Honest British vs American Healthcare Comparison // Is the NHS Good? 

As an atheist but moral Scandinavian I like to think about health care like this: Jesus told us to take care of the sick and the poor and not make the poor sick and the sick poor. It has never had anything to do with socialism, at least not in Finland. Our right-wing always supported public health care because of Christianity/ethics.

The biggest medical provider in the uSA is called Remote area medical. It is a charity/not for profit, which is based upon the NHS, and was set up by an Englishman called Stan brock, because he was appalled at the state of US healthcare. Just thought you may like to know there is a large company in the USA who provides NHS style healthcare. Plus the NHS is paid for exclusively by National insurance, not taxes at all.

@@jackoh991 FYI the biggest provider of health care in the USA is NOT a private comapny, or an insurance company. It is called Remote Area Medical it is very simply based on the NHS because the founder of Remote area Medical was so appalled at the state of health don't care in the USA. Remote Area Medical is a not ofr profit organisation (charity here in the UK) and it speaks reams about the US health don't care system that this idea has taken off in just 35 years (it was founded by Englishman Stan Brock in 1985), to become the largest health care provider inside the USA as well as the largest US health provider outside the USA. That speaks reams about how miserable the US system really is.

RU-vid wouldn't allow me to post my original reply but I basically said that the NHS is broken and is in the process of being privatised. Waiting times in our emergency departments are around 10 hours, or less if you are an immigrant and bring all 12 members of your family with you. The NHS has been a disgrace over the last 3 years.

@@truthseeker7794 The irony of using the name”truth seeker” but lying through your teeth.

Nicely put. X

Exactly. I too pay each month. The less I need to use it the better.

I truly think how many people in the US cause themselves illness stressing over healthcare, the fact that one serious illness could derail your entire life financially, must be a ridiculous stress for anyone to handle and we know how much stress can affect your health

Totally agree.

@@miriamllamas224 agreed. I'm more than happy to pay for the peace of mind

Exactly 👌 and if that operation was an emergency you would get it straight away anyway, it’s only a non-emergeny you have to wait for

Exactly and if it’s an emergency you get surgery immediately

@@fatherson5907 Go on believing that rubbish. I have never had to wait for any service in over 60 years, Heart surgery, Pregnancy, suspected heart attacks Twice, immediate and following necessary treatment. Short waits for hip surgery and cataract surgery. My son had his first stroke whilst working 100 mike's from home, he was treated in London, where he had the stroke, was treated for about two weeks, then when appropriate he was taken by ambulance ,100 miles to the local hospital. No bills.😅😅

@@fatherson5907 There's nothing stopping them selling everything they own to pay for immediate surgery at a private hospital. I do understand though, your, I want it free and I want it imediately attitude.

@@fatherson5907 The American Healthcare System is outdated Garbage. I've no doubt the NHS has its faults, but it's better than what Americans currently have.

They deserve 20% nevermind 1% FUCKING disgraceful

Couldn’t put it better myself!

Yeah. The NHS is massively undervalued - and I have a feeling soon enough we'll see the fact that people have to pay for ambulances like in the US due to how run down the service has become. It's honestly disheartening. Even when the Government bangs on about "record funding" it isn't. The funding is lower than all our counterparts.

Liverpool care Pathway was awesome too! Nhs will murder you in a minute if you're vulnerable and have no-one visiting you. Just Google Eric Levy, he's the latest murder victim of nhs that I know

Couldn’t agree with you more, everyone should be eligible for healthcare as they need it no matter what their wealth status is✊❤️

Stay away from the States.

In the UK you die from cancer or heart disease before you can complain. Highest cause if death, higher mortality rate in UK vs US. But hey, at least your premature death is free.

@Alfie Green I pay $122 a month. My out of pocket limit (the max I would have to pay for servicrs a year is $3000). I have access to world class medicine, e.g. the Mayo Clinic, and I rarely have to wait even a day for appointments or imaging services. Well over a 150 million Americans rate their healthcare as excellent. It's not a perfect system, by any means, but it actually works well for a lot of people.

@@SaltedMeats sadly typical. Patriotic nationalism without thought.

@@SaltedMeats what about the millions that it doesnt work for? Let me guess. You couldn't care less.

@@SaltedMeats at least everyone can use a hospital no matter what your wealth is. What about those that die because they can't afford insurance?

‘Minor flaws’? 🤣 I don’t know where to start about how badly the NHS is run, complete shambles unless you are in an acute situation, in which case it is very good. Ten percent of its budget spent on diabetes, staff pensioned off for minor ailments, consultants who have little time and little empathy, no one looking beyond their narrow specialty, zero diet and lifestyle advice, drugs and surgery their only solution, endless layers of bureaucracy, the list goes on and on ...

