9 Mnth Wait For Arthritis Treatment In Uk

[Lilllabettt]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1920714' date='Jul 15 2009, 03:56 PM']It was a beautiful experience, I think for both of us.[/quote]

Yes.

Personally, I'd never been seriously ill before, and I was scared. I wondered what ever was going to happen to me. What did happen was, to me, a spectacular demonstration of humanity.

I was lucky indeed to have access to a great hospital; I know they have more resources to extend to people who need it than private practices.

On the otherhand ... My Ma is on social security. Small check, and sometimes it seems like she has to see her primary care doctor every other day. But he stopped charging her years ago. She says it's because she's so charming; But I'm pretty sure he knows she's on the poor side.

It's refreshing.

[Lounge Daddy]

I have heard interviews with Florida doctors on the radio who talk about how busy the Hospitals are in the summer with people from Canada. This is because people schedule appointments in Florida, to take place while they are on vacation.

In other words, they would rather pay out of pocket and get something done this summer, rather than go on a waiting list for their "free" medical care.

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1920699' date='Jul 15 2009, 02:37 PM']I've known people who have had to wait to get in to see specialists, but typically if a problem is serious enough you get it fixed quickly. Doctors have flexibility to alter their schedules to do what needs to be done.
...
That wait doesn't really bother me. I don't think it would get faster under socialized medicine.[/quote]

Ya, with more State control there is less flexibility and much much more bureaucracy (and therefore, much much greater expense.)

[jkaands]

[quote name='Apotheoun' post='1920700' date='Jul 15 2009, 01:37 PM']You'd probably have to be a premium for more than two children, and of course that doesn't take into account the massive tax increases that will have already been implemented.

Rationed care will mean that people like my 71 year old mother, who has emphysema, and who no longer is a "productive" citizen, will be considered expendable.[/quote]

If your mother lives in the USA, she is eligible for Medicare, our federal 'socialized medicine', which I have found to be completely satisfactory. My mother had emphysema from smoking for 60 years, was well-treated under Medicare, and lived until she was 90.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Angel*Star' post='1920691' date='Jul 15 2009, 07:31 PM']How many children would we be allowed under socialized health care?[/quote]
No limit here.

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1920699' date='Jul 15 2009, 07:37 PM']I've known people who have had to wait to get in to see specialists, but typically if a problem is serious enough you get it fixed quickly. Doctors have flexibility to alter their schedules to do what needs to be done.

Yeah I've gone once before because I sliced my hand open and needed stitches; the wait was about that long. In both cases, my situation was ultimately not life-threatening. They typically triage so if you really are in bad shape you get help more quickly.

That wait doesn't really bother me. I don't think it would get faster under socialized medicine.[/quote]
The wait times I've experienced for seeing my GP (for non-urgent care) have been comparable in the US and here. I think there was a longer wait time to get into a PT in the US than here, but that may have been comparable as well; it wasn't an outrageous amount of time - maybe a week.

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='Lounge Daddy' post='1920737' date='Jul 15 2009, 03:32 PM']I have heard interviews with Florida doctors on the radio who talk about how busy the Hospitals are in the summer with people from Canada. This is because people schedule appointments in Florida, to take place while they are on vacation.

In other words, they would rather pay out of pocket and get something done this summer, rather than go on a waiting list for their "free" medical care.[/quote]
... or they're getting heat stroke a lot

[quote name='jkaands' post='1920742' date='Jul 15 2009, 03:36 PM']If your mother lives in the USA, she is eligible for Medicare, our federal 'socialized medicine', which I have found to be completely satisfactory. My mother had emphysema from smoking for 60 years, was well-treated under Medicare, and lived until she was 90.[/quote]
Wow. She was a fighter.

[Lounge Daddy]

I find it absolutely astonishing how many people are willing to take an entire system and place it in the hands of a single entity, The Federal State. What's more, this is the same Federal State that will abort (read: kill) a pre-born or even a partially born human and call that "health care." It's insanity. We want that same State to direct the health care of us, our elderly, and our children? No thanks, not me.

President Reagan's warning: A Government with the power to grant anything has the power to take everything."

Ben Franklin warned: "A people who will give up a little Liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither, and lose both."

