I've just seen Michael Moore's documentary Sicko and he painted a nice picture of British health care. Questn

Question

are there any problems with socialized medicine? universal health care in Britain? thanks.

obviously, shawn is from America and has no experience with other health care systems. This question was meant for those with invaluable experience and input.

Answer 1

Yup, there are lots of problems.

Its still better than it is here.

The way to think of it is this: The health care that is available to
everyone is the same - and that is less than you get when you
wave around a fistfull of dollars. Occasionally there are lines
(bad), but you'll get what you need regardless of income (good).
Doctors spend less time dealing with paperwork (good).
Less money goes into administrivia (great!).

The cost of the system is significantly lower than the US cost ...
but no, it isn't always superior from the individual consumer's
point of view. However, as a whole, it kicketh butt.

Answer 2

You mean like how most Universal Healthcare Hospitals, Doctors, Nurses, and Equipment is all sub par?

Or you do mean the tremendous wait times for any medical care that is not an emergency?

Yes Universal Health Care is free, such as Britain and Canada, but if you have an outpatient surgery, or need something simple like fitted for eye glasses, your wait time will be overwhelming.

Personal friend from Britain needed a Kidney surgery, but had to go in pain for 3 months for an outpatient appointment. Also his mother died soon before his appointment and he asked about changing his appointment day to a few days after, and they absolutely refused, and told him he would need to wait an additional month for the earliest appointment.

Michael Moore likes to paint a lot of pretty pictures, but fact is he is a crook. You ever seen him donate money from his Documentary's to any families of 9/11, Katrina, Wounded Veterans, or people that cannot afford medical treatment?

No.

I suggest you check out "Shooting Michael Moore" & "Michael Moore Hates America"

Production values are lower, but people that made these have facts, and not money.

Answer 3

lots of problems included long waiting lists for operations, lack of money from the goverment etc but not everyone can afford private health care so its a very important service for millions of brits.
to great american - Most people in britain have to pay private for dentists. National Health Dentists are few and far between.

Answer 4

There is only in the sense that it costs tax payers and unless the health service is controlled it costs alot and that causes problems in the budget ...there is nothing wrong with Nationa Health Service except that in reducing costs the nurses get paid very little and that causes nurses to leave to America and Austrailia where things are better and the waiting list increases....but this is necessary to keep our taxes lower..unless we take the money from somewhere else like defence ....

this is far better than your system which is selective and discriminatory and down right appalling.... for us to go towards private heath care then we are goind back in time...

Answer 5

I think there is a case for extending the nominal charge already present for prescriptions to other services such as A&E to put off timewasters and take the pressure off. Free at the point of delivery is a fine principle but is far too trusting of people to not abuse the system and clog it up with unnecessary treatment, even with good triage.

Answer 6

Socialized medicine.

If you need care you have to go through what the Government says you have to do to get that care. You might not be able to get an operation that you need for several months. You might have to travel a great distance in order to get to where that service is available. Because al hospitals may not offer the same services.

So let's just give the government one more thumb to put on our little necks. That will be that much more control the government will have over us.

Answer 7

Apart from all the freeloaders that come her looking for a free ride at the expense of the British tax payer, no, im sure it would be fine if we sent the leeches back home!

Answer 8

It has it's problems, principally caused by political interference, finate funding and upwardly spiraling demand.

It is still much more preferable to the alternative of a totally private health care system.

Answer 9

Queues to get onto queues.
The hospitals now belong to the public sector and we will be paying for them for years to come.
Not enough beds. There are regular reports of people having to sleep on a trolley in the corridor.
Inequality from area to area. Refered to as a postcode lottery.
Lack of cleanliness and overuse of antibiotics means that superbugs are rampant in hospital. Regularly people who go into hospital for something simple have died due to infection.

Answer 10

We have this type of healthcare in canada and the issue with it is it is very very expensive which means extra taxes and longer waiting times for surguries. However if your not rich and cant afford the pay for healthcare and you usaully put up with the extra taxes and waiting times.