@@mooskamoo What would you call the American system then that has 10x the bureaucracy costs of the NHS? Also you are wrong. When I had a heart attack I had 16 weeks of weekly diet advice and showing you how to exercise correctly for 3 hours a week for those 16 weeks.

@@mooskamoo Rubbish. I am a Pharmacist and worked for the NHS. ..and you ? Lionsingh MRPharmS .

Lion Singh I'm a long suffering patient of the NHS and have seen so much inefficiency and incompetence in the system it's hard to believe. As a pill pusher yourself I can understand why you think the status quo is acceptable, but as a tax paying patient I understand the reality of the situation and it's clear massive reform and modernisation is needed in the NHS.

@@mooskamoo Oh, shut up.

Thank goodness for the NHS, wishing your precious grandson a long & wonderfully healthy life✊❤️❤️

@@user-xd7dk3oy3q thank you. He's starting school in September!

Actually you have a law suit. It's illegal to deny treatment to anybody in a life threatening situation. That's the law but that's also the state of our medical establishment. We really do need to clean house here.

I had a very similar situation Kissimmee FL, America is so backwards in too many ways!

@@correctpolitically4784 Another favourite past-time of Americans.

@@davidhuett3579 well if they know the law and they should , they know what happens next. The hospital can either loose a lot of money and drs can't afford cocaine , or they do what they're supposed to.

It's against the law in the US for any hospital to refuse emergency medical treatment to anyone.

And nor would I. I want to see a GP? I can the same day. I get a prescription from the GP? I get it filled the same day (for free - Wales) I have an emergency? I ring 999 (and I have) and I don't worry. I NEVER worry about (ever) money.

Why, what experience do you have of other systems

I got a diagnosis/prognosis from the NHS. The waiting list was longer than my prognosis. I went private and had a life saving procedure within 24 hours. The NHS is shit and had I not gone private would be dead today. British, 34 years old, put over £50,000 into the NHS, and when I finally needed it, they said no. Or, not no, but such a long waiting time, effectively no. My mother also worked in the NHS. She's not with us anymore, but boy, the stories. The NHS is a mess. People use it "freely" when they have a booboo and claim it is superior. Try having a serious disease. They don't prevent or do things early. It advances and then everyone says how the palliative care was so nice. Not realising had they gone private they wouldn't have a 9 month waiting list on a 6 month prognosis. Quite frankly it is a cult. I have seen too many mess-ups and know of the issues to ever defend the NHS.

@@quantumhelix8668 bully for you. Shame that millions of peoples experience differs from yours. You sound like a massive cult.

@@sirskullington9213 My family and friends all had similar experiences. I guess we live in a twilight zone and everywhere else is rainbows and sunshine. Your response proved my point of cults. Anyone who disses the NHS is instantly c bombed or attacked. At no point has anyone ever said "wow must have been scary to have a prognosis like that". Nope. As soon as I mention the NHS rejected me their eyes flare and the rage starts. It's a cult. Nothing is perfect, yet people somehow irreverantly worship the NHS like a God. I mean jesus christ people went out their doors and film crews filmed millions CLAPPING the NHS. That shit is found in North Korea propaganda where people have designated times to worship their leader who is seen as a God. It's a cult. A poorly financed one.

Also worth noting that the private sector don't do emergency care and select the profitable/easy patients to treat. Private medicine leeches doctors from the NHS without investing in their training and development....yay capitalism!

A lot of private hospitals also take NHS patients (I've been treated through the NHS at a private hospitals facilities a few times).

@@TheBeavil Are you still playing that flute.

@@mikepxg6406 never been in a flute band

@@SkonkBot Me too. It probably makes sense to do this for routine procedures as it frees up NHS beds for patients needing treatment for serious conditions. No doubt there is an agreed flat fee for private providers. It may cost the NHS less than doing it themselves as the private sector is set up for this type of work and can do it very efficiently.

The whole country would riot if the government tried to bring US healthcare to UK lol.

We don't have to fight for it. We pay taxes for it and the NHS has an obligation to prpvide the best possible service, because each citizen basically owns it.

