Anyone willing to talk to nurse form USA about healthcare in your country?

What would you like to know?

Aye what kind of things are you looking to find out? Can you give us a idea of what aspects etc you are looking at?
Kay

1./2. Well I am going to be a oddball here im sure. I am Massachusetts born,bred and trained as a RN. I've lived and worked in Scotland as a RN(Staff Nurse) since July 1999 I love it here and now have dual citizenship.. I've done adult med/surg/telem, I've done cardiology,agency,research,renal and this pas May changed to Paediatric Home Care.

3. I've been a Nurse since 1991. Was a NA while going back to school for nursing for three years before that .

4. In the UK we have Nationalised Health Care.. the NHS

5. There is also the availibility to get private health insurance but it costs a fair bit of ££ so most people use NHS care.

Hows that for a start?

1) NHS is government run. If you need tests such as xrays,bloods,scans,endoscopy etc. no we don't pay for it at point of service. All working Uk residents pay a National Insurance tax ( National Insurance is a scheme where people in work make payments towards benefits. The payments are called National Insurance Contributions, and certain benefits are only payable if you meet the National Insurance conditions. National Insurance contributions also go towards the costs of the National Health Service and the State Pension Scheme. The National Insurance scheme is administered by the Inland Revenue and the Contributions Agency.)

2)No you still get health care wether you are working or not.

3) NHS works a bit differantly in England,Scotland,Wales, and Northern Ireland. From what i've read things are changing if not already changed and you can indeed choose a GP in your area which isn't necissarily the closest. Tho saying that most people choose the GP closest to where they live as that is where they are likely to access health care from in a non emergent situation. That would mean should I move to another area I could (if i liked my GP) keep that GP after the move.

4) Aye now here is where the NHS falls down. All depends on the type of specialist and why the need to see one. I recently needed a GI specialist referral for a potential but non threating problem and was seen within 6 weeks. It can be up to 12 weeks here in Scotland. Again depending on what kind of specialist and why the referral was made. So yes there can be a loooong wait to see a specialist which is something NHS is working on. These answers are based on my experiences and knowledge of my area so I'd be interested to see others views.

5) Yes I am but then again I've got a good knowledge base,being a nurse that is, so if i think things are taking tooo long i will go back and back .. I have to say that i've had very good experiences with NHS Scotland. I am however a fairly healthy women in my upper 40's with not many health issues.

6) Well i am probably one of the few who can comment on both systems since as i said i was born,bred and trained in Massachusetts and came to Scotland in 1999. I think there is good and bad in both systems. Each has its areas where it falls down. I like that here in UK if you need care emergent or not you don't have to worry about loosing your home etc to paying health care costs. That care is free at point of service. That everyone gets equal health care since it is free at point of service. That there is the option should you want to or are able to afford it you can get private health care on top of free NHS care.

Hope that helps. I'd be interested to see what others have to say.

Stacie,
You are very welcome. Hope the info helps .. Aye would be great to be updated with other info.
Kay

I just finished T.R. Reid's (2009) book, "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care." An excellent read, giving a good overview of the fractured American health care system...Well, one really can't call the U.S. version of health care a system, as all the other industrialized nations have A SYSTEM. We have bits and pieces from
1) the Bismark health care system of Germany (private insurance w/ premiums paid for by enrollee/employer);
2) the Beveridge plan of the U.K. (and adopted by the Veteran's Admin for the VA system);
3) National Health Insurance as in Canada (and as adopted for Medicare and Medicaid); and
4) Out-of-pocket in most of the world (nonindustrialized)--or NO insurance if out-of-pocket is took expensive.

I highly recommend the read. (You can get it at your library.)

- Sean, RN-BSN

(P.S. I go by SeanSean because I can never remember the number I usually have to use after my name.)