Health Care in the UK

allnurses Guide · Jun 5, 2008

Hi there Callisue, I think as with any health care system there are goods and not so goods with the UK system.

I like that I don't have to worry about finding a personal healthcare insurance and I know that any healthcare needs I have will be met by the NHS (except dental stuff). I like knowing that should any of my family become ill we will not have to worry about huge medical bills. THe standard and timing of care that I have recieved recently has been faultless, I have seen the specialists I needed to had the investigations and treatment in the time I wanted it. So I have no complaints, I know this is not always the case but I have to speak about my own expereinces

Work, honestly the NHS has been good to me so I am a little biased, I work in an excellent unit and have got to the point where I can influence change and yet still have clinical hours to make sure I keep in touch. I do think that despite the bad press about the NHS we actually do give an excellent standard of care which I think speaks volumes about the staff who work at times under immense pressure.

I know that there is a huge financial burden on the NHS at the moment and this does impact on nursing staff when you are not able to recruit into jobs, however in the trust I work we are not at that point so we are filling vacancies and creating new posts. This is not happening everywhere and I know that some trusts are in crisis and resorting to taking ANP's from thier specialist area and using them as ward staff which is unacceptable. Staffing levels are always raised with high patient to nurse ratios, we work with a 7:1 ratio which can be difficult if you have a very sick patient in that 7, also where as in the US you have you CNA's to assist with basic care our nurses have HCA's but maybe only 2 per shift so the nurses do basic care as well as everything else for thier pateints.

I like the fact we have one regulatory body, the NMC and as long as you have a valid PIN you are able to work anywhere in the UK unlike some countries where you have different boards regulating different areas. THe NMC is not brilliant and has had some very strong critisism but I do think having all your nurses, midwives and health visitors regualted by one body is a good thing. It is slow, I would dearly love for it to get it's act together about regulating ANP's but it has taken about 4 years to even open a advanced part of the register and we are still waiting I think much of this is because they make it legislation which is time consuming.

I like the fact as nurses we are protected by strong employment laws and encouraged to be a member of a union to fight our corners if we need them to. This means that actually we are able to complain and report things that we don't like without fear of losing your job. The flip side of that is if you have a nurse who is rubbish it is very difficult to get rid of them. You have to go through a lengthy process of capability and retraining to prove that everything possible has been done. The same with repeat offenders with sickness, because we have excellent sickness benefits you do get staff who take the mikey. We have 6 months fuill pay after 2 years which is good if you are like me at the moment and absolutley cannot work because I can't walk but is open to abuse.

Going to stop for a bit now will post more if I think of it later

karenG · Jun 5, 2008

hi

I agree wth Sharrie on many points. the guiding principle behind the NHS is that care is free at the point of entry.

however, I work in general practice and see a slightly different side of the NHS. It is open to abuse; we are becoming the NHS for the world. It sometimes feels as if I am working at united nations! we have patients from just about any country you can name.. and none of them pay for health care. I wonder if I went to the states or afganistan, or russia etc and tried to register with a doctor for health care; what would happen??? the latest patient to register (from Bosnia) who i wanted to strangle, had come here because she wants to get pregnant and has been told she needs infertility treatment not available in her home country so she has come here for it..

I think the NHS has to some extent, lost its way. we need to go back to basics maybe. we cannot afford to pay for health care for the world.. and with NICE and recommendations on drugs, it seems we cannot always offer the care we would like.

but, health care is free, and on the whole, its excellent.

oh.. the area i work in is very deprived, and we have 100 different languages spoken by patients. life can be very interesting at times!

allnurses Guide · Jun 5, 2008

We do see that quite a bit in the hosptial as well but we have a really good department that investigates and charges these patients. (not sure if they ever pay up though)

karenG · Jun 5, 2008

We do see that quite a bit in the hosptial as well but we have a really good department that investigates and charges these patients. (not sure if they ever pay up though)

problem in general practice is- we dont have anyone who does that. so patients register with us and we have no of checking whether they are entitled to free care or not.. we are now checking work permits/visa's etc when patients register but its not easy to do. and we have a dilemma when the permit runs out.. girl this week from India on a student visa. her visa ran out in Jan 08 so she is now here illegally. but she is on regular medication.. and needs care. so what do we do??