That’s called private healthcare in the uk lol

@@suemount6042 Yep I had treatment on the NHS and the surgeon they used was resident at a private hospital so I was sent there, I knew it was private and so expected to have to cover some costs but didn't have to pay a thing, it was a really nice building etc but the food they served was all pompous pretentious crap that made me miss the food I got in Bath RUH after my bike accident 🤣

@@stuffanthings did you get the cloth napkin instead of the paper serviette too lol I didn’t quite believe my eyes at the difference in presentation of my humble sandwich it came on a platter served with a salad garnish and crisps my tea was in a little silver pot with a tea strainer and individual milk jug and sugar lumps in a tiny bowl the napkin even had a ring. I felt like a princess lol, no plastic wrapped dry sandwich slapped on a plate and stewed tea for me that day lol. But seriously we are lucky to have the NHS I would have died long ago had we not had it so I’m very grateful to have access to it, and to be fair the support staff do their best with what they are allowed to work with. The actual care is the same but you may get it a bit quicker if you can pay and every tiny little thing is billed my friend was charged £60 to have a new bandaid/plaster put on a minor injury you would normally get sorted yourself at home. People suffering and dying because they can’t afford healthcare doesn’t sit well really does it.

Well that depends on the hospital &/or the treatment given. E.g. a private hospital vs a NHS hospital.

Especially if it might bankrupt you...

Much appreciated 🙏🏻

Thank you

Nhs doctors are the best always nice careing this country would crumble without them

They are the very best !!!!!!

I’ve been extremely ill for 24 years and I’ve had some great laughs with doctors and nurses, beings,I know can be a giggle.

Testicular cancer must have been a pain in the balls to live with.

Hope you're doing well. I had the same unfortunately. I live in the States. The day of the procedure, before they inserted the IV in my arm, someone from the billing office came down with "what I'd be expected to pay." It came close to 4 grand (with insurance). I had to wait three weeks to get approval from my insurance company (United Healthcare) before I could begin chemotherapy. $40 co-pays to see a specialist, and crazy high deductibles. I've met very few of my fellow Americans who are happy with their health insurance plan. It's a shame.

Then you should be doing something about it. I can’t understand why you Americans put up with the lack of universal healthcare for all. You’ve got the republicans bleating on about how it’s socialism or communism. No it’s not! Also,the same people who would benefit from universal healthcare, don’t want it because it would mean paying out money every month and someone who doesn’t pay into it may need it. Selfishness knows no bounds. Don’t get me started on medication, as I’m over 65 I don’t pay a penny for 4 prescriptions I need every month, if I were under 65 each prescription would be under £10. How much would it cost you. Would you have to drive to Mexico or Canada for cheaper medication or suck it up and pay thousands of dollars. The only people to blame for this is you the people. You should be out there protesting every day to change the system, that’s the only way the politicians will do anything. Good luck, hope you never get sick.

​@@grocerygoat06This is why the world laughs at America. You guys have less of a right to almost everything compared to most Western countries, and yet you guys champion your own subservience. Armed to the teeth and yet held down more than almost anywhere on earth. I have family in America and i go there 2 weeks every year. I get 38 days full pay vacation time. I'm legally entitled to 28. You guys don't even have the right to vacation time, and it's sad. Plenty of guns though i guess.

More than double in fact. People assume the NHS is wasteful with its management structure etc but it is actually a super efficient organisation. Therein lies the problem, due to continued funding cuts (in real terms) and lack of investment per capita compared to other developed countries, it has no slack in the system. Imagine what the NHS would be like if it had the same funding as many other comparable countries.

@@artspooner Total US spending is more than double, but a lot of that is private spending on health insurance. Public spending is only a little higher in the US

You are 100% right. The American system is so expensive because the drug companies and insurance companies take all the money. For example, a simple asthma inhaler is around $250, depending on the company, the NHS buys the same inhaler for about £12.

@@MyBelch Before insulting people's education I suggest looking up what "per capita" means

@@MyBelch PER CAPITA - If you hadn't started typing, we would have assumed you weren't stupid, now we have no doubt.

Yes they do realise that, that's why they said tax me.

You just have to pay an insurance or to save. The best healthcare system in the world are private (Netherland, Switzerland and Singapore)

@@maten146 bullshit, since at least the first two of your examples are government regulated.

@@ghughesarch Yea, and the USA healthcare system is regulated as well But the exemples I gave you are way less regulated and way more privately funded

Pay private health insurance or pay National (health) Insurance. Both involve paying for your health care.

I work in a Dr's office here in the US. We send people for SO many tests every day. Unless is an emergency, radiology departments are booking more than a month out! If I was to have a MRI for example, and I get 2 a year for MS, even though I have good insurance, I have a huge deductible I have to meet before I switch to co-pays! Wish we had the NHS. I'm still a British citizen, maybe I should pop over if I need anything 😉

I quite agree !

So do I.

so what's the difference, pay less tax and instead take out health insurance. The private sector is competitive so it must perform whereas the NHS does not. Having a choice always produces a better outcome.

