NHS must pay for treatment - even done abroad
Deep Kimchi
17-05-2006, 12:54
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2184094,00.html
I guess this solves the interminable waiting problem by dumping patients who can afford to travel to other EU countries.
I'm wondering - if socialized medicine is supposed to solve all the ills of a private medical system, why the waiting problem for surgery (which seems to affect Canada as well in my personal experience) is unsolved.
It doesn't appear that socialized medicine has any real solution for the shortage of qualified surgeons to do surgery.
Jeruselem
17-05-2006, 13:13
* Looks for British citizenship papers *
Kellarly
17-05-2006, 13:40
Problem is they can only do this by going through a court, so this is effectively giving a license with those with the biggest mouths to complain as much as possible and get pushed up the waiting lists (so they don't go abraod and charge the NHS), pushing down others who have been waiting before them.
Personally, i don't think that the ruling was thought through properly, even if it was done with the right intent.
What effect would that have on NHS finances?
The effect on total spending should be neutral because these patients would have been treated here, sooner or later. Hospitals, which are now paid “by results” — or more accurately per treatment — will lose income
That's not quite right though. The NHS is limited in the money it has available as it is paid for by taxation so it's budget is set annually. If everyone disappears abroad to get their operations faster and the NHS is forced to reimburse that money then they will go over-budget faster and so not be able to afford emergency treatment that would otherwise have been done sooner.
BogMarsh
17-05-2006, 13:41
The Ruling was made ( to some extent ) because the NHS in its best year ever is not getting everything right.
( perhaps the health-secretary has been crapping up somehow... )
Xandabia
17-05-2006, 15:49
The NHS used to be the 2nd biggest employer in Europe after the Red Army but the Red Army was found to be too big and was bankrupting the USSR . . .
Egg and chips
17-05-2006, 15:51
The NHS needs dismantling and rebuilding. Like everything that you leave, the small problems are never fixed, there just patched over, and after a couple of decades it can't take the strain, but its too much effort to break it and rebuild. Well thats what we need to do. YEs it will mean probably a decade of turmoil but the NHS will be the better for it afterwards.
If everyone in the U.S. could afford surgery that they needed, they'd be facing a shortage of qualified surgeons and long waiting lists too. The only reason the U.S. doesn't face these long waits is that not enough people can even afford the treatment they need.
It doesn't appear that socialized medicine has any real solution for the shortage of qualified surgeons to do surgery.
What on earth is "socialised medicine"?
Corneliu
17-05-2006, 15:58
If everyone in the U.S. could afford surgery that they needed, they'd be facing a shortage of qualified surgeons and long waiting lists too. The only reason the U.S. doesn't face these long waits is that not enough people can even afford the treatment they need.
Ironically, these same people cannot be denied the medical care that people need to survive. That is against the law.
Call to power
17-05-2006, 15:59
don't you need those fancy cards from the E.U to get the treatment in Europe for free I wish I knew the website though because if I have to pay for treatment I will be pissed
Kellarly
17-05-2006, 16:04
don't you need those fancy cards from the E.U to get the treatment in Europe for free I wish I knew the website though because if I have to pay for treatment I will be pissed
It's called an E111, or used to be, you can get it from a post office and it's free.
It doesn't cover everything though.
Call to power
17-05-2006, 16:10
It's called an E111, or used to be, you can get it from a post office and it's free.
It doesn't cover everything though.
EHIC now and you can get it through other stuff like online
about the card: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/GettingTreatmentAroundTheWorld/EEAAndSwitzerland/EEAAndSwitzerlandArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4114793&chk=KCVYDZ
order here: https://www.ehic.org.uk/InternetPROD/home.do
Kellarly
17-05-2006, 16:17
EHIC now and you can get it through other stuff like online
about the card: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceForTravellers/GettingTreatmentAroundTheWorld/EEAAndSwitzerland/EEAAndSwitzerlandArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4114793&chk=KCVYDZ
order here: https://www.ehic.org.uk/InternetPROD/home.do
I remember when it was still a little bit of paper... i feel old :(