> (you appear to be incredibly casual about a bureaucrat deciding whether your life will generate a sufficient "return"...is that because you think it can never

> (you appear to be incredibly casual about a bureaucrat deciding whether your life will generate a sufficient "return"...is that because you think it can never happen to you?). Not at all. I understand that there's a pot of cash and unless we have a government that is going to expand that pot of cash by either raising taxes (which I would be all for) or increasing borrowing that then we need NICE to make some decisions. Their mandate is to consider what's best for the population as a whole, not what's best for the government. It may have let you down, and I really do feel for you and your situation, but the extreme negativity with which you portray the NHS is unwarranted in my opinion. I don't know what condition you're referring to, but if it's chronic then I assume it would likely bankrupt you if you tried treating it in the US. Other aspects of our system that work very well is that NICE can negotiate with the pharmacutical companies for lower rates, because we have the buying power of 65 million people. US hospitals are often negotiating individually and so their costs sprial. > You can seek a private opinion but you will be seeing the same doctor (who will likely not know anything beyond NHS policy) That is far too sweeping a statement, this is the truth map: * There are private only specialists * There are NHS only specialists * There are private only specialists who may do NHS overspil work that a private hospital has tendered for * There are NHS hospitals with 'private wings' where you'll be treated by an NHS specialist Depending on the specialism a specialist may be 'attached' to a private hospital group (like HCA) and you can call up HCA [1] and get a quote for anything you like (that they provide). If you have private insurance then you can get that private work covered if the insurance company is willing to pay for it - just like all insurance healthcare models around the world, or you can pay for it yourself. I have spent the past 15 years building a healthcare software company and work with the biggest private healthcare companies in the UK (and recently with the NHS). [1] https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk