Exactly this. For every person who has a story about fantastic care in the UK for something not spotted here there will be somebody who can tell you a story of exactly the opposite scenario.
There are good and bad doctors/clinics/hospitals everywhere even within the same country and opinions are often subjective. What one person finds good another may complain about.
Google 'postcode lottery' for some examples of huge differences in standards of care within the UK itself.
Yes there are some excellent trained specialists. I know, because I paid £12k cash for the top obstetrician of my choice. Also bear in mind that while St Thomas's is a centre of excellence, many other UK hospitals are definitely not. Top tip in London ... if you have a problem, go to St Thomas A&E.
As said several before, there's no doubt the NHS kicks in relatively effectively when there's an immediate, really serious life-threatening problem. But it's cheap, cheerless and extremely basic for everything else.
Free at the point of delivery is again an upside previously lauded in this thread, but if you believe it outweighs all the downsides, do you advocate free healthcare for Switzerland?
My guess, she'd be put into self-help group, referred to specialist in six months, and notified to social services.
Never had a home visit, except one I paid for at £150.
Go to any children's A&E in any hospital, and you'll see it fill up dramatically once the GP shuts down. Of course these are not life-threatening emergencies mostly, just very worried parents who don't have anywhere else to turn.
Just last weekend in fact some acquaintances of ours had sick baby (wouldn't drink, very bad choking cough). Pitched up at A&E because GP shut, told to go home, take paracetamol. So they took their kid instead to Portland hospital (private), where kid was put on drip, antibiotics. Bill: £4,000.
I keep on asking this, and no-one has answered yes yet: Do you advocate the NHS in Switzerland?
Your example is pointless (and mine as well for that matter). Find out why.
Having said that, I don't see you presenting statistically significant data on comparison of the two systems. What do you expect on a forum like this, where individuals come with their own unique backgrounds and indivisual opinions and experiences? Do you seriously think that St Thomas's is the only good hospital covered by the NHS? And do you think all private hospitals in the Swiss system are equally good and perhaps superior to their NHS equivalents?
I have now lived and worked in three different countries, the UK, US and now Switzerland and visited a lot more. While in the US I lost my medical cover and almost the right to exist overnight once I lost my job through no fault of my own. There are about 40 million Americans without medical cover who simply cannot afford it. I was also once made redundant in the UK but the last thing on my mind was medical cover for myself and my family. The NHS covers everybody and anybody. It is OK for you and I to critcise it with our 100K+ salaries living in our own comfort zone in Switzerland. But the last thing a sick man or a woman wants to know is the dreaded bill and how to pay for it. Now I have a lot of respect for a system that bypasses all that and gaurantees treatment regardless of the ability to pay. And at least in my friend's case the quality of care was superior to the best paid system. Was it Gandhi who once said that the measure of a civilisation is how it treats it's weakest members.
Yes, the NHS needs to improve a lot, but it's a good system.
I'm not saying the NHS is bad, and i haven't hard data to compare. But in my case, i'm glad to be in Switzerland.
There's lots of anecdotes offered up here, by you and others, but as the saying goes the plural of anecdote is not data, it is anecdotes.
I don't think anyone here as actually provided a convincing argument that is based on facts rather than "well in 1982 I had a house visit", which says one system is better than the other.
It is an opinion-based discussion and you clearly have an axe to grind and have your mind made up already.
What happens if someone can't get out of bed?
The main problem is that it is not even clear what we are discussing here, as we are mixing up (at least) the three following aspects:
Effectiveness of both health systems (CH > UK AFAIK) Outcomes achieved, measured through aggregated statistics such as cancer survival rates and proxy measures such as infant mortalityrates, life expectancy etc. Efficiency of both health systems (UK > CH AFAIK) Cost/Outcomes achieved (extreme simplification). The Swiss health system is very effective but costs a lot more than the health system in the UK (plus there may very well be a diminishing marginal rate of return) Financing of both health systems (depends on the point of view)
There are about 30 acute beds that serve the city of Preston and the 46.000 inhabitants of Chorley. For patients and their family's it's an absolute nightmare.
Never mind getting kicked out after 2 weeks, try getting in in the first place.
Personally I would prefer a state insurance because I think it would be fairer, but, if private - just one insurance company (I don't like competition) with a base rate for everyone and for the doctors to submit their invoices direct to the insurance company. It is sometimes an afternoon's work just sorting out the doctor's claims, passing them to the insurance and controlling the invoices etc., if more family members have visited the doctors more than once during the past month.