National Health Seervice iin the UK

Tweet

I was living in England when the National Health Service first began and it wasn't bad. I moved to the USA but for the past 10 years I have spent around 6 months of every year back in the UK. The National Health Service has really gone to hell in a handbasket. People here have National Health Insurance stopped from their pay all of their working lives. Many say they get free health care - there is nothing free about it - they pay for it. All they get is being faced with waiting lists. My partner has had heart problems. In November 2004 he had a heart attack. In December he was admitted to hospital again with severe unstable angina. He had an angiogram and in late January they decided he needed angioplasty. He was put on the waiting list for this on January 20th 2005 with an expected admission date of October 15th 2005. Well we went to America and he got it done there. He has been on the waiting list for over 2 years for a total hip replacement. he had it done this past Friday. Visiting him in the hospital the dirty conditions of these hospital here never cease to amaze me. I got in the elevator yesterday and there was trash in the floor - including a large dirty band-aid. I just got home from visiting him - got in the same elevator to leave and all the same dirty trash that was there yesterday is still there. The nursing staff are run off their feet but come tomorrow morning the paper shufflers will be there in full force - there are more of them than hands on nursing carers. Some people have talked about Socialized Medicine being needed in the USA. If what I have seen here in the UK is any example then in my opinion it is the very last thing we need. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown should hang their heads in shame.