American Reacts to USA vs UK Healthcare - NHS vs Private
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
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In this video I react to the American vs UK healthcare systems. The NHS and US healthcare systems are completely different, but it seems both offer pros and cons. If you could somehow merge both together you would end up with an absolutely amazing system.
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Found a lump in my breast on a Saturday, Gp Monday, hospital for scans etc, Thursday , operation 2 weeks later, chemo, radio and I am cancer free for free. The care was amazing , the staff were amazing and I will never stop being grateful to them .
My wife required kidney dialysis, early into our marriage, in a London hospital. This was transferred to our home where one room was fully equipped for homme dialysis equipment. I was trained, by the hospital, for the purpose of dialysis. Later in life she had two kidney transplants, first failed. She had numerous follow up appointments. Two children, both born in hospital. I dread to think of the cost but luckily, as I am British, I did not receive a bill for anything, It was all through the NHS. I worship my NHS.
When I got home after 5months I had a air mattress and wheel chair. My doctor would visit every day at lunch time, I would throw my keys out the window and he would make me a coffee for 2 months
My mum broke her hip she got a hospital bed, a commode, wheelchair, hand grips, a walking frame and even new steps on 3 doors to outside. This was all on the NHS, iv not talked about my brother he was extremely burnt at 11 months old, he had 17 years of amazing help the first 3 years in hospital.
I can not praise the NHS enough, myself and my brother would not be here without the NHS.
Sorry iv gone on but people should know all the extras they do that help.
@@gabbymcclymont3563 wow so you’re sucking up all the resources while my partner pays 50% in taxes and gets fuck all. You people should at least have the good grace to be ashamed.
Your wife's story is similar to mine. Kidney problems all my life, had two transplants and spent six years on dialysis (mostly at home) in between. My parents were trained how to use the machine and put me on / take me off. Also had cancer / chemotherapy and various other issues. All free. I wouldn't be here without the NHS.
We have been very fortunate to live in the UK.
I worship my Nhs too. I’ve just beaten breast cancer, it took 2 days from gp to hospital, the care was excellent and they’ve saved my life …again
The delays within the NHS do NOT affect emergency situations.....just non-emergency! By the way, I need to clarify something! The statement relates to how the NHS was designed to work. Nowadays, though, it is being mismanaged and starved of finances by the current government! They are determined to create animosity towards the NHS in order to pave the way to a Private system.
@stevaga4683
Except when emergency patients are kept on trollies in ambulances and in corridors for hours and heart attack patients can't get an ambulance for four or more hours.
@@Willowsmum Thats normally due to busy seasonal periods etc, its not a continuous problem.
so no cancer treatments or operations delayed then
For everyone who's had to wait like that there's probably ten or a hundred who haven't.
@@radleeand it's also due to people misusing the ambulance service. They'll call the emergency services and overreact to something a family member is known to suffer from. Every time the ambulance comes regardless if it's emergency worthy or not because if it is they've gotta be there. A lot of times they end up overstretched by idiots who just call them at the drop of a hat rather than properly taking the time to learn about their loved one's condition. Multiple people in my street keep doing this with their grandmother over things that a care home could easily cover on site yet they persistently rely on the ambulances instead of simply learning how to treat her condition deterioration at home...
It's interesting that your first thought is always "hospital", while in UK we would normally see our local General Practitioner first who would then issue prescriptions or book hospital visit if necessary. Waiting times aren't really a problem (at least where I live), emergency treatment (head, heart, lungs etc) will get immediate attention either at Accident & Emergency Dept or via the GP. Non emergency treatment can take a few weeks - I don't see any problem with this. Everyone gets the care they need in the end based on priority.
Same in Italy. The night I last brought in my granny (who was 101) there were people waiting in the A&E since the morning, but that is because they had things that ought to be seen by their GP, while people with serious conditions (like my granny) were immediately taken care of.
Also, in Europe we tend to get everything seen before it gets serious. This morning I got in my poop sample for the colon cancer screening, and if I had a persistent ache or any other symptom I would immediately see my GP and get advised, get all necessary tests done, and probably get the situation addressed before it gets serious. It's hugely cheaper and it's also conductive of better health.
It really depends how bad it is. Sure a doctor's advice is good (Call 111 for the medical help line that connects you to one just for advice - free). But I mean, if you broke your leg, just call an ambulance. 😂
@@qwadratix yes, but if you have the flu you don't keep doing stuff until it becomes pneumonia while hoping it goes away. You call your GP, stay home for 4-5 days, etc.
@@alicetwain Absolutely not. Unless you are very old or have other serious health issues, you should just stay in bed at home for a week and you will be fine, especially since it can take a week to even get a GP appointment by which time you have healed. Outside of just renewing a prescription or other very long term tests, if you are ill enough to see a GP you need to go straight to A&E. Hit my head once with a bit of a cut, just went straight to A&E and got stitches put in within an hour. If it takes longer than that for the bad symptoms to fade you have some other more serious health issues than a little flu.
In the U.K. people aren’t afraid to seek healthcare earlier, so treat potentially serious issues sooner and therefore reduce the cost of more expensive treatments which may be needed if left untreated. There are a lot of educational resources available with regards to diet etc. Instead of self diagnosis, we can ring up the NHS health line to speak to a nurse or healthcare professional and are advised to either stay at home, see the doctor or go to the emergency room or call an ambulance.
As a Brit, I'm happy to know that all of my prescriptions are actually free! I suffer a condition that requires me to have three tablets a day to keep my metabolism stable... When you have a life changing issue like that, the NHS gives you a certificate that makes all your scripts free! On top of that, the moment you turn 60 all scripts are free, too!
65 in Italy.
That's true for England. All prescriptions are free for everyone in Wales and Scotland. Not sure about Northern Ireland.
So glad I’m in the U.K. - we really are blessed to have the NHS!!
@@perfchaos - And free in NI...
They're not free! If you work you pay your N.I. contribution or if you're unemployed or on disability then it is deducted from whatever payment you get. You still pay National Insurance no matter what! It's not free!
