On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 at 17:43:10 in message
, Dave
wrote:

Here in the UK healthcare is free at the point of delivery and is accessible
to everyone. I also have private health insurance provided by my employer
and that is for when I want non emergency treatment or treatment at my time
of choosing. For emergencies the National Health Service is as good as it
gets. For non urgent treatment like a hip replacement there could be a wait
of up to six months.

This seems a naive picture of the NHS. Some of the reality behind that
is some emergency wards backed up and people lying on trolleys waiting
for hours to get a bed in a hospital.

Many dedicated staff but frustrated by form filling and trying to meet
government imposed 'targets'. Dirty wards with a poor standard of
cleanliness. Treatments rationed in some cases by where you live as your
area budgets won't run to it. Some areas grossly overspent.

Long delays for complex surgery, particularly for the elderly. I know
several people who have spent their savings to get operations done
earlier so as to not to have to wait a year or even 2 years.

On the other hand there are of course many brilliant things that are
done as well, even with an organisation, the largest single employer in
Europe, that has more administrators than Doctors and Nurses.

The hybrid systems In Germany, France and Scandinavia seem to work
better.
--
David CL Francis