Can you say: INCOMPETENT?

Yikes, no x-ray or anything?

Shouting about one bad apple does not prove that the whole barrel is rotten. I'm quite sure that, if I searched the American press, I could come up with any number of stories about how doctors have failed just as spectacularly. In cases like the one you quote, it's not the system that's at fault, it's clearly the individuals. My experience of the National Health Service is quite different from the above story. I have never paid for a doctor's appointment or for hospital treatment (though I suppose that my parents did for the first seven years of my life). I have never had to worry that my insurance cover was inadequate or to take out loans or dig into savings to cover hospital bills. I have, of course, like everyone else who works, had a proportion of my earnings taken for National Insurance contributions. This is supposed to cover not only health care but also to provide a basic pension on retirement. (Whether it actually does or not becomes part of a complicated economic juggling act which different governments handle differently and should not concern us here.) The treatment that I and my family have received has, on the whole, been timely, relevant, effective and efficient and that is also the experience of everyone I know and who I have discussed it with. Our health service is not perfect, of course (and I believe that the Germans do National Healthcare rather better than we do) but it does work - and has done so for 63 years.

I am with you bahhhhhhhhhhh

I've heard a lot of horror stories about socialized medicine. When my 89 year old dad finally got the okay for his knee replacement last month I urged him to do it ASAP. I didn't tell him do it before Obama-care kicked in because he thinks the POTUS is the greatest thing since sliced bread. He's a union guy from way back and a hard core Democrat..he got it done two weeks ago and is doing fine, will be active once more. Heck, he was still driving his tractor up till last year when his knee got so bad. We in the U.S. don't realize how good we've had it. I'm sure there are lots of stories about good medical professionals in England but I haven't heard any--you know, they only publish the bad stuff. But I fear for my parents once this new "healthcare" kicks in. It had nothing to do with healthcare, it was insurance reform and a chance to take more control over our lives.

But what has that to do with our american doctors and getting universal health care to everyone, my son who is out of work has no insurance as he is still too young for medicare, so we are to let a third of our country go withour adequate medical care because those who have medical insurance do not want the poorer people to get universal health care. I am all for it, sorry to disagree but here we can respect each others views and agree to disagree. that was horrible what those doctors did not do but that is England and not here.I feel strongly that we all hae a right to good health care not just a privileged few who have money but all of us,now I am lucky as I have medicare and a gap insurance as I am elderly, but I do not want to fight with my friends here so am just agreeing to disagree but with friendship and good will. How stupid were those doctors not to see she had that handle embedded in her bottom. thats just so awful she must have been in such pain.

Thank heavens for the good old National Health here in the UK !!

There is plenty of medical stupid right here in the good old USA. A gold plated insurance policy isn't going to protect you from a lousy doctor. What offers protection is the risk of name and shame. This is made much easier via the Internet, where a secret has a hard time remaining such. - "Wachsman, a neurosurgeon, lawyer and coauthor of The American Law of Medical Malpractice , and New York City public relations executive Alschuler argue that medical negligence, incompetence and fraud cause tens of thousands of deaths and injuries each year--and that most of them are never revealed." - http://www.amazon.com/Lethal-Medicine-Epidemic-Medical-Malpractice/dp/0805025138 - As for Obama and his health care plan, America already has some socialized medicine. Medicaid and Medicare cover the elderly and the very poor. However, many Americans go without medical care of any kind. Many of these unfortunates are forced to use the E.R. as a doctor's office. That is a disservice to both them and those who have genuine emergency needs. - From what I understand, Obama's medical care program will not delete the private insurance option. It will however, prevent people from loosing access to care when they need it most, which is a common dirty trick of the profit hungry insurance companies. The preexisting condition prevents many from getting insurance at all, regardless of willingness to pay. "You got asthma? Sorry, no insurance for you from us!"

how the..? can you miss? uff.. i guess i can't say nothing.i'm from the state famous for "wrong side" surgeries. clear cut incompetence.

Well, that was a rather extreme example and I feel badly for all the pain this person had to suffer. However at the moment I am leaning toward approval of socialized medicine. My reason is that in this country if you don't have insurance or the cash in hand you won't get treated. For some of us insurance is too expensive and medical costs are outrageous. Yesterday my daughter's boyfriend had an accident with a chain saw and laid his knee open to the bone. He went to the hospital where they examined him and said he had splintered the bone but when they found out he had no insurance or money, all they did was staple it closed. They didn't clean out the bone fragments and didn't bandage the wound. They told him he would have to get his own wrapping for it. They didn't even give him a prescription for antibiotics. So I guess when he gets blood poison he will have to cut off his own leg.

this story is very tragic. It seems like the docs should have been able to spot it befroe and done the job right. I do feel sorry for the family there. maybe the husband will win his lawsuit and envoke changes.

This is so bizaar! I've never heard of anything like this! She shouldn't have been drinking to begin with. Like you, I think the doctors should have done the job right the first time. I don't like Obama's health care plan, either. In fact, I don't like him at all.

How could the doctors have missed something like that, especially with an x-ray. I don't think it is the health plan that is at fault as much as some of the doctors. The way it is now, doctors don't spend much time with you, because the insurance companies want them to see a lot of patients in a short amount of time. I am not sure which way would be worse.