Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceili
will it go to the UK thing, where you can wait for months? (if this is wrong, sorry, but it is the view the rest of us gets when we hear about it).
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The way the UK system works is this:
Everyone has a local GP ("General Practioner") whom you can generally see that same day if you wish (that's certainly the case with mine, anyway). If you need more specialist treatment, your GP will refer you to the appropriate specialist consultant. That is where the delays can occur; if your GP suspects that you might have a "life threatening" condition, you'll see a specialist within a week or two, but if it's something non-dangerous, you might have to wait a couple of months for an appointment. The specialist will then decide if hospital treatment is required.
ie, life-threatening conditions take priority over non-threatening ones. This seems perfectly reasonable to me. Nobody HAS to have a cateract operation "instantly"; it may be inconvenient to your lifestyle, but it won't kill you.
Personally I have always found it to be an excellent system. I certainly would not like to be subject to a healthcare system in which my access to treatment depended upon my ability to pay for it; I consider it a basic duty of government to give me access to healthcare, funded by my taxes.