@@delladog firstly, not everyone has the choice of paying ( even in America). And your second point does not play out either as your competitive system produces powered results at an extremely higher cost. The NHS has huge buying power and as such is in a very strong position to drive the costs of pharma and medical equipment down.

@@delladog except it rarely ever produces better outcomes and choice is only choice if you can afford to choose. Privatisation of healthcare means less choice more bureaucracy and vastly increased cost like you see in the US. There are copays and preexisting conditions, claims departments whose job it is to deny claims, and overheads which means private healthcare just costs more money and end up just giving rich people what they ‘want’ rather than giving sick people what they need....Healthcare doesn’t work like goods and patients in a public system are not ‘customers’. The goal of health insurance companies is not to be cheap or provide the best service - it is to make money, and it doesn’t do that by being cheap. The US pays nearly three times for generally poorer outcomes (with the exception of most cancers!)....

@@MyBelch So you prefer to pay for your insurance company executive's flash car instead? SMH

You know when you pay private insurance, you don't get that money back if you don't need to use it? It's not like, "I didn't need any treatment, so I get all of my money back." The insurance company then pays YOUR money out on someone who did need the treatment... You kind of see how that works..? Either way the money you're paying either helps you or helps others.

@@MyBelch you have full coverage so what you pay nothing at all ever. That’s just not true, you’re paying someone something either when you’re not ill or when you are. But most would rather not be stung with a few thousand because they want a baby or a hundred thousand because they have an ongoing health condition

Their is absolutely no reason america cannot continue with its own system that's fine. Let everyone else do it this way. When you fall you are picked up. Weather you can afford it or not. We are a society of equals when it comes to heakthcare. That's just the way it is.

@@MyBelch that just isn’t true now is it. Why would another government pay for your healthcare without any compensation and why would the company who’s compensating not take any money from you. Seems like they’d become bankrupt if they just gave it out for free

Believe it or not, it’s sometimes like that in London too. Until very recently, my wife (London born and bred) had the same doctor as her mum and was devastated when she had to change surgeries due to moving out of the boundary. Fortunately, we’re both under the same doctor now, as will be our son who is due next month!

and we have had it since 1948.

I think the people who really need to watch it live in the US.

With this bunch of crooks in charge, how long will we have it? Until the Yanks demand access to the NHS as part of a trade deal I guess.

I'd give up the monarchy anyway!

@@marypetrie930 Apart from Kate and the Canadian woman. Rather tasty.

We sent two of them to the US. They'll have their own royal family

@The reverend Hey, hey. Let's not get hasty... I love the NHS, but no tea or Yorkshire puddings might make me die quicker than no NHS...

@@marypetrie930 We did once - but then thought better of it. The Canadians did the same. The Americans did - and ended up with Trump!

I doubt you’re a nurse as you think Magnetic Resonance Imaging involves radiation. I call BS

@@kafkaspen that inaccuracy doesn’t mean they’re not right. Having worked in the NHS I know they will not over test, as it’s nugatory and expensive . They will - for instance - not CT where an X-ray will do the job. Im a senior medical assistant BTW.

I think ur thinking of a CT scan or xray,

@@kafkaspen MRI scanners use radio waves.

@@jackoh991 I'm a diabetic, which is chronic, and I pay nothing for prescriptions in England. I filled out an exemption and now all prescribed medication is free. (UK - England) PS: This includes any alternate prescriptions I need for any medical situation.

In Scotland people more important than bombs, military, the money goes to health your family, friends. In England they pay for university education, meaning at the end there is a big amount to worry about, and how to pay it back, perhaps, you will then need mental health. The S.N.P. government light years ahead, a government that cares for its people., and make sacrifices to help. The N.H.S. has been there for family ,friends and myself. It is a service, paid by all the people, it is not a business!. The Tory party and Labour would sell off everything to make and hoard money!! It is all that is left of value, now also making up laws secretly without scrutiny, to remove safety and even enjoyment from our lives!!

In America, always get a PPO health insurance instead of an HMO. It’s better to get the lowest PPO than the highest HMO. No more referrals for a specialist, worrying if a doctor is out of network, etc. I wish they taught these things in schools.

