Great moments in UK health care

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Without a phone call to set up an appointment at your local doctor's office? If it were an emergency, and I were still in London, I could walk into my local GP's surgery and be seen ASAP. I have certainly done this before. I find it fascinating that those who have not had experience of both systems are so quick to tell those of us who have exactly how the NHS operates on a practical, day-to-day basis.

The walk in clinic is first come first serve which is rarely longer than 30 mins. Regular check-ups with my Dr are made in advance. If my appt. is at 2 Im in at 2:05.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The walk in clinic is first come first serve which is rarely longer than 30 mins. Regular check-ups with my Dr are made in advance. If my appt. is at 2 Im in at 2:05.

Contrast that with my doctor in NJ - they were pretty good at short notice appointments, but you could easily wait 30-50 minutes before you were seen.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

The walk in clinic is first come first serve which is rarely longer than 30 mins. Regular check-ups with my Dr are made in advance. If my appt. is at 2 Im in at 2:05.

Well lucky you. I usually have to wait at least 20 mins to be seen whenever I have to see my GP for a scheduled appointment here, which is no better or worse than in the UK.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well lucky you. I usually have to wait at least 20 mins to be seen whenever I have to see my GP for a scheduled appointment here, which is no better or worse than in the UK.

20 minutes isn't going to kill anyone - unless you're waiting on treatment at the ER.

Never had a problem with GPs, specialists were a different matter. Used to amaze me how noone could tell you how much you could expect to pay for treatment after the co-pay. I mean... how can they not know!?

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

20 minutes isn't going to kill anyone - unless you're waiting on treatment at the ER.

Never had a problem with GPs, specialists were a different matter. Used to amaze me how noone could tell you how much you could expect to pay for treatment after the co-pay. I mean... how can they not know!?

Depends on how many unnecessary things they can coerce you into having, I guess.

And no, 20 mins isn't going to kill anyone but it's just irritating sitting around with the unwell rabble while you wait.

Edited July 18, 2010 by elmcitymaven

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That's what annoyed me about it - it wasn't that they sold me something unnecessary, the treatment I got was exactly what I went there for. Ended up costing me over $300 in addition to the co-pay. Just amazing that the patient isn't able to get even a ballpark idea of the cost before they decide to have something done.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Well, my experience is the same as yours -- perhaps I was harsh in calling them "unnecessary." I too find it bizarre that even a ballpark figure can't be pulled from someone's posterior. Surely most procedures are standard. The only specialist I have ever seen over here who could confidently tell me how much something would cost and be correct was the dermatologist.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well, my experience is the same as yours -- perhaps I was harsh in calling them "unnecessary." I too find it bizarre that even a ballpark figure can't be pulled from someone's posterior. Surely most procedures are standard. The only specialist I have ever seen over here who could confidently tell me how much something would cost and be correct was the dermatologist.

Not long after I first moved to the US I had lymph glands start popping up all over my neck - I saw the doctor over a period of weeks and he told me that "it's either something or it's nothing", totally helpful advice I know - but it came down to me needing to have to have a lymph node biopsy to tell if there was a "something" (lymphoma) or a "nothing".

Back then I'd just gotten a job and was on my wife's insurance plan - neither of us were making a great deal of money so the prospect of having to go into hospital was scarier than it otherwise should have been. Not only that but when I told people at work that I needed to have surgery, the general consensus was that "if I were you, I'd take my chances". Some people are so afraid and intimidated by being financially ruined by medical costs that they'll roll the odds rather than take action to find out if there is anything wrong. It's horrifying.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Not long after I first moved to the US I had lymph glands start popping up all over my neck - I saw the doctor over a period of weeks and he told me that "it's either something or it's nothing", totally helpful advice I know - but it came down to me needing to have to have a lymph node biopsy to tell if there was a "something" (lymphoma) or a "nothing".

Back then I'd just gotten a job and was on my wife's insurance plan - neither of us were making a great deal of money so the prospect of having to go into hospital was scarier than it otherwise should have been. Not only that but when I told people at work that I needed to have surgery, the general consensus was that "if I were you, I'd take my chances". Some people are so afraid and intimidated by being financially ruined by medical costs that they'll roll the odds rather than take action to find out if there is anything wrong. It's horrifying.

Second opinion? The biggest flaw in a public HC system is when the economy goes into a tail spin. these types of government offerings will be the first to take a cut. Covering your a$$ is always the best tact. Never ever rely on government for anything! If you do your a fool!

