More fun with BT

Well done for not reading a fucking word I've said

 

It does have a pinko commie stink to it doesn't it [1][2].

Not a chance whilst our lovely duly and properly elected overlords are
on the rampage trying to privatise absolutely everything in UK.

[1] Much prefer the light and refreshing ylang ylang scent of socialism
myself ;-).
[2] Saw a copy of the Morning Star in a Bistro the other day, first time
I'd seen it in about 15 years, thought communism had died with the fall
of the Berlin wall.

 

Oddly enough I've never been directed to the special NHS helpline.

Did they think you sounded stressed or something? Had people moved
all pointed objects out of your reach?

 

Until the specialist want's more follow up than they're willing to
provide , then you get asked to see the same specialist but on the
NHS.

 

I meant a BT BSU dedicated to NHS business, not to a medical advisory
service ;o)

I always have the heavy duty stapler within reach

 

An "Insurance Policy" per se wouldn't work for us, private or otherwise.
Your holistic healthcare requirements can't be limited by individual costs.

Let's just call it Individual NHS Healthcare Provision. Or Extended
Warranty ;o)

Being individualised is important though. Because we really need to stop
paying for healthcare for people, and their children, who weren't born here
or haven't been mostly in residence.

If you come here a condition should be that you maintain a comprehensive
healthcare policy. Whether you or your employer pays is irrelevant. And yes,
clearly there will be limitations. And you should have to extend/pay the
policy for new children. Cover by NHS provision would only come in after
(say) 5 years of NI contributions.

 

I don't get this. As long as they're paying their premiums, why should
they not be as entitled as anyone else?

Oh, right. Yes, just like they do here in CH.

Bollocks to that. I don't expect to pay for car insurance for five
years before I'm allowed to make a claim, and I don't see why medical
ins should be any different.

One other point - inscos must not be allowed to refuse or heavily load
folk with pre-existing conditions.

 

So you suggest that someone who arrives in the UK, pays 3 months of NI
should then receive £500K of cancer treatment? No, go home and use the
treatment available there, pay for it yourself or have in place a private
policy.

Sounds sensible

See my first comment. There has to be some kind of transitional program so
for a period there will have to be dual payment. Or a personal acceptance
there will never be NHS provision for self and family.

Impossible. Private insurance companies are not philanthropic charities.
What you describe is a State Funded Personal Healthcare provision.

This isn't pie in the sky stuff, we are in discussions along these lines
with the new DoH for specific services.

 

Ah. The personal touch. It's a win win really then.

 

They could do the same with consumables and drugs too (although Bruce
would hate the suggestion). Centralise procurement for the whole
heath service with one procurement team, and negotiate x% discount at
a supplier level... run the supply chain Tesco style.

 

If this approach were so successful the nation would be full of chains
of corner shops, and small businesses, not supermarkets and
corporations exploiting large scale buying power.

 

Marxist ****!

 

I have to say that my recent experience of the NHS is that I very much
doubt there's a truly comparable service elsewhere in the world.

Yes, I was lucky in some ways, but I had a paramedic with me in less
than 5 minutes, the ambulance was here within 15 minutes - although it
was over an hour before reaching the hospital due to the 'work' they
were doing on me to stabilise me before moving me - and within 8 hours,
I'd had life-saving treatment.

Although I hated my stay in hospital, and the food definitely needs
improvement, the actual medical care I received was spot on - and my
experience so far of ongoing care is also superb.

I had cause to re-visit A&E a week ago, and again received emergency
care within a few minutes of arrival, and another overnight stay with
very good medical care.

Yes, I could have gone private after the initial admission - but the
private surgeon would have been the same person as the NHS surgeon, and
the operation would have been done in the same theatre. What I have my
doubts over is the standard of medical care given after the operation -
had I been transferred to the private hospital in Cardiff, woud they
have been fully prepared to deal with any post-operative complications?

(Which reminds me - I need to chase up my claim for payment in lieu of
private care)

 

I believe they do this in Wales with drugs. As no money changes hands at
the point of supply, with all prescriptions being free, the pharmacy
just gets paid a dispensing fee. They seem to operate on a standard drug
stock in the pharmacy which is replenished from a centralised
distribution point with daily deliveries by WVM.

 

Quite. Hog cant have it both ways.

And here in NL.

ding. Here in NL, the government effectively enforces what the
'minimum' insurance package must cover and the price, then makes it
mandatory for all people to have insurance. You can choose which
insurance company, and of course, you can choose to pay extra for
'more' coverage.

I'm sure it's not a perfect system. but it's the best I've seen yet.

 

This is mostly true of critical stuff, and I'm in agreement that the UK
tends to be pretty good about 'treat first, ask questions later',
however I'm guessing 80 year old women who needs a hip replacement
aren't treated quite as enthusiatically.

 

You die in horrible agony.

 

They are and they aren't. All the figures suggest that in that particular
circumstance it is cheaper to repair them rather than wear the cost of
having them in bed until they die but the hard of thinking are a bit too
bound up in short term thinking so it becomes something of a lottery
depending on the political persuasions of your local health system.

 

As in Noo Zeeland.

 

I'm guessing it would work that way here, but when, for example, Jude
was on unemployment last year, she was effectively just employed by
the unemploment insco, being paid a significant proportionm of her
previous salary, and thence paying tax, health ins and everything else
out of that.

Naah, the difference being, I can choose my cover, which at the moment
has a 1500 franc p/a excess, but could have none, and has a limited
range of doctors I could register with, and needs a referall to a
consultant, and would leave me in a public ward if I needed
hospitalisation. I _could_ choose a policy that let me go direct to a
consultant of my choice, gave me a private room with all the
trimmings, etc. etc. etc.

Accident insurance is provided by one's employer, and is a completely
different kettle of fish.