This is the exact story I can tell about a breast lump I found in November. (Except I had an abscess so I got antibiotics for it, then the all clear on a follow up)

@@starkyfarrell7109 That’s interesting, six months earlier I had been taking antibiotics for a soreness in my breast, it was very red and tender, I needed two courses to clear it up. When I saw the doctor at the initial examination, he told me that the ultrasound had indicated “cancer” and therefore I needed a biopsy. At the biopsy the lump ‘popped’! I was reassured by this, though the specialist had shaken me! He was quite adamant that it was cancer, despite the history I had given him. Two weeks later I went back for the results of the biopsy, thank goodness I was right and he was wrong 🙂

@@san8524 My father was a doctor, a very good one, I'm proud to say, and his motto was always eliminate the 'nasties' first, not later. Or it could be too late. He hated taking on private patients. He used to tell those who wanted to go private that it made him very uncomfortable when having to prescribe drugs because often the best would be the most expensive, and he would worry about it. But, on the NHS, he was free to prescribe what he felt would be the most effective without this worry. This was decades ago so maybe things have changed.

@Charlie Boyyabass liar

I find that very difficult to believe, Charlie. No doctor would diagnose cancer and then not treat it unless their patient declined treatment.

You guys have a two tier system? That idea is blasphemy here in canada. Our system here is crumbling apart and any politicans who try to di something to make some changes are almost run out with torches and pitchforks

I dont pay for prescritions as I'm in Scotland, this should be UK wide

@McBartoi I'm in England. I have life long medical exemption. So don't pay anythin g. 👍.

I believe that when the NHS was established, it was based on a healthcare system already running in Canada somewhere. Alberta maybe ? Can't remember, but if so, thanks again Canada! :)

It was based on a system running in South Wales.

@@annpowell8599 in 1948 after the war.

The Canadian system was formed by a Scotsman, who lived less than two miles from where I live.

@@crimsonwizard2560 It was in 19__? In The Province of _______________?

From before the cradle really.

❤

Not really, have you seen the waiting lists. They're people who need healthcare and not getting it.

@Yash Choudhary how much did they pay?

@@Robert-cu9bm they are getting it if they on a waiting list.

Exactly what we pay in taxes they pay more in insurance each month

Indeed. Its also flawed in that it is a flat rate % of income. Earn more, you pay more. Earn nothing, you get the same coverage.. as in full. Unemployed for a year, no problem. No back money to pay. And nobody checks you balance at any point. A new born baby has equal access than a company director. Same for all, based on need.

@@marydavis5234 And your health insurance includes everything with no expensive copays and no limitations of the cost of treatment? And no threat of termination if you get a very expensive chronical disease? And it's not tied to an employer?

@@johaquila Reality will hit the moment he/she actually needs to health care system.

@@marydavis5234 I'm assuming your employer also has to pay a contribution? Which in reality is deducted from your salary before they ever pay you. You'll also pay taxes that goes to healthcare too (USA and UK central government spending on health s about the same per capita). Any deductibles? Any copays? What if an ambulance takes you to a hospital which isn't covered by your insurance? Does it cover absolutely every illness? What if you're fired, are you covered indefinitely? Why do others pay higher amounts than you? Is it because it lowers their copays, means they are covered for a wider range of conditions?

Oh wow, happy for you!!

Well done Paul. Hope you've made a full recovery 👍

Ditto,

Congratulations, you must have put in a lot of hard work into your recovery, well done mate

Your speculation is correct: a colleague of mine has UK private health insurance and it is cheaper than the US. My college has a lot of health needs and sometimes used the NHS and sometimes private. The two systems work well together. He gets specialist consultations quicker through the private system but is often seeing specialists who also work through the NHS. But all his procedures have been NHS coz they’ve been quicker.

That’s good to know,bet some EU states wouldn’t be as generous, and would expect the driver or his company to fund it.

@@lindapayne1595 it's the interest of uk that I get out with your exports... I only praysed the good people that are brave to do the testing... Not the others that just call us ff...

You're very welcome ❤

@@mogznwaz tank you.... The response of your Nhs is now much more organized and decisions are faster...hope the infection of the haet doesn't affects this human services

@@franciscoantunesantunes9248 what do you mean 'infection of the haet'?

What this figure might be in the US. It is much more in proportion to the population.

I am one of them

And the UK has a fraction of the US population, So 45,000 is probably statistically egual. I've proven this argument before about crime and statistically, without guns and smaller population the UK had a 6.3 crime rate and the US had 6.4 crime rate per capita... Do your homework before speaking in absolutes!

@@TuomasLevoniemi yes, many people don't or cannot grasp proportion and statistics... I have TRICARE (retired military), it's very similar to NHS. Health care is ok that's it, ok.

@@victorglaviano No it won't be statistically equal. Because there isn't anyone hear without health cover.

Brit here. The NHS was created post war in 1948. So most of our population living now, like me were born into the system. In my case 1956. To me having to pay for something as fundamental as health care is an anathema. You might as well tell me I need to pay for the air I breath.