The NHS saved my life and I didn’t have to pay a single dime - I hope we never take it for granted . We love our NHS ❤
Edit: yes I know the NHS is not perfect and there will be many people who haven’t experienced the same as me . But knowing that if I am sick I can actually go to the doctor and not worry about going bankrupt over it …. I will never ever complain about how lucky I am to have that privilege .
Couldn’t agree more - god bless the NHS!
They wouldn't have taken dimes anyway because we use pounds and pence not dollars and cents! Now if you had said pennny that would be different because for some bizarre reason Americans do use the word penny!
Tell that to ones who were locked up during the lock downs and died alone.
Me too. 55 years ago, age 21 I got a burst appendix. Despite me protesting that it was just constipation and I just needed to get a laxative, the University clinic nurse insisted on me going to the hospital where I was immediately rushed into surgery and opened up. World's best without a doubt. ❤
@@qwadratix It is their job to treat people, they are paid by our taxes they do not do it for free. Anywhere you go for paid service you expect a good job.
I spent 12 weeks in hospital had open heart surgery for the second time in my life that would have cost me a fortune in the USA I live in wales so all my medications are free I am so thankful for the NHS as it has saved my life quite a few times it’s not perfect but at the end of the day we in Britain don’t have the stress of going financially bankrupt
Glad you sucked up all those resources, no doubt without paying fnck all in, while my partner who pays 50% in taxes but still can’t get care. So he’s paying for YOUR care instead. Got it. Can’t wait for the nhs to die. Why the fuck are the ones paying for it getting the least back. There should be levels, you get what you paid for. You people should be ashamed. Yet instead you brag away on the internet. You would have thought if you were given a second chance at life that you’d spend the rest of your life proving you deserved it.
@@cececox6399 sorry your partner can’t get care but your ASSUMPTIONS are way off that I never paid in when I have worked all my life
If less people in the US are seeking healthcare because of the cost then obviously there will be fewer people waiting for that care.
Most of us also don't go to the hospital for cold or flu either, a little soup, rest, and recovered, exactly what the doctor would say. We are generally more independent of our wellbeing and don't trust in a system to spoon feed us!
@@timothyreel716 Nobody in this country would think of going to a hospital with a cold or flu either, I'm 75 presently suffering with a bug, a couple of paracetemol and an early night is the usual cure, with maybee a wee dram, as most of us do.
The only people I know that are spoonfed are the US with their political BS.
@@applecider7307 The whole world is is spoon fed BS, like wear your mask, take the vax, trust the "professionals", please, you can't accuse the US of anything that the rest of you are not guilty of!!
@@timothyreel716 say the people who voted Trump ppresident!!!
@@applecider7307 You obviously suffer from TDS, but I don't trust any politicians anymore, right or left!!!
I live in the UK and have never had a problem waiting in an emergency.l am blessed to live in this country and l am truly grateful for the UK NHS..🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
After a serious accident, I spent over 4 months in a NHS hospital. I had over 6 operations followed by 19 months aftercare. It didn't cost me a penny.
In the UK 🇬🇧 we all are rightly proud of our NHS.
The waiting times in the UK are only relevant to non urgent or elective procedures. Otherwise the NHS is quite swift.
Yea they’re great. Like with my partner who was ran off his motorbike by some dumb bitch in September, they refused to send an ambulance and he STILL hasn’t been fixed. Yea they work SO hard. You bootlickers are unbelievable. 🤦♀️ Ahh welp. The nhs IS dying. Enjoy it. Hopefully while it’s dying it’ll take plenty of boot lickers with it.
Generally in UK A&E people get seen by first line triage very quickly.
After that waiting times depend completely on how ill you actually are and how much having to wait is going to make anything worse....
Come in a with a simple broken arm and they will normally give you pain relief and ship you off to xray fairly rapidly... But getting it set and plastered may weloy take a couple of hours, especially if somone with something more serious arrives first
Apart from waiting an hour or so, i've never had a problem with our glorious NHS. The only reason your response time is higher is because of the amount of money they are about to make. There is literally no comparison. We win this hands down.
Absafuckinglutely, this is one of the last british things to be genujnely proud of
Haha yeah you’re mentally ill. Keep licking the boot. I just hope y’all are fully vaxxed and boosted.
@@cececox6399 Are you refering to me?
I had a growth on my back two years ago. I went from seeing my local doctor to seeing a consultant, to being operated on within 10 days. I couldn't have wanted a better degree of care. It is also so comforting to know that you can always call an ambulance at any time for free if you need one.
Very similar here, biopsy was day after the assessment appointment
Hi Steve. Good to have you back. Yes the NHS suffers from long wait times for non emergency operations and getting seen in A and E. My friend had to wait 3 months for a hip replacement. My niece as a small child got a piece of lego stuck in her ear. My brother took her to A & E where they checked her immediately for life threatening condition then they waited 5 hours for a doctor to remove it.
My friend on the other hand had a massive heart attack...got paramedics to him within minutes, stabilized him, rushed to hospital and straight into theatre for an emergency operation to put stents in!
With your high temperature in the UK there would be options like calling your GP surgery and see if the doctor could come out to you, call the medical non emergency line that has qualified nurses on it that can advise you on the best route to take or go to hospital!
I suggest you watch a British tv programme called 24 hours in A and E. It would answer many of your queries on waiting times.
Emergency treatment in UK is fast. Example my friend had a heartache walking in Snowdonia. Helicopter picked him up, took him to a specialist heart hospital and 5 hours later he was sat up in ICU recovering from heart/valve by-pass surgery
Went to the Doctor last Monday, sent me a MRI scan on Tuesday and went back and met two Consultants on Wednesday, Got Prescription and all for free !!! Great Service
Having to worry about a bill must be a heavy burden
@11:46 Just to clarify, you cannot opt out of the NHS, you can pay the 'National Insurance' (NI) tax and also pay to go private, you cannot ever choose to not pay NI unless you don't earn enough to contribute in which case you can still use the service.
The NHS is mainly funded through general taxation. That’s why you can’t opt out. National Insurance is mainly used to fund state pensions and certain benefits. That’s why you stop paying NI contributions when you reach state pension age even if you’re still working.
