Yessiree that UK socialized medicine is great!

[piscator]

Also, the article makes it sound like the bloke had his arm half chopped off. It also says it took only ten stitches to close, so I had a look at the one of the photos supplied. Serious? I think not. And why did it take at least several weeks for some hack journo to come up with this bit of "news"?

I wouldn't even waste a doctor's time with something that trivial.

I probably would. I'd also require any of my field crew to immediately see a doctor if they got opened up by a saw chain (or any brushing tool) at work in any way. My survey crews carry very good first aid and trauma kits, with Izzys and Kerlix, along with their saws, premix, and bar oil. Saw injuries are a nightmare situation to plan for, and one of those mental assessments I make when sizing up prospective crew.

I know a guy who, on his first morning as a seismic surveyor, completely buried a Sandvik blade between his 2nd and 3rd toe. He said the Arctic mosquitoes smelled that blood for miles, and formed a massive attack cloud. And the first of his coworkers who showed up after his radio calls said, "Great. Now we're going to lose a half a fucking day's production because of your sorry ass."

Obviously a hawked-up story. One little pseudo- story, meanwhile millions are treated satisfactorily every day. In the US, a doctor would turn away a case like that simply if the person didn't have health insurance. Or that used to be the case.

Yep. Low sport. Even for OP.

[Seth]

As a u.s. citizen and a permanent resident of the UK, I just want to say I love the NHS

Of course you do, because somebody else is paying for it.

I pay for it. It comes out of my paycheck every month.

Does it? Do you pay the complete cost of your care every month, or are you paying a fixed amount regardless of how many medical resources you consume?

It's the latter, which means you are either stealing from someone elses paycheck or they are stealing from yours.

[Seth]

Also, the article makes it sound like the bloke had his arm half chopped off. It also says it took only ten stitches to close, so I had a look at the one of the photos supplied. Serious? I think not. And why did it take at least several weeks for some hack journo to come up with this bit of "news"?

I wouldn't even waste a doctor's time with something that trivial. Obviously a hawked-up story. One little pseudo- story, meanwhile millions are treated satisfactorily every day. In the US, a doctor would turn away a case like that simply if the person didn't have health insurance. Or that used to be the case.

That's why you're not a doctor. Ever hear of "nerve damage" or "tendon damage" or "infection?" That's a pretty serious wound based on the scarring.

[Seth]

Why is it that if a doctor or medical facility in a country with socialized medicine acts badly it is the fault of the system? Yet, if a doctor or hospital in the US acts badly, it's just an example of a "bad" doctor or some money-grubbing bureaucrat with no compassion?

I'm sure there is some perfectly logical answer, but it is 3:17 am here and I'm on pain meds.

There is. The answer is because socialized medicine bills itself as being the ultimate in health care for everyone and it makes promises it cannot possibly keep. Thus, it's nothing but a giant fraud on the public that is legally immune from legal sanction because it is run by the government. So if you get crap care under socialized medicine, there's not a damned thing you can do about it but suffer.

A private physician who makes a mistake can be held accountable by the patient in court for malpractice, which stimulates doctors to pay attention and do their jobs properly, unlike the public health physicians and nurses who don't have to give a damn because they can't be sued and are unlikely to get fired because there aren't enough of them to begin with.

Our Veterans Administration hospital scandal is a prime example of how "socialized medicine" works, or doesn't work.

[JimC]

I'm pretty certain that someone presenting in that condition to our local medical centre would receive prompt first aid. Mind you, it is a fairly large clinic, with a dozen doctor's room and a nurses station at the centre...

[Ayaan]

I'll just leave this here

[Hermit]

I'll just leave this here

Thanks for the link. Powerful article, seeing it deals with facts.

I note that Australia ranks fourth. That ranking is about to drop. Our current, free market focused government will ensure that it will, and I doubt that the gutless alternative party will do much to reverse the policies of the conservatives when it gets re-elected in about two years' time.

[pErvinalia]

Why do you hate freedum, Ayaan??!

[ronmcd]

I'm pretty certain that someone presenting in that condition to our local medical centre would receive prompt first aid. Mind you, it is a fairly large clinic, with a dozen doctor's room and a nurses station at the centre...

My GP's office is simply that, a very small collection of offices/consultations rooms, a reception desk, and at best 2 GP's and a nurse. And they are dealing with appointments not walk-in injured, it's not what they are there for. If someone were to turn up and was patently bleeding out all over the floor, the staff would - like in any shop or office - try and help, and call an ambulance, I'm sure.

He was obviously turned away rightly because he had a non-life threatening wound, and was quite capable of going to the A&E.

