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I'm sorry about your experience, however it definitely isn't everbody's experience. When I was 13 I had a stomache ache, my mother being overly paranoid took m

I'm sorry about your experience, however it definitely isn't everbody's experience. When I was 13 I had a stomache ache, my mother being overly paranoid took me to the hospital after a few hours of it not getting any better. After about an hours wait I saw 3 or 4 doctors in quick succession, was diagnosed with appendicitis and had surgery scheduled for around 7 hours later. I was taken care of excellently and wasn't charged a penny. Anecdotally, almost everyone I know has only had positive experiences with the NHS. Of course it isn't perfect, but it sure as hell isn't a disaster.

xenophanes 13y ago
A government medical system that is a disaster for, say, 10% of the population, is a disaster overall. Anecdotal evidence doesn't change that. And you were charged more than a penny in additional taxes. Government services are not a Free Lunch. The money has to come from somewhere and does.
- mhurron 13y ago
  But a system that kills because you're not covered is a better alternative? Oh and 10% [citation needed]
  - pointyhats 13y ago
    Neither is the right solution, which is the problem. You pay for both systems. One kills you because you can't afford it and the other kills you because they can't afford to keep you alive.
    - mhurron 13y ago
      You pay significantly less in a single payer regulated system, because everyone pays into it. Often, you pay less for better care. Other than your anecdote, which I could counter with my own that a government run healthcare system is why I can call my dad right now and say 'hi', do you have any real information to back up the government health care system is killing you? I can find this: America's Healthcare System is the Third Leading Cause of Death http://www.health-care-reform.net/causedeath.htm http://www.health-care-reform.net/causedeath.htm
pointyhats 13y ago
I've had the same experiences myself before with a broken ankle, major surgery on my skull, various minor conditions which have been sorted rapidly. That doesn't excuse one case of gross incompetence though. And incompetence is rife: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Hospital_scandal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Hospital_scandal
- powatom 13y ago
  You can't claim incompetence is 'rife' and then link to something which has 'scandal' in the title. If incompetence was rife, it wouldn't be a scandal. The NHS has its problems, as does private health care. However, I would argue that the problems which the NHS has are almost all directly related to chronic under-funding. Case in point: my girlfriend's grandfather recently had a stint in hospital. They discharged him, and then 2 days later he was sent back in with a different problem. He was put on a ward directly below the ward he had been on just 3 days earlier. The nurses on this ward had no idea that he had just been in hospital, no idea about his medication, and no idea about the treatment he had received. The problem here is that due to budget cuts and under-funding, the NHS cannot invest in any kind of consistent or worth-while patient tracking and monitoring system. Everything is on paper in crusty filing cabinets, and what little technology they do have is already outdated and unnecessarily cumbersome. The NHS is failing because populist politics have crippled it in essentially every single way that matters.

xenophanes 13y ago

A government medical system that is a disaster for, say, 10% of the population, is a disaster overall. Anecdotal evidence doesn't change that. And you were charged more than a penny in additional taxes. Government services are not a Free Lunch. The money has to come from somewhere and does.

mhurron 13y ago
But a system that kills because you're not covered is a better alternative? Oh and 10% [citation needed]
- pointyhats 13y ago
  Neither is the right solution, which is the problem. You pay for both systems. One kills you because you can't afford it and the other kills you because they can't afford to keep you alive.
  - mhurron 13y ago
    You pay significantly less in a single payer regulated system, because everyone pays into it. Often, you pay less for better care. Other than your anecdote, which I could counter with my own that a government run healthcare system is why I can call my dad right now and say 'hi', do you have any real information to back up the government health care system is killing you? I can find this: America's Healthcare System is the Third Leading Cause of Death http://www.health-care-reform.net/causedeath.htm http://www.health-care-reform.net/causedeath.htm

pointyhats 13y ago

I've had the same experiences myself before with a broken ankle, major surgery on my skull, various minor conditions which have been sorted rapidly. That doesn't excuse one case of gross incompetence though. And incompetence is rife: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Hospital_scandal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Hospital_scandal

powatom 13y ago
You can't claim incompetence is 'rife' and then link to something which has 'scandal' in the title. If incompetence was rife, it wouldn't be a scandal. The NHS has its problems, as does private health care. However, I would argue that the problems which the NHS has are almost all directly related to chronic under-funding. Case in point: my girlfriend's grandfather recently had a stint in hospital. They discharged him, and then 2 days later he was sent back in with a different problem. He was put on a ward directly below the ward he had been on just 3 days earlier. The nurses on this ward had no idea that he had just been in hospital, no idea about his medication, and no idea about the treatment he had received. The problem here is that due to budget cuts and under-funding, the NHS cannot invest in any kind of consistent or worth-while patient tracking and monitoring system. Everything is on paper in crusty filing cabinets, and what little technology they do have is already outdated and unnecessarily cumbersome. The NHS is failing because populist politics have crippled it in essentially every single way that matters.