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Health Care Tourists


TIGHTCHOKE
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A few examples of the French health service;

 

This morning my wife went to the Breast Screening Clinic to book an appointment for a routine mammogram. They gave her an appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

 

Yesterday morning a friend phoned her GP asking for an appointment for a shoulder problem that came on over the weekend. By 2pm today she had received her X-Ray result and a program of physio has been booked for her.

 

Another friend needed a hip replacement. He kept putting it off until it got too bad. Then he made an appointment with the GP. He was referred to the surgeon two days later and was offered an appointment for the surgery 7 days later. He had his new hip 10 days after going to the GP.

 

The other difference is that in France it is an offence not to have health cover. Lessons to be learned perhaps?

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A few examples of the French health service;

 

This morning my wife went to the Breast Screening Clinic to book an appointment for a routine mammogram. They gave her an appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

 

Yesterday morning a friend phoned her GP asking for an appointment for a shoulder problem that came on over the weekend. By 2pm today she had received her X-Ray result and a program of physio has been booked for her.

 

Another friend needed a hip replacement. He kept putting it off until it got too bad. Then he made an appointment with the GP. He was referred to the surgeon two days later and was offered an appointment for the surgery 7 days later. He had his new hip 10 days after going to the GP.

 

The other difference is that in France it is an offence not to have health cover. Lessons to be learned perhaps?

I think you are absolutely right. Trying to pretend that the NHS is this wonderful organisation where everything is rosy is becoming unsustainable. Its a socialist utopian dream (and a very noble one) but reality isn't made from dreams.

Edited by Vince Green
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I wonder if people come here for treatment, because the best doctors and nurses from their own countries are working for the NHS, because we've failed to train enough of our own.

This is something that really annoys me we send loads of young people to university to do subjects that they cannot get a decent job at the end of it why can we not just say to them learn to be doctors and nurses and we will pay your fees all that you must do is work in the NHS for five or ten years .

 

or you can pay the £50.000 fees and go where you like I think it is just plane wrong to get doctors in from underdeveloped countries who have educated them and need them.

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Blimey, if the French can make it work WHY can't we in the UK?

 

Cos its a massive political football that whoever tries to kick it gets redcarded ........ Seriously, delink it from politics somehow and make the necessary changes or just carry on wringing hands and blaming the tories and watch it die.........

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Labour 'weaponised' the NHS at the last election. That was Ed Milliband's policy, in fact it was his only policy. As Spanj says, they have created a perfect catch-22 situation.

 

It cannot now be reformed despite badly needing reform without howling mobs chanting privatisation (like that would be a bad thing?)

Edited by Vince Green
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I have health insurance, whenever I travel for business or holiday (including the UK) I'm assuming I'll have to use it in the event I go to the hospital. I pay extra each year for higher cover and cover in the US.

Surprised to hear you don't check this, madness really.

Not madness really?

 

Just stems from the delusional view of those in charge that we are the moral guardians of the world and have the responsibility to pay to sort out all of it's ills?

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This is something that really annoys me we send loads of young people to university to do subjects that they cannot get a decent job at the end of it why can we not just say to them learn to be doctors and nurses and we will pay your fees all that you must do is work in the NHS for five or ten years .

 

or you can pay the £50.000 fees and go where you like I think it is just plane wrong to get doctors in from underdeveloped countries who have educated them and need them.

 

Tony BLIAR was the numnutz who decided EVERYBODY should be able to go to university, thus devaluing the whole set up.

 

 

It used to be the people who needed a good education went to university, now it seems everyone can and as said above most can't get a job after their degree.

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I think you are absolutely right. Trying to pretend that the NHS is this wonderful organisation where everything is rosy is becoming unsustainable. Its a socialist utopian dream (and a very noble one) but reality isn't made from dreams.

 

It was feasible when it was introduced. Virtually no unemployment and a lower death age and little uncontrolled immigration. It has become unsustainable due to increased unemployment, higher death ages, government policy in hiding unemployment figures behind sickness benefits and easier and better travel making health tourism a major problem.

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It was feasible when it was introduced. Virtually no unemployment and a lower death age and little uncontrolled immigration. It has become unsustainable due to increased unemployment, higher death ages, government policy in hiding unemployment figures behind sickness benefits and easier and better travel making health tourism a major problem.

Also the sheer range and complexity of the treatments available today, virtually nothing was around when the NHS started. Healthcare was pretty basic but also pretty cheap.

 

Today it has become a victim of its own success, people live much longer but at a considerable cost. Sadly a friend of mine died last week, he had heart problems for years. I can't begin to imagine what his treatment cost the NHS. Good for him, he had probably an extra ten years of life.

Edited by Vince Green
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my dads cancer battle lasted 6 years, he had every treatment, procedure, operation, and test known to man, he even broke his ankle in this time aswell, the cost was astronomical to the nhs, the 6 years he had were a dreadful time, full of anxiety and dreadfully ill.

 

I think he went into it, and got in too deep, and once in, he kept having more of this, and more of that.

 

He spent his life in the public sector, so you could argue that his treatment was completely free, and none of it was ever financed out of private funds.

 

Somehow, a line must be drawn with the nhs, we are way over that line.

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The thing is in France that cancer, diabetes and some other diseases are treated free for life. But if you want plastic surgery, gastric bands and stuff like that then you pay, not the State. As well as the health tourist issue there are too many people in the UK getting expensive treatments for reasons of vanity or over indulgence of alcohol and drugs.

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The thing is in France that cancer, diabetes and some other diseases are treated free for life. But if you want plastic surgery, gastric bands and stuff like that then you pay, not the State. As well as the health tourist issue there are too many people in the UK getting expensive treatments for reasons of vanity or over indulgence of alcohol and drugs.

 

 

An interesting and very valid point. :good:

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The thing is in France that cancer, diabetes and some other diseases are treated free for life. But if you want plastic surgery, gastric bands and stuff like that then you pay, not the State. As well as the health tourist issue there are too many people in the UK getting expensive treatments for reasons of vanity or over indulgence of alcohol and drugs.

 

I can agree with the part regarding vanity, although that in itself can have its roots in mental health issues, but addiction to drugs of any kind usually has it's roots in varied underlying social or mental health issues and can affect anyone regardless of their upbringing or social standing.

The cost to the NHS is of course staggering, but those doctors and nurses treat them all equally and without judgement, and the cost is insignificant compared to that of for example, type 2 diabetes due to obesity.

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