[Angel*Star]

[quote name='Lounge Daddy' post='1920963' date='Jul 15 2009, 06:59 PM']I find it absolutely astonishing how many people are willing to take an entire system and place it in the hands of a single entity, The Federal State. What's more, this is the same Federal State that will abort (read: kill) a pre-born or even a partially born human and call that "health care." It's insanity. We want that same State to direct the health care of us, our elderly, and our children? No thanks, not me.

President Reagan's warning: A Government with the power to grant anything has the power to take everything."

Ben Franklin warned: "A people who will give up a little Liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither, and lose both."[/quote]


People complain they can't get roads fixed and schools are in terrible condition. I live near a district that is one of the worst in the country. Why would I want my health care in these type of incapable hands?

When I have a question in my community, even to reserve a park, it takes 20 phone calls to get the right person. And generally I get the right person only because I finally get someone nice.

When I have a question about my insurance, I make one phone call and it gets handled. When I want a doctor's appointment, I make one phone call and I get it. Generally it depends on what I need the appointment for. If I have trouble getting in to see a particular doctor, I ask around and get a new one. Problem solved.

[BG45]

Yeah Terra, I don't necessarily think things will move faster, I just think it's not really fair to label it as intensely slower as many have here. I have misgivings about any one entity handling anything, but in some areas of the country, it can't be too much worse.

The fastest I've received treatment under the current system was when I was experiencing heart attack symptoms due to some acne medication my GP didn't think to tell me might have those side effects. They waited until after my EKG to make me do the paperwork; unlike grandma who was having the symptoms once and had to sit in the emergency room, then do paper work, and hours later got seen by a doctor.

To elaborate, in general, on my insurance paying for something. To get my tonsils out due to sleep apnea I had to:
1) Go to my GP and make a case for why I thought I had sleep apnea.
2) Get GP to give me a referral to see a specialist.
3) Go to specialist who examines me and schedules sleep study.
4) Participate in sleep study without a CPAP machine.
5) Go to specialist again in a few weeks to get results.
6) Get scheduled for another sleep study with CPAP machine.
7) Take CPAP sleep study.
8) Go back a few weeks later for results.
9) Get put on CPAP for six months to see if it helps as much as it should.
10) Do another sleep study.
11) A few weeks later get results and note to my GP saying to recommend me to get surgery for tonsils.
12) Go to GP again, have to make case to see second specialist.
13) Second specialist first visit, brief examination.
14) Second appointment weeks later with second specialist who says I need my tonsils out.
15) Three way discussion between two specialists and GP as to which local hospital to have my surgery at.
16) Get a call to come in to schedule surgery a few weeks later.
17) Schedule surgery.
18) Finally have tonsils taken out due to sleep apnea, early in fact, as first surgery of the morning had canceled.

All in all, from step 1 to step 18, two years.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I averaged ceasing breathing each night roughly over a hundred times.

Edited July 16, 2009 by BG45

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='BG45' post='1921368' date='Jul 16 2009, 06:24 AM']The fastest I've received treatment under the current system was when I was experiencing heart attack symptoms due to some acne medication my GP didn't think to tell me might have those side effects. They waited until after my EKG to make me do the paperwork; unlike grandma who was having the symptoms once and had to sit in the emergency room, then do paper work, and hours later got seen by a doctor.[/quote] Yes, my grandfather had to fill out paperwork in the ER in the midst of having a heart attack. I think it was his 3rd or 4th (he had 5 heart attacks). Under any kind of health care, some hospitals are better than others.

[quote name='BG45' post='1921368' date='Jul 16 2009, 06:24 AM']To elaborate, in general, on my insurance paying for something. To get my tonsils out due to sleep apnea I had to:
1) Go to my GP and make a case for why I thought I had sleep apnea.
2) Get GP to give me a referral to see a specialist.
3) Go to specialist who examines me and schedules sleep study.
4) Participate in sleep study without a CPAP machine.
5) Go to specialist again in a few weeks to get results.
6) Get scheduled for another sleep study with CPAP machine.
7) Take CPAP sleep study.
8) Go back a few weeks later for results.
9) Get put on CPAP for six months to see if it helps as much as it should.
10) Do another sleep study.
11) A few weeks later get results and note to my GP saying to recommend me to get surgery for tonsils.
12) Go to GP again, have to make case to see second specialist.
13) Second specialist first visit, brief examination.
14) Second appointment weeks later with second specialist who says I need my tonsils out.
15) Three way discussion between two specialists and GP as to which local hospital to have my surgery at.
16) Get a call to come in to schedule surgery a few weeks later.
17) Schedule surgery.
18) Finally have tonsils taken out due to sleep apnea, early in fact, as first surgery of the morning had canceled.

