Go Private For Health Problems Options

[irrie]

Angel. It must be nice to live the life of a saint. No fags no drink or anything else thats bad for you. What exactly is a self inflicted accident?. Cheers

[Melody]

I agree Heather it annoys me too when people speak of a Free Health Service we all pay for it on every penny we earn, as do the employers paying their share. Although the employers would love to get away with their share.)
Angel we can't determine who gets help and who doesn't we're all flesh and blood each with our own frailties and strengths. We never know the moment we ourselves might be in great need of medical help.

[*Adam*]

It may be true that some employers would like to renege on national insurance payments. Would it not be fair to say the same of some employees?

[benny]

I took it as read that, when I referred to a "free" health service, it would be understood as free at point of use - not paying a consultation fee when you see a doctor, for example. Obviously, funding has to come from somewhere, but in Britain no money changes hands bettween doctor and patient under the NHS.

So, Angel, if someone suffers a "self inflicted accident" - say working with concrete slabs, no safety boots, and dropping a slab on his foot which gets crushed - we should let him limp away in agony if he can't pay for treatment?
And what, exactly, constitutes a "self inflicted illness"? Does living in a city, where exhaust fumes pollute the air, constitute such? After all, if you really want to look after your health, you could move to a rural area.

One of the big problem with the NHS today is that it is called upon to treat illness in ways which weren't envisaged in 1948, when the service was founded. Lasers, MRI scanners, and other such medical technologies didn't exist then, and neither did the profusion of expensive drug treatments for all sorts of illness. All of these things cost money - sometimes lots of money. But. . . if we can find billions to pay for needless foreign wars, why should we object to the much more worthwhile aim of saving people's lives, rather than taking them?

[Melody]

Sorry Benny, my remark about the NHS being Free was not aimed at you. It's just that often those living abroad will refer to the NHS in this way.

[wee davy]

Self inflicted illnesses - interesting concept.

I was playing (amongst others) up against an old shelter, as a youngster - with an iron bedstead. Quite WHAT we were doing is completely lost on me now - but my point is, if I hadn't positioned myself in such a fashion, as to almost sever two fingers, then I wouldn't have had to attend the A&E at the Western Infirmary. Ergo, any consequent treatment my family should have paid for - in the 'good' old days - I would've just lost both my fingers.

As for alcohol and tobacco BOTH drugs by the way, from medieval times, up until this present day, were simply ways of keeping the masses stupified, AND many governments KNOWINGLY ignored the effect on people's health. (We were once actually paid in them!)
Are we simply to ABANDON those affected by social affliction??
Do we simply say "you did it to yourself, therefore you do not deserve any treatment"?
So the many 100's of thousands who worked in smokey atmospheres over the years - when they KNEW it wasn't healthy - do we tell them in their dotage years 'you are not worthy of any treatment, unless you pay for it, over and above what you have already paid in tax and insurance?

My point is,... WHO DECIDES?
Its not the NHS which needs privatising (which is the slippery slope you seem to be advocating, angel), or two tiering, but society needs FIXING (sic).

[angel]

So, Angel, if someone suffers a "self inflicted accident" - say working with concrete slabs, no safety boots, and dropping a slab on his foot which gets crushed - we should let him limp away in agony if he can't pay for treatment?
And what, exactly, constitutes a "self inflicted illness"? Does living in a city, where exhaust fumes pollute the air, constitute such? After all, if you really want to look after your health, you could move to a rural area.

Benny , Self inflicted accidents would be ," Drunk Driving ,causing injury to ones self and to other's , even death.
Deciding to go climb some mountain , just because it's there , which is fine , assuming that you have insurance to cover any accidents , the list could go on and on , and as for living in a city , well now you are
splitting hairs , that does,nt do half the damage that smoking and excessive drinking does to a persons health "self inflicted Illness ".
As for concrete slabs ,no safety boots etc.etc. constitutes ,I would think , industrial accidents.
We could go on arguing about this forever but the bottom line is that the cost to a NHS . is much more than is or will ever be paid into it
during a person's lifetime .
Universal health care is of the utmost importance and therefore
should not be abused , How to solve that problem , I for one do not have a clue . but my on personal medical insurance helps to cover
the cost of seeing a medical specialist ,where the goverment only pays
part of his /her fee . and once again that would be , Chiropody ,
optometry ,dentisty and phisio therapy and probably a few other non
life threatening conditions .