In the UK, we are advised not to lower a fever as it's your bodies way of fighting the virus. If you suffer through the fever, you will get better quicker
One of the key things to bear in mind regarding the two systems is the way they are set up in terms of priorities and methodology:
The UK NHS is oriented towards PREVENTATIVE care. This means that the system runs a lot of initiatives to monitor people on a regular basis to try and catch common medical conditions before they become so much of a problem that a person requires hospitalisation. People are commonly invited for screenings for everything from cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar levels etc. through to more serious blood tests and screenings for things like breast cancer and prostate cancer. The idea is to nip potential medical problems in the bud BEFORE they become serious, whilst they can be more easily and effectively treated. This helps patient outcomes and also keeps costs down for the NHS as it often saves having to hospitalise people whose conditions are only diagnosed once they've already become acute.
The US on the other hand, has an approach that is based much more on only tackling problems once a patient presents themselves for diagnosis. Due to concerns over cost and affordability of care - US citizens have a habit (as you yourself attested to) of deliberately NOT going to seek medical assistance at an early stage when a condition could be alleviated much more efficiently, instead opting to seek treatment only when symptoms have got so bad that you have no other choice. Despite the two systems being funded completely differently, this preventative approach in the UK is one of the reasons why overall health spending per capita is so different between the two countries. One way looks to minimise the risk of expensive hospital care, whilst the other is only concerned with treating what patients present with - often when it's too late to provide more cost effective preventative treatments.
Exactly - very true.
The reason you could only get the particular named brand, was all because the Dr will have a cheeky contract with a drug company, and so therefore push their brands. You also mentioned about the amount of legal proceedings in the US and thats because the tort in medical matters is almost completely opposite.
Yeah Americans have a system where they can get justice and British people don’t. Every single person I know who died… died of medical negligence. That’s why the lazy scumbags in the nhs are so against us being able to sue.
My father recently died. He was a pensioner and had a severe heart condition, so he had to take a dozen different drugs every day. The only drug he had to pay for was a sleeping pill that he took in a sporadic way (a box of 30 pills lasted him for the best part of a year), and even that costed around 15 euro a box. The Italian system is pretty similar to the British one. For most prescriptions we just have a 2 euro copay, but if you have a chronic disease the drugs that you need for your disease are 100% free.
Because people are not likely to go bankrupt by seeking medical care they are more likely to seek help earlier which means conditions can be treated sooner resulting in better outcomes
I'm from the UK, my daughter emigrated to the US through work some years ago and her job includes healthcare insurance. In 2021 she caught covid and was having difficulty breathing and so had to go to hospital. She was not admitted but had day treatment and was put on a drip and monitored for a few hours. The cost was $17,000, her company health insurance covered $10,000 but she had to pay the other $7,000 herself. In the UK all treatment would be covered by the NHS and would be free.
I think the low USA waiting times are artificial. If everyone that needed to go to hospital went to hospital without worrying about money then the waiting times would shoot up.
In the UK if the waiting times are too long then you do also have the option to go private.
In the UK, we don't have to worry about cost. All illnesses are covered. Medicine is covered.
My relative has insulin provided free of charge. Not only that, the NHS provide an electronic live blood glucose monitoring system which would cost thousands of pounds if bought privately. That same relative had a hip replacement recently, also at no cost of course. I recently looked up the medicines that she is on and at retail price, they come to over £9,000 a year. Again, this is all supplied free at the point of delivery by the NHS. The hip replacement also included home assistance and equipment for disability living. It's fantastic to know that whatever happens, the NHS will treat you. You never have to worry about cost in the UK. You can have extensive surgery and years of ongoing treatment, and never have to think of the cost. My family have had probably over a million pounds of treatment over the years. I'm amazed that some Americans don't want such a system there! The NHS isn't perfect, but it's probably the greatest benefit of living in the UK.
Welcome back Steve. Good to see you are feeling better. What is not mentioned in this video is the preventative medicine available on the NHS that must improve our life expectancy. As we get older we are all offered ongoing free tests for conditions like colon and breast cancer plus follow up checks, usually for 5 years after any initial treatment. There is currently a mobile CT scanner parked up in one of our local car parks for a trial, carrying out lung health checks based on peoples history of smoking or working with asbestos.
Take care of yourself!
The NHS just absolutely insisted that I come for a hearing check-up based on age, regardless of my protests. Eventually I gave in just to shut them up.
I now have two 'invisible' hearing aids of the absolute latest design custom fitted for my hearing profile. They are f'king wonderful! I can hear the birds singing in my garden in the mornings. I'd forgotten they did that!
@@lindadaulby Yeah, Not really 'invisible, but pretty good compared to the massive box my granny had hanging off her cardigan.
These are 'behind the ear' and not really noticeable. If I had any hair left they could be easily hidden.
Great video, as always. Our NHS must be getting something right as we have a phenomena known as 'Health Tourists.' It's where foreign nationals come to Britain with the deliberate intention of using our NHS services, then going back to their home country without paying a penny for the treatment. Strangely, citizens of the USA figure quite highly here.
Same for when people I know here in San Diego go to TJ Mexico for things like dentist work and their pharmacy for stuff you can get over the counter that you would need a doctors note for here in the US.
Welcome back, glad you are feeling better.
I for one am thankful for the NHS, I have a disability and am a wheelchair user, so I have spent a lot of time in hospital over my life.
My Mum used to be a nurse, so I do hear about the other side of the coin in terms of healthcare and the healthcare system.
My Dad recently spent time in hospital and I cannot fault the treatment he received in hospital, they saved his life and were fantastic, considering how much we hear about how the NHS is struggling.
It’s also so reassuring knowing he won’t be slapped with a huge bill to cover the cost of his stay and any treatment he had.
Prescriptions are free in Scotland, as are eye tests. one of the benefits of this is people get eyes tested regularly and it is probably the easiest way to spot diabetes early. Therefore simple eye tests mean you can intervene earlier and save the NHS expensive treatment in the future.
I went to A&E with a cold, numb, painful foot. I was taken straight in to see a Dr, and was admitted to the ward that night. After scans, blood tests etc., and being seen by numerous Drs, I had to have my leg amputated. 4 weeks in hospital, painkillers, antibiotics, 2 units of blood, physio, rehab, a wheelchair, a hospital bed delivered to my home so that I could be discharged - cost to me? Zero. The NHS saved my life, I was well cared for, and I will be forever grateful to them.