[mistermack]

I'm pretty certain that someone presenting in that condition to our local medical centre would receive prompt first aid. Mind you, it is a fairly large clinic, with a dozen doctor's room and a nurses station at the centre...

My GP's office is simply that, a very small collection of offices/consultations rooms, a reception desk, and at best 2 GP's and a nurse. And they are dealing with appointments not walk-in injured, it's not what they are there for. If someone were to turn up and was patently bleeding out all over the floor, the staff would - like in any shop or office - try and help, and call an ambulance, I'm sure.

He was obviously turned away rightly because he had a non-life threatening wound, and was quite capable of going to the A&E.

We've only got his word for that. It could well be that he's a liar, and that the people at the surgery offered to call an ambulance to take him to A and E, but he declined. That's what the proper procedure would have been. If the scratch had been life-threatening, they would have done the best they could, till the ambulance arrived. But they have no way of forcing a patient to take the best course of action.

It's pretty obvious he didn't want to go to A and E, for his own reasons. Because he went to TWO surgeries, before doing the obvious.

That's why you're not a doctor. Ever hear of "nerve damage" or "tendon damage" or "infection?" That's a pretty serious wound based on the scarring.

A job for accident and emergency then, they have all the proper equipment and the staff for those injuries.
It's up to him. He can accept or refuse the proper treatment from the best health service in the world.

Either way, he won't get a bill.

[Hermit]

He is definitely an idiot, albeit a useful one - useful to the oppressors of the working classes.

[ronmcd]

I'm pretty certain that someone presenting in that condition to our local medical centre would receive prompt first aid. Mind you, it is a fairly large clinic, with a dozen doctor's room and a nurses station at the centre...

My GP's office is simply that, a very small collection of offices/consultations rooms, a reception desk, and at best 2 GP's and a nurse. And they are dealing with appointments not walk-in injured, it's not what they are there for. If someone were to turn up and was patently bleeding out all over the floor, the staff would - like in any shop or office - try and help, and call an ambulance, I'm sure.

He was obviously turned away rightly because he had a non-life threatening wound, and was quite capable of going to the A&E.

We've only got his word for that. It could well be that he's a liar, and that the people at the surgery offered to call an ambulance to take him to A and E, but he declined. That's what the proper procedure would have been. If the scratch had been life-threatening, they would have done the best they could, till the ambulance arrived. But they have no way of forcing a patient to take the best course of action.

It's pretty obvious he didn't want to go to A and E, for his own reasons. Because he went to TWO surgeries, before doing the obvious.

That's why you're not a doctor. Ever hear of "nerve damage" or "tendon damage" or "infection?" That's a pretty serious wound based on the scarring.

A job for accident and emergency then, they have all the proper equipment and the staff for those injuries.
It's up to him. He can accept or refuse the proper treatment from the best health service in the world.

Either way, he won't get a bill.

Hmm. I find myself in complete agreement with you mistermack. It's not right.

[Ayaan]

Why do you hate freedum, Ayaan??!

Because I'm a liberal!

[piscator]

As a u.s. citizen and a permanent resident of the UK, I just want to say I love the NHS

Of course you do, because somebody else is paying for it.

I pay for it. It comes out of my paycheck every month.

Does it? Do you pay the complete cost of your care every month, or are you paying a fixed amount regardless of how many medical resources you consume?

It's the latter, which means you are either stealing from someone elses paycheck or they are stealing from yours.

Insurance is just like that. They may call it "Voluntary", but it's about as voluntary as driving...

All I can say is I'm glad we have Insurance Regulators on the taxpayer's tab!

[Ayaan]

As a u.s. citizen and a permanent resident of the UK, I just want to say I love the NHS

Of course you do, because somebody else is paying for it.

I pay for it. It comes out of my paycheck every month.

Does it? Do you pay the complete cost of your care every month, or are you paying a fixed amount regardless of how many medical resources you consume?

It's the latter, which means you are either stealing from someone elses paycheck or they are stealing from yours.

Insurance is just like that. They may call it "Voluntary", but it's about as voluntary as driving...

All I can say is I'm glad we have Insurance Regulators on the taxpayer's tab!

Well, I suppose that makes me a thief. I have health insurance through work. I can guarantee that the charges for couple of visits to my rheumatologist with all the bloodwork (they draw between four and ten test tubes of blood since some values are checked every three months, others twice a year, and some once a year) costs more than I pay in premiums each year - and I see my rheumatologist at least four times a year and my primary care doctor two or three times a year. My out-of-pocket costs are negligible. Don't get me started on my prescription coverage - one month's supply of prescriptions retails for more than my premiums cost me in three years.

Yet, insurance companies still manage to make billions every year. There can't be that many people each year who don't use their insurance.