about the NHS? In Germany we have a variety of Health Insurances (not PRIVATE) but in England there is only one...is it a good one or can i get a cheap additional insurence?
2006-06-21 02:39:05 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Other - Health
Humpty, I'd recommend that you don't sit on any walls before getting private medical insurance, because if you have a great fall I'm sure the NHS (and maybe the Queen's men and horses would be involved - though not sure how much use the horses would be) wouldn't be able to put you together again.
2006-06-21 02:47:16 · answer #1 · answered by dumberthangeorgebush 5 · 4⤊ 4⤋
You can get most things on the NHS - but you often have to wait unless it is life threatening. The one thing that it is hard to get on the NHS is dental treatment. The NHS is free to the user (except for prescriptions, which are at a flat rate) as it is all paid through taxation, so the rich and the poor get exactly the same treatment.
Most people just use the NHS - only a few have private medical cover.
there are a number of companies that give private health cover (BUPA and PPP are the main ones) - and costs depend on your previous health history and what you want to cover. HSA is not health insurance as such, but can give you out-of-pocket cash, and money if you spend some time in hospital. Just wait til you get here - there are lots of adverts!
The main thing to do is register with a doctor as soon as you are settled and take things from there! A General Practitioner is the normal doctor who you see when you are ill. they will send you to a specialist if they cannot help you, need further stuff done (or don't know what is wrong with you!). However, you will see the specialist that knows what is wrong with you. I have heard of German people who have pregnancy problems sent to blood specialists, for example, purely because they were on call that night (although I must admit this may be an urban myth!)!
For all its faults, the NHS does look after ill people well! I hope this puts your mind at rest. Oh, and a good thing is that you speak excellent english - doctors do not tend to speak German (or other languages!) and there can be problems if you do not understand each other!
2006-06-21 09:52:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The NHS hospitals are really busy and often you have to wait for ages before being seen, for example, I broke my arm and had the bones sticking out of my arm, I waited 7 and a half hours before being seen and there was a man who had been waiting for 3 hours longer than me, he also had an open wound. It depends where you are in the country but if I could opt out of paying for the NHS and go private then I would. Sadly I cannot afford to pay both so have to go with the NHS for now. Also, it can be hard to get a local GP as the surgeries are usually full, but again, that's just in some parts of the country. I live in London so it can be really difficult here.
2006-06-21 09:46:20 · answer #3 · answered by sparkleythings_4you 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The NHS, fpor all its detractors is very good, but of course you can always have private treatment, you will need to get health insurance, BUPA is the best known. In an emergency you will find the NHS impossible to beat, and ringing the 999 number will always bring an NHS ambulance.
2006-06-21 09:45:25 · answer #4 · answered by mike-from-spain 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The NHS is sufficient, but you can go private if you like, with companies like BUPA. However in an emergency, you still have to dial 999, there's no private ambulance service! So you'll get treated by the NHS anyway.
2006-06-21 09:42:39 · answer #5 · answered by K38 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sure there is private insurance in England, cheap? I'm not sure considering it's one of the most expensive places to live in the world.
But not many of my brit friends have much nice to say about the NHS. It's good that it exists for those who cant affford private insurance, but as they say "You get what you pay for".
2006-06-21 09:44:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well yes the NHS is great, its paid for via income tax but even unemployed can use it. There is extra (private) healthcare like BUPA and you can be insured for just about anything. Private healthcare may also come as part of your job package
2006-06-21 09:44:32 · answer #7 · answered by dave w 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
first you need to find out about England then you can try to look for a hotel maybe to stay in if you don`t have your house bought already then you need to find out where your moving and get a map about it and try to learn More about it so you won`t be completely loss if you need to go somewhere. And since your new there you mine as well have a map for all of the places your going to go to.
2006-06-21 09:47:25 · answer #8 · answered by samariaaluko 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there is the NHS which is free or private too
2006-06-21 12:10:57 · answer #9 · answered by lousarah 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