I'd prefer the NHS and the option to choose private medical insurance if I want to, which is what we have in the UK. Btw, I've literally just come back from having a chest x-ray and the walk from the hospital entrance to the x-ray department took longer than the whole procedure including waiting to be seen. I bet for every person whineing about waiting times and such there's ten people like me who are perfectly happy with the level of service they get with the NHS!
I had a blood test on the Thursday, doc phoned me on Monday that my PSA was a bit high, next day had MRI, week later had biopsy & nuclear scan, week later told I have prostate cancer & started ADT treatment that day. 5 months later had 20 sessions of radiotherapy & now PSA is undetectable. All I had to pay for was the petrol to get to the hospital, the car park was free for cancer patients. Thank you NHS...
The way it is said in the video, it sounds like people in the UK wait for ages for lifesaving procedures. It is false. You get strictly prioritized, and if you need immediate care because you are at life risk you will be seen ASAP.
Regarding having a temperature, my friend's mum had an unexplained temperature. The family took her to A&E (ER) - no charge. She had to have several tests - no charge. It was discovered that she had sepsis, so she was hospitalised - no charge. She received all of the treatment necessary - no cost. Her family could focus upon her recovery rather than worry about the bill.
I have never had a problem with the NHS. My late mother was ill, she was hospitalised immediately, tests were carried out immediately, and treatment began the week following. The same applies to my late father and to myself. All three of us received life-saving service.
I have also known people who paid for treatment in private hospitals, and half of them required remedial work in an NHS hospital.
The NHS is not perfect, but it is not a system that needs replacing, just improving.
Steve, because our health care system is free to all in the UK then a high proportion of people who walk into an A&E department do NOT have a serious condition. Frequently a lot of these people could get treatment from their GP or a pharmacist (who are all medically qualified) and as a result clog up an A&E dept. I have known people who turn up in A&E with a head ache or a sprained ankle which is frankly ridiculous. It causes unnecessarily long waiting times.
This is a massively overstated media talking point at the moment, I'd go as far as to call it propaganda. The rates of people seeking help for minor issues at an innapropriate service have risen slightly, but there's very specific causes, namely, the backlog and reduction of services intended to treat minor conditons. The increase is still only marginal, and doesn't explain the problems we have with wait times increasing exponentially. The reduction of services availible, which have been cut significantly, is the main cause of the current problems. The reasons behind the cuts are multifacted- brexit and covid have their roles to play- but by far the most significnat cause has been the outsourcing of services to for-profit companies, whilst maintaining the public source of funding. In order to operate the nhs in profit rather than deficit, they've had to reduce what they offer, which has come in the form of quality of care and availability of services.
It can be a pain to get a doctors appointment but if I keep ringing at 8 am I can get a same day appointment although I was on the phone for nearly an hour, I work full time so I pay for my prescriptions here in England. We also have a phone line we can ring who is a health advisor who will help us in out of hours situations. Listening to this I’m so grateful for our NHS. The thought of having to go bankrupt to get treatment is astonishing ❤
Great to see you back. I was concerned. The only time a patient in the UK has to wait days, weeks or months is for NON emergencies and elective or cosmetic surgeries. Any urgent medical issue is dealt with immediately. Also, in the UK people usually go to see a doctor first. If he/she then refers a patient to hospital the treatment is immediate. Overall I would rather wait a couple of weeks for non emergencies than pay through the nose in order to have no waiting time.
I had both hips replaced by the NHS, I was given a choice of hospital's, including private hospital's and had the operation at the hospital of my choice
Same experience here Peter, and the aftercare was also excellent when I returned home with nurses to change dressing and physiotherapists help.
A friend of mine in the UK told me that they have a rule that you have to see a specialist within a certain time frame or you go to a private one at no cost.is that true..
@@Joyce-Barker I haven't heard of that one, but who knows it may be true.
@@Joyce-Barker It certainly used to be true, at least in some areas. We usually get a choice of where we want to have our treatment if it is not an emergency - I had the choice between two private providers and two NHS providers when I was referred for my cataract surgery.
@@Joyce-Barker no it’s not. They can justify making you wait as long as they want. Things that don’t matter like old bags getting cataracts surgery they’ll give a private option to, because it’s well established technology. But anything that actually matters can’t be dealt with in private hospitals because they’re not allowed to have the things needed. Our private hospitals aren’t allowed to deal with emergency’s and ambulances. They made it so you HAVE to deal with the nhs.
The NHS deals with emergencies as an emergency. Last yr my gallbladder perforated and I was really ill.... ambulance was here in 6 minutes and I was taken to hospital where I was put on IVs for a week in hospital. 2 weeks later once my gallbladder had become less inflamed I had surgery to remove it.....zero cost
one thing that is never mentioned, but is very important. Contraceptive in the UK is free. As is access to abortion. Women's reproductive rights are much more respected here in the UK than in the US.
Also. The waiting times as a trade off is likely much lower in america because of the fact that it's insanely expensive. It's not surprising to have fast response times if there's a lot fewer people due to unobtainable costs.
The response times are dependent on the need. The more serious the patient the faster you are seen.
This doesn't work if you have time wasters though
The $12 prescription charge only applies in England. In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland prescriptions are free.
Priority is the name of the game. If there’s a waiting list for certain procedures your condition will be managed with drugs, free of charge, while you move up the list. If your situation is an emergency, such as a heart attack, stroke, head injuries, etc., you will NOT be required to sit in the waiting room of a hospital for hours before you are seen by a doctor and assessed.
In the U.K. being generally unwell with a temperature or rash is something you would normally speak to your GP about in the first instance. The assessment can be done via a home visit or even over the phone if you’re not well enough to get to the surgery, and you’ll be advised what action to take - including self medicating with ‘over the counter’ drugs like paracetamol. You may be told to phone for an ambulance to go straight to hospital if he thinks it is potentially serious enough (eg: a rash on a feverish baby that could be meningitis).
Rather than leave niggling conditions to worsen to the point of crisis because you can’t afford the remedy we are much more proactive with getting our health back. Take another look at those contrasting survival rates, in spite of the USA’s huge spend per capita, and it tells the story.