In the UK the family doctor would refer you to a specialist and you would get a letter within a couple of weeks giving you an appointment at a specialist clinic. You go along and are seen by a nurse then a junior doctor. They might treat you or call in a more senior doctor who might treat you or send you to a ward for more extensive investigation.

You should get a different plan

We also don"t make people poor so they don't die...

We have Medicaid for the poor and emergency care for everyone.

@@noahremnek3615 and we don't have wait lists.

@@noahremnek3615 I heard you are made to pay for ambulances in the US, even if it's an emergency. Is that a slander on the US to make the US look awful, or is it true?

@@madeleinewelch6316 Yes we pay for everything not just healthcare. We pay for the roads, police department, fire departments, public schools, etc nothing is free that comes from the government.

* It's not "free", we still pay for it through employer & employee NI contributions and income tax. On balance, I am still a supporter of the NHS, but have paid private health insurance as well, which I've used twice in 30+ years for relatively minor but uncomfortable ailments that would take months to get dealt with on the NHS. If you have a serious illness in need of urgent attention, you'll be dealt with quickly in the NHS.

Free at the point of use, not free.

I have had all kinds of hideous injuries and I have been patched up properly even though I am not a normal British person as I am occidental and people can be very nasty about it. I have been repaired very well to the degree that when I am in a foreign country the doctor is stunned at the quality of the work that has been done to make me comfortable and those nurses in general hospital are very kind to me and get me nice food and things like extra blankets because they understand that it’s my culture and they are very considerate to me even when I was having lots of accidents and became a frequent flier for a while I would always give up seat on the train or the bus for a nurse they are really wonderful and if I have had to pay for my treatment when I was under anaesthesia for weeks at a time my family would’ve left me on my own and let me suffer as I am not important to them

It’s not free! Last year £160bn worth of taxes went to pay for it

Free? How are you getting away with not paying tax?

Their hostility comes from the word socialist "god damm commies" 😂

@@kevl6396 That's a caricature. The "hostility" to socialized care is a simple difference in how much government intrusion Americans allow into their lives, including their health care and decisions on personal matters. There are numerous programs in the States that provide coverage for the poor.

Excellent hospital at Walton. Hope you are doing well. ☮️💙🙏

I was just thinking this: their "tax" can't be more than our premiums, plus deductibles, plus co-pays, plus prescription costs, plus out-of-pocket costs for whatever the insurance DIDN'T cover (bcuz you know there's always something that they refused to pay for 🙄). And you have absolutely NO idea how much it's going to be... you just have to wait for all of the bills and the sticker shock that comes with... Hell, I often feel like what's the point of even having insurance? Unless some type of major CATASTROPHE happens. It's ridiculous!

Well you’ve got to have insurance in the US to get the “negotiated rate”, which is already very high. Without that you have a target on your back when you go to the hospital, there is no rhyme or reason to what you will be charged. You go get a few stitches and they charge you a percentage of running the whole hospital.

What ? Americans not liking tax ? Like on tea and such ? Noooo way . Americans hate tax so much it was declared there would be no taxation without representation . See how long that lasted , meaningless now isn't it. There's barely representation .

@@therealkoolaidandkale- Also, you only pay a percentage of your pay. So the more you earn, the more you contribute. Conversely, the less you earn, the less you contribute. People on very low earnings or not working - don't pay at all, but they still get healthcare. Then, you only pay for prescriptions up to the age of 60 in England... Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are free at all times. But 'life changing' prescriptions i.e. Insulin for diabetes are free throughout all of the UK. And as she mentions, currently any prescription whatever it is, is subsidised and capped at (currently April 2022) £9.35. Another factor often not considered is; when you are really sick or have been in an accident (i.e. a motorcycle crash) - the last thing you need is the additional worry and stress of wondering what an emergency ambulance or helicopter, the surgery, the hospital bed, the surgeons or nurses, the drugs/medications/bandages or all the other services are going to cost AND IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT ALL !? The NHS is free to ALL at point of need - you cannot put a price on that ! Which is why the majority of Brits are HAPPY to contribute, because at some point in their lives they WILL need it.

Aw, hope you're on the mend very soon!!!

I hope your doing well ❤️🙏 the nhs is amazing we have to be so thankful for them all

I agree my GP practice is very good, they have high demands on them and many people from other lands but they do a wonderful job. I have been with them since I was born in 1955.

@@GolfWhisky How many of the doctors and nurses who treat you are here because of immigration?

