Posted on 08/12/2009 5:07:30 PM PDT by GoldStandard
Britain's health care service says it is sick of being lied about.
Pilloried by right-wing critics of President Barack Obama's health care plan, Britain's National Health Service, known here as the NHS, is fighting back.
"People have been saying some untruths in the States," a spokesman for Britain Department of Health said in a telephone interview. "There's been all these ridiculous claims made by the American health lobby about Obama's health care plan ... and they've used the NHS as an example. A lot of it has been untrue."
He spoke anonymously in line with department policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Foreigners can shut up now.
“He spoke anonymously in line with department policy.”
What a gem - how does one satirize this? Where is John Semmens when you need him?
If the UK’s Daniel Hannah himself came on Hannity’s show multiple times to explain how it worked and he bluntly said: “do not be like the British healthcare”, that in itself was vindication that the Uk system may work for freeloaders, but the system itself is broken.
and dont get me started with the canadian HC.
FREE???? Wow, now that IS news. I wonder what else in Britain is free...
Sorry Britain your system is modeled by no one but Cuba. A lot of countries have single payer systems which are bad enough, but yours is the only country in the developed world that has a truly socialized system where all health care services and providers with the exception of a few private clinics, are operated by the Government.
Your system is despicably evil.
NHS is fighting back??
What its 40+ million customers didn’t stand up to defend them?? Why is that I wonder?
He spoke anonymously because department policy permits employees to speak on behalf of the department but they must do so anonymously...or did he speak anonymously because he is not authorized to speak by department policy. As an interested reader, it makes a difference to me. Right!
These guys are great.
They acted like we have no access to the newspapers in the UK.
LOL
So someone from the British NH Mess called some reporter in the USA anonymously, to kvetch.
They want us to be as miserable as they are.
They want us to be as miserable as they are.
Which got me to thinking. Since the UK is known for incredibly bad dental care, I don't believe I've seen anywhere what DeathCare has in store for those of us who'd like to keep our teeth.
Oh, yeah, I forgot....if Granny is a short-timer, there's really no reason for her to worry her cute little grey head over her choppers--I suppose oatmeal goes pretty well with those pain pills....
Not exactly - the NHS is so inefficient that an entire private provider network exists to get quicker doctor visits - this is not free, of course.
BUPA exists as the insurance provider —
http://www.bupa.co.uk/heartbeat/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bupa
Everyone seems to ignore this parallel (extra cost) system when talking about the NHS. I believe they are mostly the same doctors, but existing under a sceond payer scheme. A family member had a 5 week wait for a MRI scan, but it was reduced to three days by "going private" and paying for a visit - and it even appears it was on the same MRI machine.
I would put it close to Barry 0’s comment on UPS/FedEx vs. the Post Office he made yesterday...:^)
Perhaps an English FR person can elaborate?
Fair enough.
Let's hear it straight from the Brits.
Yet, the liberals cite "rankings" of health systems that puts the U.S. way down the list because U.S. care is not "free".
In the U.S., even the uninsured get timely care. I may not get paid for the health care I provide them but they get cared for ..... right after their accident ..... not 18 weeks later.
Ignore all those lies about British health care!
I was on the NHS system and I can tell you it was worst than crap! They refused to treat my child’s infection and I had to return to the States to get medicine, and guess what? The medication I got in America was for FREE!
I get so sick and tired of left wing idiots crying that people are being denied basic care in America. In fact it’s quite the opposite.
“Since the UK is known for incredibly bad dental care,”
It is always curious the American comic obsession with British ‘bad’ teeth. Incidentally, I’ve watched on the news today a number of people cite British teeth as a reason to oppose nationalised medicine. There are many reasons to oppose socialised medicine but British Dental Care isn’t one of them! Dental care in the UK is one area of health care that is now predominantly delivered through private practice - so in many ways that argument is self defeating. I’d stick to pointing out the cost in tax and the service provided for that money and comparing it to what you could expect for a similarly funded private plan.
“Not exactly - the NHS is so inefficient that an entire private provider network exists to get quicker doctor visits - this is not free, of course.
BUPA exists as the insurance provider
http://www.bupa.co.uk/heartbeat/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bupa
Everyone seems to ignore this parallel (extra co
st) system when talking about the NHS. Perhaps an English FR person can elaborate?
This is correct. I pay 40% of my earning in income tax (plus another 10% in various other local taxes and compulsary national insurance schemes) - and for that I get included the NHS cover. However, I also chose to pay an extra £1300 (about $2000 a year) for additional private health cover. If I had cancer or a serious accident- I would get great care on the NHS. However, for more mundane and more common health ailments you get a poor service and I feel obliged in the interest of my family to pay the extra to get the level of healthcare and speed of access to healthcare that I want them to have.
One of the weird things over here is that if you let slip in conversation that you have additional private healthcare in some circles that is considered deeply unpatriotic!
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