Glad you’re now on the mend. 😊
Prescriptions. Not everyone in the uk has to pay for their prescriptions. Children and students under the age of 18, people over the age of 60,and those with chronic conditions, such as diabetes get it free.
Anyone under treatment for cancer will also not have to pay
Pregnant women get free prescriptions and free dental examinations and treatments until the baby is a year old.
People on some benefits are also exempt from paying prescription charges
As far as I know you can not opt out of the NHS but you can still add to the service they provide by having private health care
Long waiting times are for general stuff, if it's emergency / life threatening then you'll be prioritised.
I’ve had three occasions where I’ve needed investigations for potentially serious conditions in the last 10 years, most recently in September last year. On each occasion I first visited my GP, twice I needed tests carried out in hospital, I was referred for those tests by my doctor, and on both occasions I was seen within 2 weeks. The first time it was to be tested for a serious hereditary heart condition which had been diagnosed in several of my dad’s siblings. He himself died at 55 of a heart attack so there was a fairly good chance he also unknowingly had the condition. I spent several hours in the hospital cardiac unit being subjected to various tests, but was found to be clear. The second time I found a lump in my breast, I was referred by my doctor again, this time to the dedicated breast clinic and seen within 10 days. Again I received the all clear.
The NHS prioritises serious conditions such as cancer, heart attacks etc, which is why there is often a wait for non urgent treatment. Visits to Accident & Emergency (A&E) or ER in the US are also based on priority and patients are triaged when they arrive. So if you turn up in an ambulance following a serious medical emergency or accident, you would be seen immediately. Everyone else is seen in order of priority…I once had reason to take my then 18yr old son to A&E after his midnight sledging trip on the golf course with friends went wrong. We sat in the waiting room for 4 hours after triage until he was seen, by the time we left the hospital with his broken foot in a cast, it was almost 6am. The waits for non urgent treatment can be annoying but far rather that than having to decide whether I can afford medical treatment or not! I’m very grateful for the NHS.
I don't pay for my insulin as a diabetic, it's a lifetime illness.
Ok so I have recently been diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.
I had a lump on my neck, saw my GP who referred me to a EENT consultant who ordered a CAT Scan and biopsy. When those results came back, she referred me to a Haemotologist consultant who ordered a PET CAT scan, core biopsy and bone marrow biopsy. He then designed a treatment plan which is to see a radioologist to undergo weeks of radiotherapy to kill the cancer. I have also been assigned a specialist Haemotology nurse who looks after all my needs and I can ring her anytime to for any reason including emotional support.
All done within 4 weeks.
Total cost to me - my monthly national insurance taken out of my wages which is LESS than American health insurance.
Additional costs to me - Zero.
I walk in get seen and leave. I never have to worry about money.
That is why NHS is and always will be better than American healthcare.
The cost of prescriptions depends on where in the UK you are. It's free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because their devolved governments chose for their citizens to only pay for it through National Insurance (Healthcare Tax).
Prescriptions are free in devolved nations because the cost of administering the exemptions would exceed the cost of providing free prescriptions for the smaller populations, although it became a political rather than a logical issue
@@cgillman2744 That's true.
Last year, I felt a lump on my breast. I called my GP and they saw me the day after. Then booked me for xrays, etc 2 weeks after. I did not have to worry about costs, co-pays, etc. Thankful for the NHS.
The difference in cost is down to a key difference. In the UK we don't do treatments that don't work or provide a significant benefit. In the US companies promote the idea of "choice", patient can chose their treatments and suppliers do not have to demonstrate quality or success. This is an economics idea, but the problem is that information on which consumers would use to judge the best treatment is not available. We do get UK people traveling to the US to get a super new treatment that isn't available on the NHS, but they usually die anyway.
US companies provide treatments with no guarantee of success, the UK NHS provides health care, if the first treatment doesn't work, you can have another treatment (provided is has a good chance of improvement) and continuously for free forever.
Responsiveness is a load of private healthcare nonsense, the UK is slow today for a number of reasons which can be addressed, the US is quick because fewer people are trying to use it.
My son has cerebral palsy and is now 19 . I cannot imagine how much his healthcare has cost . He has been in and out of hospital throughout his life the last time was last year when he had a major spinal fusion surgery and was in hospital for 5 weeks. His medication is expensive but for us it is free as he has a medical exemption so doesn't even have to pay the minimum prescription charge. He is tube fed and all his food and the syringes , pump and other equipment is free. He is doubly incontinent as he is quadraplegic and his pads are free. He has an electric wheelchair free and could have had a bed but we bought our own and a shower trolley but again we chose to buy our own. We also have a ceiling hoist and slings all provided free and serviced for free. I thank God daily that I live in a country where this is provided and although we often complain about wait lists etc I have to say I honestly don't think he would still be with me anywhere else.
The NHS is also more pro-active... While watching this vid, a text has just come through to me from my GP/NHS Surgery, thus: 'Dear Mr... This is a No Reply Text. Please be on the look-out for an NHS letter requesting you to contact us for a 'Bowel Cancer Screening Test'. You will receive the letter within 2 weeks, please contact us to arrange a convenient date and with the relevant Ref No to hand. Screening aims to find bowel cancer early, when successful treatment and cure is more likely.' Last November I also had an ultra-sound appointment organised in the same way to check for stomach cancer - the results of which were totally clear! I'm SO glad we have the NHS...
Welcome back and glad you're feeling better.
Any emergency treatment / critical care /life threatening illness response times in the UK are very quick/immediate. It’s non-emergency non-life threatening illnesses that have waiting times. And if it is non-life threatening then you can always pay to go private if you want to be treated immediately. The main point is, if you have no money you still get full treatment in the UK. You don’t pay to go to the hospital and have a baby. You don’t have to worry about whether you can afford to get treatment for illness. You don’t wait and then get worse and end up costing the system more because now you’re more seriously ill. I also wonder whether the cost-per-person is skewed a bit, because a lot more people in America will have zero cost because they can’t afford it and die. Whereas every person in the UK will be counted as they all have access to healthcare.
