Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
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.
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I don't want to come across as an NHS basher
- but it is an increasingly target driven system, and that can mean priorities get skewed.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...an-be-hit.html
"People arriving at Accident and Emergency departments with symptoms which could indicate the aggressive spread of the disease [cancer] are waiting weeks for diagnosis and treatment while “routine” cases are prioritised. "