I don’t usually comment in public about politics or heads of state, but I did want to say that we’re praying for Prince Philip and your Royal Family.
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Well I hope the old fella pulls through, dont like to see anyone ill.
However, my 84 year old dad, who has terrible mobility, had 2 bowel cancer ops, has 2 dreadful stomach hernias, suffers from worsening TIA’s (mini strokes) and lives on his own, has been waiting over 18 months to see a consultant, and we cant even get a GP appointment these days.
Shame I couldn’t add HRH to dad’s title !
You know, just for GP & hospital appointments, that sort of thing.
He don’t want servants bowing to him and bring his food on a silver platter, or Harley Street consultants at his beck & call 24/7, just a bit of good old fashioned care from the system would be nice…
Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that the NHS is at currently breaking point, but it hasn’t always had to cope with a Covid outbreak.
Unfortunately OAP state pension just wont stretch to cover for private health care.
On that note get well soon Phil, I’m sure us peasants will get through these difficult times eh !
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We’ve been worried about all of you. Mum mentions it a lot when I talk to her, because she’s a retired nurse. We’ve heard horrible stories about how difficult it is for you to get the medical care you need now. As much as we complain about our medical costs, it’s a comfort knowing I can pick up the phone today and see one of my doctors by the end of the week if it’s urgent or within 3 months if it’s not.
I have several people with other issues and they are being well cared for. I rang my surgery last week as i have issues and i saw a doctor the next MORNING. She wanted me to have blood tests, the next day the vampire arrived and took a ton of blood and with 2 days i was having results regularly sent me by text.
I am fed up of horror stories it isnt endemic all over uk.
it appears to be more a post code lottery PERHAPS.
although I have a friend in leicester who has been treated with neck cancer throughout the covid crisis and he is having all his final PET scans on monday. has been seen regularly by macmillan nurses.
yes some people have had issues but OVERALL i believe its better not worse then some people like to paint it.
TWO of my family have cancer they have nothing but good to say about how they are being treated.
last week i was invited for my breast cancer screening on time as usual.
I saw my physio at HOME a few weeks ago and he wants me to see an orthotics and i have my appointment for next week but I CANCELLED IT NO I DELAYED it as I CANT get a lift. But have one now organised for the next appointment.
we have to remember there are 66 MILLION living in this country PLUS a huge pandemic so things will be difficult sadly.
as to our beloved DUKE his son is heir to throne, so he would have seen him to discuss the future. the time he was with him was 30 minutes.
Kind of different and we shouldnt use this as a comparison as there is no comparison. When i was in hospital November 2020 we had covid then and i was allowed a visitor. my friend her son is in hospital in walsall with severe glandular fever she is staying with him in the ward in a room with him.
NorasMom what happens to the people in the US without medical insurance? We in the UK are under the impression they get very little or no treatment at all.
Jan x
It depends. Without insurance, you have to pay everything out of pocket, and individuals are charged more for everything than what the insurance companies have to pay. However, emergency rooms are required to treat you whether you can pay them or not. If you fall under the federal poverty level, most hospitals will help you sign up for government benefits, at least until your medical bills are paid. If you qualify, there’s no charge. Unfortunately, most two-income households aren’t going to qualify for that, so you’re left with thousands of dollars in medical bills that will eventually be turned over to debt collectors who can legally hound you for 7 years and then turn around and sell your debts to another collector, which starts the 7-year period all over again.
I’ve been on both sides of that. Many years ago, the hospital billed the wrong insurance company, and by the time we learned about it, we no longer had that same insurance. If your policy runs out on the 30th, many companies will not cover any bills they receive after that date, even if you got the medical care before it. We had to make payments until the bill was paid.
When he was in college, my son needed an emergency appendectomy two weeks after we let his insurance policy lapse. Because he was over 18 and had no steady income, the hospital signed him up for government benefits because they knew that’s the only way they would get paid. Once he got a decent job, the benefits stopped, and he spent quite a few years without insurance.
Basically, we just avoid doctors unless it’s a real emergency. If I didn’t have insurance now, seeing my GP would cost $125, and I couldn’t even consider seeing a neurologist or getting any tests. Right now, it’s all free for me, but in about a year I’ll have to start paying up to $325 a month with additional co-pays and deductibles that could run into thousands of dollars a year.
Most working-class people only get medical care when they’re injured at work or in car accidents. Between 2007-2019, I only saw a doctor one time. Outside of the appendectomy, my son was without healthcare between the ages of 14-29. You just hope that you don’t break a leg or develop a serious health condition. I’ve worked with people who had pneumonia or a suspected broken wrist and didn’t seek medical attention because they couldn’t afford it, or they did scrape together the money to go to a doctor but couldn’t pay for the prescriptions or follow-up care.
My sister-in-law was a diabetic who reused her needles because she couldn’t afford to buy them on top of the cost of insulin. I had a 38-year-old cousin who opted for suicide when he was diagnosed with cancer. He made too much money to qualify for government assistance, but his income went towards alimony, child support, and helping his widowed mother. Chemo and radiation aren’t considered emergency expenses, so he would have had trouble finding anyone to treat him without insurance, and if they did, he would have wound up bankrupt and homeless while trying to pay them off.
I’m still paying off the credit card I maxed out in 2015 for medical expenses when I didn’t have insurance.