[TeeHeeHee]

The National Health Service is exactly that which the term describes. As soon as we start to discuss or decide who among us might not be entitled, for which ever reasons, to this service then we can remove the term National from the health service's description.

[angel]

My point is,... WHO DECIDES?
Its not the NHS which needs privatising (which is the slippery slope you seem to be advocating, angel), or two tiering, but society needs FIXING (sic).


Davy , I am now just seeing your post and I must say that I never
at any point gave privatising or two tiering a moments thought , although now that you have mentioned it , two tiering could be the way to go where a country's Health care is concerned , It might take away the pressure from the NHS and may infact help improve the whole system
or is this just another pipe dream .


I was playing (amongst others) up against an old shelter, as a youngster - with an iron bedstead. Quite WHAT we were doing is completely lost on me now - but my point is, if I hadn't positioned myself in such a fashion, as to almost sever two fingers, then I wouldn't have had to attend the A&E at the Western Infirmary. Ergo, any consequent treatment my family should have paid for - in the 'good' old days - I would've just lost both my fingers.

Davy there are many of us who can come up with similar stories .

I have to this day my own younger brother who walks tall and strong
because of the NHS. a man perhaps about your own age .

As for alcohol and tobacco BOTH drugs by the way, from medieval times, up until this present day, were simply ways of keeping the masses stupified, AND many governments KNOWINGLY ignored the effect on people's health. (We were once actually paid in them!)
Davy...
I don't know about being paid in Liquor and booze but as you say , that was medieval times , we are now addressing the present health system
which I believe does help those who are suffering from social affliction
through rehabilition programmes , of course that only works for those who choose to go that route , and for those who don't . ???????????
--------------------

So the many 100's of thousands who worked in smokey atmospheres over the years - when they KNEW it wasn't healthy - do we tell them in their dotage years 'you are not worthy of any treatment, unless you pay for it, over and above what you have already paid in tax and insurance?
-----------------
Now davy ,I do think that this statement is well below your mentality.

Even here in Canada I know people who receive disability pensions
from the UK , because their health had been so badly affected by the
conditions in which they worked , ie , when they lived there , !
so I am positivly sure that the residents in the UK are receiving the
same benefits ,,," not perfect ", but hardly abandonment .
Anyway Davy , I do sincerely hope that your own health improves
100% , including all the medical care that you might need ... God Bless

[wee davy]

Thank you, angel. And blessings to you too!

we are now addressing the present health system
which I believe does help those who are suffering from social affliction
through rehabilition programmes

Oh angel,... I wish that were true.
Sadly, all the evidence says otherwise.
Lack of rehab programmes is one of the major problems. For every ten who needs it- there's perhaps one who gets it. Result? 80k in the jails, and rising.

(PPS would you please use the quote button when you do so (or italics) ? - its a real pain to scan read otherwise

[glasgow lass]

davy did'y not think that the other nine might have cause their own disabilitie ,,,, therefor dont qualify!,,, sorry angel couldn't resist.Yano a luv'ya.

[Tommy Kennedy]

I would rather be in the care of a non-profit hospital, N.H.S.- rather under the care of a for ‘profit health insurance scheme’ where they may consider the cost of this or that treatment.

[Melody]

All for one and one for all Tommy.

[Heather]

Self inflicted accident.
Teaching g'daughters Irish Dancing, slip on the floor, can't stand up, foot is broken. Woe is me.

[Dave Grieve]

I would rather be in the care of a non-profit hospital, N.H.S.- rather under the care of a for ‘profit health insurance scheme’ where they may consider the cost of this or that treatment.

Dont know about other countries, but here there are quite a few companies offering private medical aid with each offering different levels of protection from the basic which will pay out very little in financial cover to the top of the range where you and your dependents are tottaly covered for all possible ailments or operation.
If you had gone into a goverment hospital here Tommy I dont think you would have been singing their praises