its a dilemma and I dont know how to solve it. people need care but I get very cross when people come here just for the health care. we have whole families who are here because they can get a house and money.. one family of 12 is here because the son got a work permit and came here to work. his mother and siblings came for a visit and never bothered going home. mum is my age, has diabeties and lots of other health problems, she has no intention of working. she has been given a council house and income support etc. she is costing the NHS a fortune. I do wonder how this happens. (and if went to the states, could I do the same? I would love to live in New York....)

will get off my soap box.. just saddens me that I cant provide the care I want at times because the money isnt there.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jun 5, 2008

This is why I think the NHS is having so many finiancial difficulties. Some people who have never paid into the system think it is their right for treatment. I do believe immigration is trying to cut down on people bringing large family units to the UK unless immediate family ie spouse and children but somehow think it will be a long time before anything is seen. One of the things that in some ways surprised me when the patients where I used to work knew I was moving abroad all said to me they didn't blame me and wished they could do the same as it didn't feel like the UK anymore and didn't like the way some groups of people coming into the country was treated. I worked in an area which was very deprived but a block of flats was decorated up for a group of immigrants coming in as temp accomodation when lots of elderly patients was struggling to get things done to their own homes. Sad in a way when it gets so abused but was thankful when I needed treatment there was no huge bills to think of, no way someone was going to decide I wasn't allowed the treatment as some things I have read about private health insurance in the US

nightmare, RN · Jun 5, 2008

One week in patient with cholecystitis...cost=nil

Keyhole surgery .removal of gall bladder etc...cost =nil

Husband in hospital for 6 months...cost =nil(apart from bus fares).We have both paid 'stamps' all our working life however but I am thankful for the NHS.It's not perfect but what system is?

cariad · Jun 5, 2008

americans have a very jaundiced view of our health system,,,yes i still think of the uk as 'ours' and feel qualified to comment on both systems in the uk and the us, as have had treatment and disasters in both systems. cant fathom out why america is so antiquated in their thoughts towards health care and the way that nurses are employed when they are supposed to be world leaders as they are so civilised and forward thinking....just not in emplyment and health care.

minimum wage in this state is really low, about half of what it is in the uk.

calliesue · Jun 6, 2008

Cariad,

That is why I am asking about health care in other countries , Cause I know our system of health care isn't working well for the poor and middle class. I read a lot of "blah blah blah", " it cant be fixed", " watch out for the government ", type posts, So I am glad to be reading responses from people in other countries who are telling me about how their health care works.

Thanks, Suzanne

MaryAnn_RN · Jun 6, 2008

I don't like the way the NHS is going at the moment, my Trust is going for Foundation status.

Millions being spent on rebuilding parts of the hospital, but just this week the local press carried a story that 400 staff would be made redundant. My manager said basically it is a load of tosh, and then the very next day the same paper carried another story, that 50 beds were being lost. Our students are losing heart because there are no jobs for them to go to when they graduate.

MandaAnda · Jun 12, 2008

As an American living in the UK (and contributing to and benefiting from the NHS), I think the NHS is great that it's free at the point of care. We pay into it, and we usually get a wonderful service out of it.

I think overseas patients on wards are monitored well - just yesterday, the Overseas Office rang the ward I'm placed on to query information about a patient. I was glad it was being followed up. But in other areas of the NHS, there seems to be nothing in place, so the NHS just leaks money. For instance, all around a couple of A&Es I've worked in or near, there are signs that say something to the effect of, "Visiting the UK? Do you know that you may not be entitled to free treatment?" but not once have I ever seen anyone be questioned. When I first registered with a GP in the UK, no one asked to see my visa (granted, the only regular medication I'm on is the Pill).

While I think it's great that the NHS is free, it needs to be free to those entitled to it - and that needs to start being enforced. We should all have a NHS card, but no one asks to look at it. I think it should be made into a credit card size and must be shown at any point of care (like an insurance card would be in America). If it cannot be produced, the patient should be flagged up so that whoever is dealing with finances in the area (Trust or PCT) can chase it up. I think this would prevent the "health tourists" and save us a lot of money, which would benefit those who are genuinely entitled.

RGN1 · Jun 12, 2008

I think that's a great idea - you should write to your local MP! Trouble is those stupid, good-for-nothing liberty people would probably put the cosh on it!