We do often complain about our NHS, but actually it’s pretty marvellous. Yes, it’s a total postcode lottery. In some ways say, my CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) fund certain things and refuse to fund others. So I couldn’t get FES on the NHS while most people can, but there are some ways in which I’m really fortunate. I have a wonderful community neurology service including a brilliant rehabilitation consultant who is also a neurologist. He’s fabulous.
On the other hand we often complain about our Royal Family, it’s difficult to defend the amount of money they are paid by the public purse for example. Expecially when we know how wealthy they are. Often people from overseas admire our royals much more than a lot of us do!
Sue
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“On the other hand we often complain about our Royal Family, it’s difficult to defend the amount of money they are paid by the public purse for example. Expecially when we know how wealthy they are. Often people from overseas admire our royals much more than a lot of us do!”
Totally agree Sue.
I gather then that he was allowed a 30 mins visit.
And there was me thinking no visiting is allowed in hospitals at the moment ?
I bet there are thousands of us “non Royals” who would just love a 30 minute visit to see our genuine true “beloved” ones.
But as its already been said “we cant compare, there is no comparison”
Now, that is something I do agree with, there certainly is no comparison to a Royal life and a life in the real world.
I’m not going to get into a debate on the Royal family, as it’s just not worth wasting my pressure time over, so thats my last word on the subject.
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The UK seems to be rather short of cash at the moment, so why not breed our Royals and export them to America? Anything raised for these dysfunctional parasites can go towards a pay increase for the hugely deserving NHS workers.
Ok, this wont go anywhere near rectifying ten years of chronic underfunding, but you have to start somewhere.
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Hi All, hope you are all ok.
Nora’s Mum - thanks for telling us a out yr situation re medical expenses. I have known for many years the problems in America with health care. It is appalling. I do think though that it is good you only go to see a Doc when a absolutely necessary.
I do think Brits, in general, go to the doctors far too much. Or to hospitals. I think the NHS is marvellous and we are very lucky to have it. Of course there are a anomalies across the country. I would hate to have a system like the USA. However the NHS has consistently been run into the ground by successive Tory governments. It has too many bosses and not enough workers on the wards. The poor Nurses are very badly paid.
As for the Royal Family. I do not think they are perfect. Far from it. I do believe William a d Kate are working hard to change things. However. They do work hard, the core family. They bring enormous money into the country through tourism. I think UK would be all the poorer without them.
Anne.
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I’m sorry that I brought up a sore subject, although while we’re on it, could you take back your wayward couple? We don’t want them here. Rather, we don’t want the one we gave you. It’s considered rude to return a gift, so she’s yours now!
My late grandmother was a big fan of all things British. She had an English pen-pal for more than 30 years (until the woman died), and then when she was in her late 70’s my mum was able to fly her over to see where her friend had lived. She had the time of her life! It’s not the pomp and circumstance that get to us; it’s just that you have such a long and fascinating history. We admire the fact that you respect old things and traditions. The US doesn’t really have that.
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All my family are royalists and proud to be. My father served in the war with his queens shilling.
remember royalty brings huge money into this country with tourists.
I am royal and proud. I am not going to get into a discussion over it, its my prerogative. The queen has been a great ambassador for this country and has worked tirelessly throughout her reign, she has never taken time off and has earned every penny. The duke too has walked by her side. They dont just sit in their castle and drink gin and tonic.
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I dont like to see anyone ill so hopefully the Duke will recover both quickly and completely. That aside, as an institution, the Royal Family imo have not been needed for a long time on these islands.
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Thank you NorasMom for your response to my query. The US medical care seems to be a minefield and while we have problems I think I prefer things as there are.
As stated by others we do have a lot of problems with the NHS exacerbated by COVID. From a personal point during COVID I have had a face to face with my Neuro and a phone consultation with my MS Nurse I also had an MRI. I’ve had quite a few phone consultations with my GP.
My Mum has had approx 8 hospital appointment for eye injections, which are saving her sight. She has had GP visits which resulted in a hospital consultation which in turn resulted in my taking her to hospital yesterday to have a Carcinoma removed from her forehead.
I have a friend who has had two operation to remove tumours from her brain, she has also had numerous hospital appointments for Chemo treatment.
I only say all this to point out that life has gone on within the NHS, although I do know that an awful lot of treatment has been delayed some of which have had disastrous consequences.
My thought on the Royal family are better the devil you know…I wish the duke well.
As for Harry and Meghan I just wish they would shut up.
Take care all
Jan x
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This is a link to a nice illustration of national health spend -v- life expectancy: a proxy for health spend value-for-money, in other words. In terms of value-for-money, the US doesn’t do terribly well.
Alison
p.s for Janhhh - I wish they would, too. 
The one good thing about all this is that the NHS has continued to operate throughout this whole Covid crap. I have had hospital appts, GP home visits, and telephone consults. Also nurse appointments. So, no complaints from me, we are lucky to have the NHS.
I think people who work in the NHS are generally angels. One or two bad apples but that is human nature.
Where would we be without them? When we get out of this mess I think there should be a big rally to try and up their wages. Imagine what they have been through for a whole year? Day after day…
Anne
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The Drs and nurses that work in the NHS are fantastic theres no doubt about that! Its the business side of the NHS that’s bad.
It’s always the business side! Up until the late 80’s, it wasn’t all that common for people in the US to have health insurance. It was generally limited to those who had high-paying or union jobs or retirees getting Social Security. But it didn’t matter, because healthcare was affordable. Then they started setting up new insurance companies, which insist on only paying a percentage of the cost, so healthcare rates for the uninsured rose to make up the difference.