@@GolfWhisky I note that you say that you have to convince the doctor that their diagnosis is wrong. I assume you went to medical school and are qualified to point out the error? I have doctor friends who spend too much valuable time convincing / arguing with 'armchair consultants' who think they are Dr Christian Barnaard because they have spent five minutes on WebMD. It is not in a doctor's interest to misdiagnose you. The NHS is based on triaging patients. The fact that you are around and able to leave your comment would suggest that you are, perhaps, not going to imminently expire. I had to wait ages to see, and be treated by, an ENT consultant for Meniere's Disease. I accepted this wait as I knew that I would get the best possible care, which I did. We need to appreciate the fundamental difference between private (i.e the US) healthcare and the NHS: the NHS system is designed to give sick and injured people what they NEED. Private healthcare is designed to give healthy people what they WANT.

Same thing happened with my brother, had an MRI scan and CT(?) scan the same day he was admitted into hospital

I think this is one reason why you see so many complaints, it tends to be the non-critical cases who complain, those who got bumped because the system is triaging based on need.

Nerdwallet estimated that 57.1 percent of U.S. personal bankruptcies are due to medical bills, making it the leading cause of the financial calamity that often precedes homelessness.

An American friend of mine ended up with pneumonia because her GP charged upfront for appointments and so she had to wait until pay day, by which time her condition had deteriorated. And the cost of the antibiotics she was prescribed was ridiculous!

Elderly people go without food so they can afford medication

@ARU-vid User Yes, that’s my point, the UK system is much better, and particularly the systems in Scotland, Wales, and I think Northern Ireland.

@Alfie Green This thread isn’t about iPhones, mate.

@Yngwie Malmsteen Are you saying 75 grand in each currency or after conversion? 75k pounds in dollars is roughly $103k. Not many people are making 75k at age 30 in Britain, that is well above the average salary for all ages. The figures you are using only really apply to the exceptionally wealthy. The average wage in the UK is 30k and most people pay 20% income tax. We get free education, benefits, we used to get a lot more for our taxes but thanks to austerity that's been largely cut to the bone in recent years. The great benefit of the NHS that you don't really touch upon is that it covers everybody, rich or poor, no matter your position in life or healthcare issues because there is no profit incentive. Healthcare is also not linked to employment thankfully, so in times of economic hardship you are still able to use it. Not the case in America. If you look at all healthcare spending, including treatment funded privately by individuals, the US spent 17.2% of its GDP on healthcare in 2016, compared with 9.7% in the UK. In pounds per head, that's £2,892 on healthcare for every person in the UK and £7,617 per person in the US. *as of 2018. It's a far more efficient system. One of the best arguments for single payer healthcare in the democrat race last year is that it would have drastically reduced the cost per head for healthcare in America. So yes, if you are lucky enough to earn 75,000 pounds for 30 years in Britain then you will pay more tax in the UK, but the vast majority of people in this country don't even earn half of that so it's not really a particularly relevant or helpful comparison.

@Yngwie Malmsteen yes but brit tax on 12k income is 0%, and NHS care on no income (e.g job loss) is full care.

@Yngwie Malmsteen According to an online tax calculator I just looked at, if you live in California (not sure if that adds or reduces tax from where you live) at $75000 you would pay around $20000 tax (approx 26%). In the UK the equivalent pay (current exchange rate is £1 is $0.72) is £54000. The amount of tax payable on this is approx £14000 (£9000 income tax, £5000 National Insurance) which is almost exactly 26%, the same amount as would be paid in the US (California). So the question should be what are you NOT getting for your money? The answer is a free at point of use universal healthcare system.

@Yngwie Malmsteen The whole point of this discussion and the video is about healthcare, not the welfare state and those who rely on it. You stated that way pay significantly higher taxes than you and I have clearly pointed out we don't. You said a US citizen would pay 25% tax the calculator I looked at said a person from CA would pay 26% tax and you say they pay a lot more taxes because of "reasons". I would say 1% is not a lot more, and I am sure the exact number was slightly less than 26%. So getting back to the actual point I was making, if we pay approximately the same amount of tax, why don't the US have a "free at point if use" universal healthcare system? What do Americans get for their money that I don't?

I wanted to make an appointment with a doctor, the receptionist said that my named doctor was not available with the next week, would I mind seeing another doctor in the practice. I asked (Tongue in cheek) " is he or she qualified, she said, "Of course" I got an appointment for the next day. We both laughed.😄

One can request an appointment at the doctor of your choice .. a female doctor for example.

@@mandywarren8566 Yes.

I’m 19 years old and I don’t think I’ve ever even met my registered GP. I just see whichever Dr is available and explain what issue I have, they won’t give you the same treatment because they can see what you’re last Dr said and prescribed to you.

Agreed. It has meant I can live. It has meant I haven't gone bankrupt.

