody works.
Both my parents are elderly and frail.
Specialist...
Can't do today, but 10am tomorrow?
Brilliant.


I had a tumour growing in my left index finger some years back.
Got dicked around by NHS for over 18 months.
Ended up performing the surgery myself.
I'd rather lose a finger than a hand.

After the closure of our ltd company co-inciding with my wife having a serious operation to remove a 1kg tumour, I was without a meaningfull income for a time, unable to work as I had to care for my 2 kids and wife. I was forced to fall back onto state aid which also entitled me to free healthcare known as the 'Couverture Mutualle Complimentaire'

I was previously paying €1200 health insurance on top of the 40% social charges levied on every euro of my previous salary.

There are things the state won't pay for like opticions and dental care.

This YOU need to insure for separately.

I have in previous years visited the 'urgences' (A&E) in Rennes with work related injuries on 4 occasions. Head injury from a hanger, 7 hornet stings, eye and ear infections (sawdust mainly).

I've been seen in around an hour each time.

Each year we recieve a statement from the government body to who we pay our social charges too.

It helps us appreciate just why we pay so much in social charges.

In 2016 my wife gave birth by emergency 'C' section.

This alone cost over €5k never mind the 5 day stay and subsequent home visits from nurses.

However, there is a serious shortage of rural GPs as few young doctors wish to set up in the sticks.

Many GPs are working long past the normal French retirement age for their trade and into their '70's.

Our local GP can normally give us a rendevous within days, often same or next day.

Specialists, often a month or so.

Ambulances are run by private companies. Most towns have an ambulance service based there.

 Stung by hornets and in some danger, the local pharmacian offered first aid whilst the ambulance took an hour to arrive.

Others more fragile might have died waiting had no-one intervened.

  Stuart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rough Hewn]

I'm familiar with the urgence at Rennes.
Full of smack heads and alcoholics ten years ago.
My parents stay regularly at pontchaiou.
Private room, clean and tidy. Staff are ok.
But yes.
You do pay 20-30% of your wage on "social contributions" and then you pay income tax.

[Ty Korrigan]

3 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

I'm familiar with the 
You do pay 20-30% of your wage on "social contributions" and then you pay income tax.

In our case because we are vat reg with accounting it is 40% again on what we draw as salary plus income tax.

Other smaller 'micro entreprises' like my subbies pay on their turnover after a 50% allowance for costs. So 50% of 50% meaning 25cents in every euro is social charges. Under this system the lower your business costs the higher your wage.

As I'm married with 2 kids I've never paid income tax in France.

Stuart

 

[skyhuck]

I have only ever had excellent service from the NHS.

 

I've had 3 operations over 24 years due to work accidents. On each occasion I was seen immediately and operated on the following day. The aftercare has aways been excellent.

 

 My 4 children were all delivered by the NHS and again excellent care was given. 

 

I have on virtually every occasion I have interacted with the NHS I have seen lazy, often obese staff doing very little. And members of the public not doing as asked or having unrealistic expectations.

[Matthew Storrs]

I honestly can’t see why they couldn’t charge a small fee for say a visit to A&E and GP. I’m sure if people were having to pay £10-15 for each visit it’d cut out the time wasters, raise a little extra capital and frankly if you can’t justify spending that for the sake of your health then perhaps it’s natural selection at work!

Edited December 15, 2019 by Matthew Storrs

[Pete Mctree]

17 minutes ago, Matthew Storrs said:

I honestly can’t see why they couldn’t charge a small fee for say a visit to A&E and GP. I’m sure if people were having to pay £10-15 for each visit it’d cut out the time wasters, raise a little extra capital and frankly if you can’t justify spending that for the sake of your health then perhaps it’s natural selection at work!

Sadly there are people so poor that this would be an obstacle to them getting appropriate treatment 

[Ty Korrigan]

In France, you pay around €25 to visit a GP.

It gets refunded up to 100% if you have appropriate cover.

The poorest still pay upfront but have a full refund.

 Stuart

 

[Steve Bullman]

45 minutes ago, Pete Mctree said:

Sadly there are people so poor that this would be an obstacle to them getting appropriate treatment 

True. Could charge up front for appointments though and then refund them if it turns out they aren’t just turning up for free paracetamol for a headache. People would be less likely to abuse the system at least