“There seemed to be a fee or license for everything.”
A friend took a position in London, thinking he was way ahead on the package plus, he did not have to purchase health insurance!
Until he talked with the locals. They told him would be nuts to depend on the NHS! Not many use it by choice.
He bought the insurance.
Yep, NHS is a slow and ugly way to die. And to think the NHS was a response to the A.J.Cronin book The Citadel.
I lived in the UK in the seventies. My medical was “free” but not really. My taxes on my income and for national health were huge.
My son was born in England. My wife received good medical care for this. In an acute situation they are good. For chronic care they suck.