[maica]

No mention of elective surgery availability either.

Many Brits now have private health insurance because the waiting lines and/or eligiblity requirements are horrendous.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I had a friend that was on travel to London about 10 years ago. He had serious back problems and needed back surgery. He was a Federal Employee and had good insurance. He was taken to a hospital and put in to a ward with 25 other people with only sheets as screens. He said people were constantly waking up in the night screaming with pain, so he got little or no sleep. Also the ward was in a building that looked like something from the 1950 (not painted since then). The nurses were so busy that it took him two days to convince them he had insurance. Once they found out he had private insurance, they moved him to a private room, and he got a good doctor, had the surgery and all was well. We don't need Socialized Medicine.

I agree that Americans probably have poor eating habits and don't exercise enough. I am told that Britain is becoming more like the US (people are getting fatter).