Edited July 18, 2010 by Col. Lingus

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Not long after I first moved to the US I had lymph glands start popping up all over my neck - I saw the doctor over a period of weeks and he told me that "it's either something or it's nothing", totally helpful advice I know - but it came down to me needing to have to have a lymph node biopsy to tell if there was a "something" (lymphoma) or a "nothing".

Back then I'd just gotten a job and was on my wife's insurance plan - neither of us were making a great deal of money so the prospect of having to go into hospital was scarier than it otherwise should have been. Not only that but when I told people at work that I needed to have surgery, the general consensus was that "if I were you, I'd take my chances". Some people are so afraid and intimidated by being financially ruined by medical costs that they'll roll the odds rather than take action to find out if there is anything wrong. It's horrifying.

Huh -- funny that that happened to you, because I had the exact same thing happen to me while I was in the UK. I had two lymph nodes enlarge on my neck, and the GP was unsure whether they were enlarged lymph nodes or sebaceous cysts (ewww), essentially something or nothing. I was told as well that if it was just cysts, they needed to be drained, but if it was lymphoma... Well, I needed to have a biopsy no matter what. I was told I could have the procedure done in 3 weeks on the NHS, or as soon as possible privately (I had BUPA through my husband). I went private, was seen in three days at an unbelievably posh hospital, and found out they were "dead" lymph nodes but crucially I did not have lymphoma. It cost us under 100 quid for everything, including an overnight stay.

I never once considered not having it investigated. It could have been cancer, and the procedure flagged to me that I inherited a family predisposition to auto-immune problems. Here in the US, I'm always making calculated risk assessments about medical problems. It is not a way to live.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Second opinion? The biggest flaw in a public HC system is when the economy goes into a tail spin. these types of government offerings will be the first to take a cut. Covering your a$$ is always the best tact. Never ever rely on government for anything! If you do your a fool!

Second opinion? Lymphoma can only be diagnosed through biopsy. The option was - have surgery and find out or don't.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Second opinion? Lymphoma can only be diagnosed through biopsy. The option was - have surgery and find out or don't.

My lymph nodes get swollen when I have a sore throat. I generally give it a week or two.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Huh -- funny that that happened to you, because I had the exact same thing happen to me while I was in the UK. I had two lymph nodes enlarge on my neck, and the GP was unsure whether they were enlarged lymph nodes or sebaceous cysts (ewww), essentially something or nothing. I was told as well that if it was just cysts, they needed to be drained, but if it was lymphoma... Well, I needed to have a biopsy no matter what. I was told I could have the procedure done in 3 weeks on the NHS, or as soon as possible privately (I had BUPA through my husband). I went private, was seen in three days at an unbelievably posh hospital, and found out they were "dead" lymph nodes but crucially I did not have lymphoma. It cost us under 100 quid for everything, including an overnight stay.

I never once considered not having it investigated. It could have been cancer, and the procedure flagged to me that I inherited a family predisposition to auto-immune problems. Here in the US, I'm always making calculated risk assessments about medical problems. It is not a way to live.

3 weeks isn't bad for a biopsy, though it's more about the stress of waiting and not knowing than anything else.

Well - 100 quid is pretty good considering. Mine cost upwards of $3000 - and I was getting separate bills for months afterwards with no way of knowing what they were for or if they were actually justified.

My lymph nodes get swollen when I have a sore throat. I generally give it a week or two.

When they don't go down after 6-8 weeks, a visit to the doctor is overdue.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

3 weeks isn't bad for a biopsy, though it's more about the stress of waiting and not knowing than anything else.

Well - 100 quid is pretty good considering. Mine cost upwards of $3000 - and I was getting separate bills for months afterwards with no way of knowing what they were for or if they were actually justified.

When they don't go down after 6-8 weeks, a visit to the doctor is overdue.

I see your still alive. What was the cure?

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

3 weeks isn't bad for a biopsy, though it's more about the stress of waiting and not knowing than anything else.

Well - 100 quid is pretty good considering. Mine cost upwards of $3000 - and I was getting separate bills for months afterwards with no way of knowing what they were for or if they were actually justified.

When they don't go down after 6-8 weeks, a visit to the doctor is overdue.

I thought 3 weeks was pretty good, but since I had the option of going private, I took it. I called BUPA that day with all the details, they approved it and got back to me within hours with an appointment at my local BUPA hospital. They also told me up front how much it would cost, and how much anticipated follow-up care would cost.

And yeah, mine were swollen for 6 weeks and extremely large, and were causing me headaches. I know what a swollen lymph node feels like.