All in all, from step 1 to step 18, two years.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I averaged ceasing breathing each night roughly over a hundred times.[/quote]
My dad went through that exactly, as well. Thankfully he has his machine now.

Here when I've had to contact the NHS about something (for maternity exemption card, or to ring the NHS direct on a weekend since I couldn't get through to my GP), I've made one call, waited a maximum of 10 minutes to get through, and had them ring me back with an answer (if they couldn't provide one immediately due to needing a nurse to triage the situation, as with DH's appendicitis) within 30 minutes.

Now, as I said before, some hospitals, etc are better than others, regardless of the type of health care (socialised or private), but I've never had cause to complain about the NHS in the 3 years I've been here, with my pregnancy, childbirth (OK, complained about 1 midwife, but could have complained about a nurse in the US, too), DH's appendectomy, my food poisoning, etc. I know it's anecdotal, but it can work. I really think it helps that there is a private sector, as it keeps the NHS competitive.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1920714' date='Jul 15 2009, 02:56 PM']Honestly, that's one thing I like about the way we do things. Because of how things were handled in your case -- and in the case of many, many other people in similar situations -- you now have a greater appreciation for the care you received and are grateful to the people who helped you out. I had a similar experience on a smaller level. I broke my wrist, and a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon set it, casted it, and did all the follow-through with me for free b/c I couldn't afford the co-pay on my insurance. It was a beautiful experience, I think for both of us.[/quote]

Of course, the whole situation could have been avoided had you not been breaking and entering.


Our healthcare experiences have been good. No problems getting in. No problems in the ER (the few times we've been there, we've gotten in in about 10-15 minutes.)

Currently we have major medical and a health savings account. So, unless it's an emergency, we are paying for our own expenses. Of course this means we have to budget our expenses by priority. HSdad's root canal trumped my TMJ. And what doesn't get used up with regular medical expenses gets used up at the dentist (you know how expensive it is to take five people to the dentist all at the same time?) and orthodontist.

[Winchester]

[quote name='BG45' post='1920676' date='Jul 15 2009, 02:24 PM']Perhaps it does, I've never met anyone who hasn't had to wait.

Edit: Terra, the average hospital emergency room wait I've seen is roughly analogus.[/quote]
Not if you're there for an actual emergency.

[Noel's angel]

The NHS must be better in Northern Ireland
The maximum waiting time is 13 weeks, for any appointment with a specialist. Urgent appointments cans be organised within a day.
Sometimes I wish people did have to pay to see a doctor...maybe they wouldn't miss so many appointments without cancelling....

[cmotherofpirl]

I think it also depends on what part of the USA you live in and who is running the joint. We are extremely lucky here in the Pittsburgh area to have access to several major trauma centers and specialty hospitals. The bigger systems have taken over some of the smaller hospitals and the care has greatly improved. Some of the strain has been taken off the emergency rooms by the existance of urgent care centers in local communities - they take the major insurances and treat the sprains, runny noses and flu which frees up the ERs for the true emergencies. Rural communities do not have the same level of care or the access to specialists.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1921726' date='Jul 16 2009, 07:40 PM']I think it also depends on what part of the USA you live in and who is running the joint. We are extremely lucky here in the Pittsburgh area to have access to several major trauma centers and specialty hospitals. The bigger systems have taken over some of the smaller hospitals and the care has greatly improved. Some of the strain has been taken off the emergency rooms by the existance of urgent care centers in local communities - they take the major insurances and treat the sprains, runny noses and flu which frees up the ERs for the true emergencies. Rural communities do not have the same level of care or the access to specialists.[/quote]
Yep. As I said, it depends on where you are - and that goes for socialised medicine or private insurance, I'd imagine.