My babies all born in the Uk cost me nothing….👍
Im brit and I had a Pernial Abbess that was infected and causing me massive amounts of pain due to its location sitting walking and even laying down was painful. at around 2am christmas day while at my parents house it ruptured and due to the infection i passed out in the bathroom. i then spent christmas day in hospital due to the infection causing high white blood cell counts. i was seen by a surgeon and a consultant given morphine and had a minor surgery to sort it out, i was then given an apointment to have the abbcess removed perminantly and was seen by a consultant surgeon who is also a proffessor of medicine the surgery was a success as it was not an emergancy i did have to wait til march to have the surgery but i did not mind all in all it cost me nothing from start to finish. the NHS is a god send and we should spend more on it.
I was taken into hospital last year. I was in intensive care for 2 months and on wards either side. Total cost £0.00; I would dread to think of the cost if I was in the US, even with insurance
By the time someone in the US, has waited to see if they’re getting any better before deciding if they should visit a doctor, and then sat and worked out if they can afford to go at all, or found out how much they have to co-pay or sort out the financial concerns before getting help, you could have seen a doctor in the UK, and if it was serious or life threatening you would then be seen in hospital immediately, with no costs. Then, if you needed urgent tests and you’d had to wait the two weeks for that in the UK , you’d still be seen within the time you’d have sat , suffered and become sicker in the US.
It’s always said we have long waits, but if it’s an emergency people in the UK would be seen immediately without costs for the ambulance, hospital, treatment, medicines, physio etc.. it’s only for routine procedures which have already been diagnosed, interim help given if necessary, with no costs except for maybe a prescription charge for medicines, and whatever you had wrong had been deemed safe to wait for the waiting list time, that you would then be on a waiting list. That’s the only time you’d wait
This is under NORMAL circumstances within the NHS. CURRENTLY, there are long waits for emergency ambulances as our NHS staff have had to strike over pay and conditions due to the Government decisions regarding their pay, staff and working regulations etc
But, our wait would probably still be less life threatening than a US citizen deciding whether they want to go bankrupt or not 😬😟
As a side note, we are starting to understand how US citizens feel about health concerns as we are now in the same sort of system for our pets. We spot something wrong and then have to worry if it should be seen immediately with the high cost of an initial appointment, or wait and see if it resolves etc. the vets don’t lose out because if it doesn’t resolve and gets worse then the vet companies get more money from the higher cost of the tests and treatments that might be needed because the condition wasn’t seen sooner 😡 these companies now charge extortionate prices for the tests, treatments and the medicines and owners have no option but to pay if they love their pets. Most people now take out insurance, but there are so many things that can happen which will leave your pet uncovered and that’s when the huge bills hit . It’s pure extortion which is the same as the US healthcare system
Hi Steve. Here in the UK you tend to find the one uniting subject is healthcare. Even as a more conservative person in other areas, the one thing I think takes more priority over political position is the health of my fellow Brits. I don't care if they are labour party supporters, liberal democrat supporters or even none voters, I still believe because they are fellow citizens of my country that health takes priority over any political affiliation. Because I still care about their welfare.
Here in the UK I think you find a lot of people with hybrid political beliefs. Where ideas cross boundaries more. So as a conservative I can still believe and fully back an NHS for all with better funding, more staffing etc even if I have to pay a little more tax to achieve it.
It’s a shame that the people you vote for despise the NHS
@@kevintwine2315 They really don't, that's just typical political messaging by whatever party happens to be in opposition at the moment. Same accusations were levelled at Labour while they were in power during the 90s.
@@notapplicable4637 They really do, hence why they are running it into the ground so they can justify privatisation.
Labour aren’t much better you’re right, I do think they would treat workers with at least an ounce of respect though.
Waiting times are a very recent problem because of the underfunding of the past decade. 15 years ago an ambulance was with you on average in 7 minutes and to wait for 4 hrs in A&E was long. This a symptom of it being understaffed and underfunded.
Couple of years ago I had a heart attack, I phoned an ambulance which arrived about 20 minutes later, about 30 minutes after that I was in an emergency treatment room of the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank. I was given multiple morphine shots as pain relief, two stents were put into my body reopening two major vessels, I was kept in hospital for 5 nights before getting to go home on the Tuesday. That stay was in a private room with ensuite wet room with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
If that had been in the US it would have cost me a fortune, in the UK it cost me nothing, beyond what contributions I'd paid when I was working.
The NHS may not be perfect but it's literally a lifesaver.
Incidentally I was talking to an American relative and he told me the cost of a stent for his wife was nearly $20k. Shocking.
My 6 month old grandson got ill 2 weeks ago, daughter phoned our family Dr - high temp and rash. Dr phoned back 10 mins later - sent a link so she could send photos of the rash. Dr asked her to bring in the baby for an immediate app. Saw them literally 10 mins later and asked them to go to the local major hospital. Waited for 5 mins at the emergency paediatric section, seen by a nurse, then 20 mins later by a paediatric Dr. Admitted to hospital for overnight stay. Own room, bed for my daughter, TV, food, drinks, seen by the consultant Dr at about 1am, constant observation of grandson. Released from hospital 8.30 am when they were certain it was nothing more than a viral rash and temp was under control.
I live in the UK and I was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in October 2022, I am almost 59 years old. I needed 2 procedures to remove cancer from the inside of my bladder, and I have been having BCG treatment injected once per week for 6 weeks, I am also awaiting the results from an MRI scan, I will then need to either receive a procedure to remove my Bladder and my prostate, or if found clear of cancer just future surveillance. All of this was free of charge at the point of need.
People always go on about the wait times, but it really isn't much more in the UK.
Average A&E wait time in the US is 2.5 hours vs the UK where it is 3 hours 20...yes it's nearly an hour more, but not drastically more. When people are waiting days this is in extreme circumstances during very busy times. Also FYI if you're going by individual states in the NHS, Maryland is higher, with an average of 3 hours 48.
Average wait times to see a GP in the US is 20 days, and 10 days in the UK.
It's worth mentioning that because in the UK we have the NHS it's in the best interests of the UK government to keep it's people healthy via health education, food quality and preventative tests etc. The nHS has huge buying power for drugs medication etc so we get really good deals.
