NHS, healthcare, etc

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#1

Had a bad run healthwise of late and spent quite a bit of time thinking about healthcare, etc. I’m very much pro-NHS because i’m not a Tory. Experiences have been mixed, as you might expect, but clearly there are massive issues with funding, etc, etc.

Anyway, what i’m interested in is people experiences of private healthcare vs the NHS. The iller i’ve been the more thankful i’ve been, but at the same time i’ve felt a bit guilty about being a bit of a drain on services when i work full-time and waste money on all sorts of other rubbish.

Do you think people who can afford to go private should? What help does your employer provide in terms of healthcare? As above, how have you found the quality of service has differed? For those who have a healthcare plan, who would you recommend, and what sort of bunse are we talking?

#2

My employer provides Vitality health insurance for my partner and I but I’ve never needed to use it. It’s one of those things I’m a bit conflicted about but it’s not like private education or something where it’s very existence is detrimental to the state equivalent IMO.

#3

Do you think people who can afford to go private should?

No. Defeats the purpose of a universal service. They should probably pay more NI.

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#5

I’ve just had a pretty great experience with the NHS. I do have private through work but it didn’t really cross my mind. Probably too late for that once I was admitted.

I also just saw that on my discharge notes the consultant described me as ‘delightful’.

#6

That’s because private heathcare is largely given by NHS staff and infrastructure.

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#7

NHS doctors use sarcastic code in their notes.

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#8

Don’t you fucking take this away from me!

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#10

hope you’re feeling better, man!

#11

You get half price running trainers every year!
Tell me you’ve done that at least?

#12

It’s large but not hugely difficult to sort with appropriate funding. The fact we’re in a position where we begin to question the viability of universal healthcare is proof of how insidious Tory philosophies are.

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#13

That’s debatable, given that so much of private healthcare is undertaken by NHS staff and in NHS facilities, accommodated by restricting the hours given over to non-private work.

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#14

I get private medical insurance through work but have never used it.

I get the argument that some people might want to use private to reduce the burden on the NHS, but the root of that problem is an underfunded NHS, and I think increased use of private healthcare will have a negative effect on that in the longer term, so I don’t think it should be encouraged.

#15

NI should really just be folded into income tax.

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#17

I have! (and 40% off Garmin devices which I have used three times now)

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#18

phew!

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#19

Alright, in that case I’m both part of the problem and completely clueless about the problem itself :disappointed:

#20

I don’t know the details of your situation, but I think you were an emergency admission with sepsis. I’d be surprised if your private provider would have been able or willing to treat you in the circumstances.

#21

This is a crucial point well made. The private sector’s existence does undermine the NHS because it siphons off a lot of resources from the public service.

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#22

@colon_closed_bracket - you thought life insurance was a popular topic?

image

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#23

I’ve not actually had too much of a hard time getting good mental health support through the NHS. First got sent to a group thing that wasn’t very helpful but they got me into one-to-one support when I stopped attending.