7 weeks for a pair of glasses?

[I'm Gone 60]

I think they need a LensCrafters there.

"One-Hour Service Experts

LensCrafters has provided one-hour service since 1983."

I guess that's what happens when you live in one of those backwards countries. LOL

[TracyTN 237]

So as you can imagine they aint in my good books at all. I'm quite looking forward to going private when I get to the US

Just because you go 'private' here does not mean the care or service will be any better. In some cases it can be a lot worse. Just ask any British nurse in the US who has worked in both sectors. The stories from here aint that pretty either.

LouLou is right, unfortunately. When we spent our 3 days in an NHS hospital in July (while we waited for Chas to have hand surgery), we met a lady whose son was there because he had severed an artery. They were on private insurance and couldn't get anyone to treat them because it was a Saturday. They spent the whole of the next two days on the phone trying to find an alternative to being there (and waiting who knows how long on NHS). I'm not sure what their final outcome was, but when we left there on Sunday afternoon, they were still there with no answers.

Fiona, I am SO sorry to read about your experience w/ your back. That makes me so angry!! I have scoliosis, too, and wore a brace when I was younger. Thank god I got it when I did or I'd probably be very stooped over at this point. My curves were getting pretty bad.

A slight tangent here, but I've run across some folks who think that you will be denied treatment in America if you don't have insurance. (In fact, they made a joke about it on some morning show in the UK when I was there!) That is simply not true, especially in an emergency situation. The small hospital in my town even has a sign to that effect in their ER (took a friend there in April for a garden injury). Beyond that, there are 'general' hospitals that those without insurance can use; also I've never seen a hospital yet that won't work with you on some type of billing arrangement (no telling how long you'd be paying them, but still).

I can say that I was truly shocked, saddened and surprised during my run in with NHS while in England this July. It hurt me to watch all those people there waiting while in pain, no food and water since the previous night, and all they wanted was to have their injury fixed. The best they were told was 'you're in line after more critical cases' (DUH). No ballpark figure, not 'It won't be today' or 'It will be tomorrow' - just 'there are other cases in front of you.' A little information would have gone a LONG way, but that was like trying to get blood from a turnip. Not to mention being told all of that by nurses who seemed pained to speak to you (if you could actually get one to talk, that is), or that you were somehow an inturruption of their day. All these nice, hard working, tax paying Brits - and this is what they get when they're hurt and need treatment? I left there one day and just had a good ol cry.

I hope no one here thinks that I believe the US system is perfect either - far from it! (That brace I mentioned above cost my parents a good chunk, and they really had to cut back on expenses while they paid it off.) I truly wish there were somewhere that would combine the good parts of the US system and the good parts of the national health systems. I'd be all over that!!!

[ChasUK 0]

I also have a ongoing disability and I can tell you that yes the service level in the UK is ####### but at leasts its free....

ok so yes you may have to wait years in the UK but at least it is free... here is you cant pay you dont get it done.....

Kezzie

It's not free. We all pay national insurance, .... if we work.

Like all "products" and "services", we all make decisions about what we spend our money on. Some spend more to get better quality or brand named goods etc etc. Some go cheap and get by with something that only just covers the trade description, but at least we have that choice. Except for healthcare. If we in the UK decide to buy our own insurance, like BUPA, then we do not get the option to opt out of national insurance, we still have to pay it. There are different levels of BUPA cover available and alternative insurance companies, and those with money can afford the best ones.

It's only free here if you are under 16 or registered unemployed, and some other special circumstances.

[Sister Fracas 5]

It's not free. We all pay national insurance, .... if we work.

Like all "products" and "services", we all make decisions about what we spend our money on. Some spend more to get better quality or brand named goods etc etc. Some go cheap and get by with something that only just covers the trade description, but at least we have that choice. Except for healthcare. If we in the UK decide to buy our own insurance, like BUPA, then we do not get the option to opt out of national insurance, we still have to pay it. There are different levels of BUPA cover available and alternative insurance companies, and those with money can afford the best ones.

It's only free here if you are under 16 or registered unemployed, and some other special circumstances.

Thanks for that reminder that it's NOT free....I forget that my father-in-law is paying twice for healthcare (he has BUPA)

[PlatyPius 5]

I wasn't aware of that vision wasn't covered either. And £800 for 2 pairs of glasses?????? That's what? $1400.00? My Mom wears trifocals, and has never paid more than $300/pair for them. Her longest wait has been 2 weeks.

Wow. Guess it'll be a novelty for Sian then when she gets here, is covered by my insurance at work, and EVERYTHING is covered. Glasses are free. My co-pays for everything else are around $15 (including dental).

I've heard of the long waits people have had in the UK and Canada. While the US system is flawed in that it's VERY expensive, it's also very fast. Sian has to wait weeks for results of something like an ultrasound. Here, it's that day or the next. And to prove that there's no special treatment, Sian works for the NHS. LOL

[Lou Lou 1]

I've heard of the long waits people have had in the UK and Canada. While the US system is flawed in that it's VERY expensive, it's also very fast. Sian has to wait weeks for results of something like an ultrasound. Here, it's that day or the next. And to prove that there's no special treatment, Sian works for the NHS. LOL

Again that depends on where you live. It's not fast treatment in the whole of the US by any stretch of the imagination. I've had friends wait weeks to see specialists in the US including cancellations so they had to wait even longer. I've also had to wait weeks or months to see specialists in the UK, but when it has been really urgent I've only had to wait a matter of days to see one of the top specialists in the country. My answer is I try not to use doctors at all and opt for alternative healthcare as much as I can. Cheaper and safer in the long run

[Lou Lou 1]

Wanted to edit and add: You have to wait a looong time in the US if you don't have money or a job. That just sucks. Education and healthcare should be basic human right everywhere.

According to the World Health Organisation's report from 2000 (if anyone can find a later report I'd be eager to see the result), although the UK did not fare well compared to its European neighbours, it did a hellovalot better than the US with regard to its healthcare system. UK was ranked #24, US was ranked #72.

[AFQuaid 18]

Another update on the glasses issue!

I got a letter through the mail this morning stating somebody would be out to my home to fit ONE of the pair of glasses on the 9TH OF AUGUST!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRR. After telling them I would be in LONDON then and I needed at least one FOR the 9th not ON the 9th. God sake some people just don't take the time LIIIISTTTEN. Anyway I got on the phone with em right away and literally yelled at the woman and told her exactly what I thought of their company. She phoned back half another lady to say somebody will come out tomorrow afternoon. Geeze! How hard was that to arrange!

*Is raging* I cannot BELIEVE I had to get rude with them before getting what I NEEDED and PAID for!