A few clarifications. Prescriptions for pharmacy dispensed items are (yes) around $10... but if you have multiple items they can be included in an annual 'plan' that costs around $100 - so you could be collecting your medications every month (and several medications) for that price. Once you are over 60 prescriptions are free in England, in Wales they are free anyway, not sure about Northern Ireland and Scotland (devolved parliaments decide). Private healthcare is an add-on to the NHS. In MOST cases your primary route is to go to a GP first and if they decide that (e.g) you need an MRI - as I did some years ago for a frozen shoulder - you can use your private healthcare policy to skip lines and go to a private hospital. Many companies include this as a benefit as it allows staff to get treated faster and WHEN it suits them. But in the case of (e.g) a broken limb from a car crash or whatever or serious respiratory issue then you are going to head to the 'ER" - same for everyone - and they will take care of it. There may be a wait (Covid has not helped) but you will get taken care of at no cost to you. The NHS is not perfect by any means, it is underfunded and the staff are having some serious pay disputes right now - but the model is very good. My UK born but American naturalised (and Citizen) got quite sick on a visit here 10 or so years ago and she went to 'ER' and was treated with no questions - and no cost.With regards to response times.. depends on 'for what' and where you are. I can get an appointment with my GP (usually) same or next day... so if I have some rash or weird earache or whatever I can get seen pretty quick. If it's something more 'severe' they will find time same day. BUT some of my neighbours who use a different GP practice say it's often 2 or 3 days... "ER" stuff is dependent on load. I woke up one night with chronic pain in my side, wife drove me to the local "ER" and I was inside and being checked and monitored in minutes. On a Friday or Saturday night when people are drinking too much and falling over or getting rowdy it would be a different story.
I live in scotland, and all prescriptions are free. Every newborn receives a :baby box.our waiting times are far less than the rest of the UK.All older adults are entitled to free health and social care at home.
Our NHS staff are paid more .
NHS Scotland is very different from NHS England/ Wales and Northern Ireland.
We do have some issues, however, much less than the rest of the uk.
I am biased lol I also work for NHS Scotland.
One of the major cost differences is the cost of medicines paid in both countries, In the UK there is a single purchaser of drugs where as in the US each healthcare company buys its own
This has a number of consequences
1) The purchasing power of the NHS allows them to negotiate a lower cost
2) The drug companies spend a lot less on marketing
3) Generic drugs are much more commonly used at a lower cost in the UK
All of this means that on average drug cost in the US are around 3 times higher.
It has some downsides with some drugs not being available on the NHS where the costs are very high and the medical benefits comparatively low but as with all things there is no perfect system.
It should be obvious that waiting times at a British hospital A&E are triage based.
If you go in with a cut that just requires stitches you will have to take your turn. But if the cut is pumping bright red blood you will be wheeled directly to a theater. If you've twisted your ankle you can wait, but if an older or over-weight person has chest pain they will immediately be connected to a heart monitor and a specialist called for.
Pharmacies in the UK will also give you advice on high temperature and minor ailments. The medicine etc isn't free but reasonable.
UK here
3 years ago I had a mini stroke, scared does not gert close. Long story short.
1 Paramedic to masses
1 ambulance as an emergency.
4 days stay
2 CT scans, 1 MRI, 1 lumbar tap to get some spinal fluid.
Appointment with a neurologist
FREE
I currently take 4 different, in my part of the UK it is all free
I am proud of the NHS. Yes it has issues
I hadn't been to the doctors for 15 years but in 2014 at 54 I had problems breathing when doing small amounts of work and falling asleep. My GP appointment did take 10 days but I think down to me as was asked if it was an emergency and I am the type who would always say no. Once in the doctors he phoned the hospital to get an appointment for the medical assessment unit that afternoon. I arrived a bit early so prepared for a wait but was taken in . After a few tests including x-ray was in a hospital bed that evening for 2 days heart failure diagnosed 9 tablets a day and heart nurse visits to my house an average of 1 per month for 9 months cost one bus fare to hospital and £104 a year for annual prescription certificate nil since 60. Though yes I have paid taxes for many years.
I understand some at the beginning of the NHS were worried about losing their income which I suspect is why the GP practices are private but paid by the NHS. In the USA it seems you also have to cover the income of the Insurance industry and Lawyers with your health bills. Thank you for saying about not having health care I always wondered what would happen if you couldn't afford Insurance but didn't come under the Medicare Medicaid system.
In the UK emergencies are seen immediately, that is why others have to wait, patients are prioritised.
Unless you are an emergency that is taken straight through to treatment, when you arrive you go to reception and tell them what's wrong, depending on what you say there will determine how quickly you see a triage nurse and then they decide your priority to see a doctor.
When i had a serious accident i was immediately taken to a trauma cubical to be seen by doctors.
When i felt really ill i called an ambulance, started fading in and out of consciousness on the way to hospital, and was taken straight into a cubical to be seen by doctors.
On other occasions when i have broken a bone or needed stitches, i have had to sit in the waiting room, depending how busy they were it could be for less than an hour or several hours.
I think when you said on why the UK life expectancy is higher is due to higher quality of food is probably true to an extent, though I'd say more on physical exercise, as the US you drive absolutely everywhere and anywhere, where we're more prone to walk, especially in larger cities
Our NHS has it’s floors and isn’t perfect but it’s comforting to know that should anything happen to myself, my children or any other family member I can take them to a doctor or hospital without any worry of a big bill coming my way. It seems crazy to me that in America you can be sick, hesitate on getting treatment and whilst getting treatment worry about how much it’s going to cost!
I imagine it'd be like going to the vets. You'd dread getting checks for everything even if it gives you peace of mind or uncovers something serious. Yet when the time comes you can easily take the big price hits for your loved ones.
Uk health system similar to here in Australia. I felt revolting, had visitor, said I looked terrible, they called ambulance, here quickly, I’m over 65, ambo’s were friendly and funny. Cost me nothing. Stayed overnight, got condition under control, but they didn’t want me home alone. Free ambo to rest place with docs and nurses for 2 weeks. Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner then supper lol. and rested 2 weeks a lovely garden to sit in the sun, books to read, art stuff if u wanted to dabble, gentle exercise classes - cost, absolutely nothing, not one cent.
