I also can't support a system that for ideological reasons denies a woman the choice of obstetrician.
Perhaps the costs and inefficiencies are related to the ideology.
Healthcare is all about difficult cases. That's not an answer.
Just because a system is abused doesn't mean it needs to be abolished. Privatising it doesn't remove this extra cost either - plenty of people in Switzerland go to the doctor unnecessarily once their franchise is used up, which in turn drives everybody's premiums up.
I'd like to see more money and time spent on education on simple self-treatment - paracetamol for fevers, over the counter remedies for vomiting bugs etc. to help people judge better the point where they need to get a professional involved.
You think you can choose the doctor you get in Switzerland? Forget it. You are told which hospital you can go to to give birth, maybe a choice of two if you're lucky.
My brother in law has had treament for years in a clinic in Zug where they know him and his history very well. He recently moved just a few kilometers within the same Kanton and now his insurance forces him to go to a different clinic.
Both systems have their problems.
Does this happen much in Switzerland? I'm not a resident; I don't know.
As I said, cheap but cheerless. Although actually NHS costs are inflated by all the people getting unnecessary treatment because it's free.
But if you want choice with the NHS, no chance. And when you've got a serious health problem, you really do want choice.
No, it really isn't. The biggest costs in time and money come from mundane everyday healthcare, so you plan a system around those if you want it to work.
Where did I say it had to be abolished? I said privatised in many areas (but not all) and remove the culture of people just turning up
Agree paracetomol should be readily purcahsable here in supermarkets too so the pharamacy industry monopoly is broken up
No healthcare is about health care. You are slagging off the NHS because of the treatment to your wife. Depending on your health insurance in Switzerland your wife would have faced the same problem here.
Comparing the swiss system and the NHS because of your wife is absurd.
If you can't choose your doctor that's really not good. Can anyone else confirm this?
Have you ever been to Switzerland?
Healthcare is like a parachute ... normally you don't need it, but if you do and it doesn't work then it doesn't help someone saying "Difficult cases make bad laws".
Just search on here.
In the UK you have to fight the NHS for exceptional treatment.
In Switzerland you have to fight your health insurance's doctors and legal team for exceptional treatment.
I really don't know what your view of the Swiss system is, but I think the reality is very different. In some things you have a choice, some things a limited choice and some things absolutely no choice at all.
Yes, but never used healthcare, apart from skiing accident. I'm not a resident, just curious. Also there's a US vs Swiss thread I started, again out of curiosity.
There's also possibility of job move to Switzerland some day, so another reason to be interested.
I'm not talking about exceptional treatment. I'm talking about choice of the doctor who will treat you.
I don't have a view ... that's why I'm asking the question.
We have free choice of doctors and hospitals with our insurance.
My wife has a different insurance, and only base, but she too has full choice of doctors, hospitals, etc.
I don't know insurance you have that limits you so.
Tom
In both countries you can exercise your choice & pay yourself, it's very easy!
Already dealt with this. See above. The problem with NHS is that you cannot pay for add-ons.
What add-ons do you want? They do open heart surgery & have the best intensive care units.