We pay national insurance to go towards the NHS. If you earned £24000pa you would pay £1871 per year, that covers all our costs except dental and optical which you get at a reduced rate.
national insurance is not for nhs its for state pension and dwp benefits. nhs is funded from other taxes
All taxes and NI go into the same pot now but paying NI builds up an entitlement to a state pension and some benefits.
People can't opt out of the NHS. Private insurance is in addition to the NHS. Private hospitals do not take emergency patients. If you are in a private hospital and an emergency situation occurs. You are transferred to a NHS hospital.
I nearly died in 2021 at 29, NHS saved my life, developed type 1 diabetes out the blue and ended up getting taken to hospital in an ambulance for diabetic ketoacidosis. All care I received was free, ambulance was free, my stay in hospital was free and my prescribed insulin and needles ect are all free each month. I couldn't imagine been american and locked into a financial struggled to essentially live, I've seen the disgusting prices the american health care system charges for insulin what should be free, I never chose to be diabetic and I've always been healthy I can't comprehend been charged so much for something not your fault, just to survive in the U.S it mind blowing.
Important note at 11:35 - nobody can opt out of the NHS in the UK. You can pay for private healthcare (via insurance or out of your own pocket) _on top_ of the tax contributions which go to the NHS, but not _instead_ of them. They're also free to still use the NHS at any point. That's the whole point of it - everybody pays regardless, and everybody benefits if they want to. Also worthy of inclusion is the fact that private healthcare companies do not provide emergency care, because that should never be on a for-profit basis.
Totally agree with you about the health systems. I'm in the Uk and, like you, I am not a part of the right or left wing tribes....I tend to be pretty central also. I do think there are pros and cons to both systems and both could really benefit from improvement but I do admit that I like the idea of not having to worry about the cost of being saved if i was in a car accident or something...
It is nowhere near as bad in UK as he makes out. If you need urgent medical care you will get it quickly, immediately if necessary. Most hospitals can deal with anything but if you need a specialist hospital you will be transferred by ambulance free. Everyone can eat healthy food in UK, with few exceptions we all shop in the same shops no matter our income.
If you go private in the UK you have the best of both ways
And private care in UK is much cheaper
Glad you’re feeling better dude, hope to see more content, keep up the good work! As someone from the UK it’s insane to hear that one of your first concerns when getting sick is ANYTHING to do with money. As many issues as the NHS has; NO ONE in the UK considers anything to do with cost when it comes with illness, other than the £10ish that you pay for any prescription.
Part of the reason for the costs is that in the NHS it’s a buyer’s market, you want to provide to the NHS you keep your costs low if you’re a manufacturer. Also its in the interest of the NHS to keep patients healthy and treat issues early, or more importantly promote healthy lifestyles that minimise the likelihood of I’ll health - because that reduces the costs on the NHS. Whereas in a for profit system like the US has its in the system’s benefit for you to be sick, and because of the high costs you don’t seek help earlier and so conditions are only treated when they are critical, and therefore more expensive to treat. Plus you end up paying more in taxes because the government is trying to plug the gaps that such an inefficient system creates in coverage
I think it’s more that than the less litigious nature of the UK but that’s certainly a factor, but again the NHS covers doctors’ insurance and legal costs whereas in the US they need to provide that for themselves
Maximum waiting time for suspected cancer patients for a first appointment is 14 days for an out patient appointment. In more serious cases admission will be on the same day if necessary
Being a Brit whose worked in America, I'd favour the NHS even with its faults as my company had to source Insurance for when I was working in the US the policy was for $2.5 million including repatriation to the UK, while tying to find an insurance company in the US for cover it became clear that it was going to cost tens of thousands of $ a year for that cover, my company then started looking in the UK for an insurance company that could offer the same cover and it came out to approx $500 a year, looks as though the US insurance companies are feather bedding their premiums at the expense of their customers. Even with that cover I still used over the counter pain killers and other medicines which I knew how to use effectively and I were a qualified 1st Aider.
One of the biggest differences is that we have employee rights and government assistance, so if you have an illness and their is a wait you will get paid sick pay for the time you are out of work and an employer can not sack you for being out sick. Care is based on need. The more urgent the need, the faster you are seen.
You can pay for private healthcare as well as getting it through your company. The cost is still tiny compared to the US, and co-pay (or excess) as we call it is usually less than $100. There is no "opting-out" of the NHS. You still have to pay towards it, but you can still use it.
Waiting
If you have no people daring to go to hospital then the hospital can take you in.
If you have to be seen then it has to be prioritized
The last "Queen of England" was Queen Anne in 1707.
The last "Queen of Scots" was Queen Anne in 1707.
The last "King of Great Britain" was King George III in 1800.
The last "King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" and first "King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" was George V in 1927 (the year the name was changed).
When he says we can opt out of the NHS, he means we opt not to use it and to go private instead. We still pay the same taxes and are still covered by the NHS even if we have private health insurance. Private hospitals don't have accident and emergency departments and so if, for example, you're in a car crash or if you collapse with a heart attack the ambulance will take you to an NHS hospital. Private healthcare is for elective procedures or non-emergency treatment.
it varies. time wise ive never waited more than a week for treatments here up north in near blackpool
I've lived in both the States and UK, played rugby in both countries, had injuries in both countries. I broke my jaw and eyesocket in the uk it cost me nothing at the point of contact. I broke 3 fingers in the usa I had insurance it still cost me $2000.
It makes me angry when American politicians take aim at the NHS.
Other than the hobnob biscuit the NHS is the single greatest thing this country invented.
Happy you're feeling better Steve 👍 Since the covid pandemic the NHS has been seriously effected. Waiting times in A&E can be up to 11 hours. A elderly neighbour of mine in her 80's, slipped in the courtyard last week. She had broken her hip. We live 5 minutes away from the hospital but were told to not move her. A very cold day, she was covered with blankets to keep warm. The ambulance came four & a half hours later! Yes the NHS is a great thing but it itself is very wounded at the moment. One other point, unemployed/unwaged/sick people do get free dental work on the NHS. Cleans, fillings, extractions & even false teeth are all 'free'. Great reaction! 🇬🇧🇺🇸