@Alfie Green at the expense of everyones account which ammounts to almost nothing being taken out of your account

@Alfie Green we all pay taxes toward the NHS. We all care about eachother. Do you pay for vehicle insurance? If so that's the same. You pay in so you are able to claim should you have an accident but also your paying towards others claims as well. I don't see why it's so hard to grasp that helping your fellow citizens have access to healthcare as well as securing your right to medical care is great. It's the right thing to do. Helping others as well as yourself. That's what a society should be doing. Why be so selfish and only think of yourself. Those that earn more help those that don't. That's a good society.

@Alfie Green Why is it so hard to understand that we all want access to healthcare and don't mind helping eachother. I'll gladly pay more taxes if necessary to know that I can help save my fellow citizens lives. I don't look down on those that can't or don't pay the same as me. A life is still a life.

@Alfie Green Alfie , I think you're a bit of a wind up merchant .

We're British, we'll complain about everything! But I'll be damned if we're not some of the luckiest people in the world, in so many different areas of life. Will I spend 80% of my waking life complaining? Absolutely, and I wouldn't change it for anything

@Alfie Green would be even better if the rich actually paid all of their taxes 👍🏻

@@yorke97 if you were rich and you had certain businesses that your account says are available to be covered tax wise, would you take that to become a little bit richer? Rich people aren’t the problem, its certain *People* who are rich that are problems

@@n0body550 if I was already rich, why would I need to be a little bit richer? If I had more than enough money to live off of comfortably, support a family, have savings etc, my first thought wouldn’t be ‘how can I get even more money that I don’t actually need’. I understand that it’s a life I’ve never known and probably will never know, so people who are very well off may see things very differently. I just don’t understand why you would constantly feel the need to have more when you already have plenty. As you said, not all rich people are the problem, unfortunately it seems to be some of the 1% who have the most wealth that don’t want to pay their share, something I will never understand.

@@yorke97 Point is, are you afraid of losing what you already have? Scale that up and people are still people regardless of how much you have, the more you have the greater chance you can lose it, go be ignorant elsewhere

I once compared my total taxes in the UK to my friends taxes in the US, and he pays more tax than us. It does change from state to state, but the US actually has surprisingly high tax rates.

I personally think as a Englishman we should be treated like wise in the US it’s a travesty that we are not

@@grizzlymrbobo it's more of a travesty that Americans aren't treated that way in America. They need to sort that out before they worry about how to treat foreigners.

Thats the annoying thing about it aswel. Foreigners should be charged to use it. That’s why you get a lot of people coming here abusing it unfortunately which means citizens can’t access it

Did you not get a bill when you returned home? They should provide a bill but I think they get lost in the post and picked up by the UK tax payer.

@@xoxo_9389 it depends on the type of medical care. If you come to Britain with cancer in order to get treatment you will be charged. If you come here on holiday and your kid breaks their arm that's on the house. When in doubt, I'd rather we help people for free than risk a visitor suffering because they can't afford to pay their way, which is the danger if you insist on always charging.

Thanks for all you do! So grateful to have the NHS!

Also , from a Truck Driver , thank you for being a Junior Doctor.

I work in the NHS and over the years I have watched hundreds of you going through my hospital learning your skills, I admire your dedication and the hard work you put in. You are a fabulous bunch of young people, take care.

@@bepolite6961 💙 thanks so much 💙

@@dickdastardly635 💙 thanks so much; you guys are the backbone of our economy, thanks for all your hard hard work on our behalf! 💙

I think it's a distance that a civilised nation can make people need to use go fund me to stay alive. It shocks me.

Wow that is crazy! The NHS is paying for return flights from Australia including all treatment costs and American's are having to set up go fund me's. Ah the American Dream! It's actually sad but what's funny is the go fund me idea is essentially the same as how the NHS works, everyone pays in so you can get treatment. The Americans hate the idea of universal healthcare because they think it's "socialism" but they're a little more socialist than they think!!

The NHS is a long way from perfect but performs miracles for the per head investment. The issue with American healthcare is the obscene profit taken out of the system - just look at the inflated costs of some drugs. Germany operates a similar system put achieves significantly better health outcomes for much less, and no one goes bankrupt or can’t afford treatment EVER.

There is no such thing as "British English". There is correct English and bad English.

I'm from England, I speak English, 😛 What a surprise.

I just think she couldn't mention every single bit, talking about NHS, or the video would never end, but she did great i think . Well done :)

I was born in the UK now live in the US. Physicals, routine Colonoscopies, Mammograms and Gyn appointments are free here. I live in NY, the taxes here are ridiculous. It should include healthcare. Sadly the only people who get free medical are those on welfare. Even retired people don't have free health care.

@@janiceglogowski4698 Don't get me started on the evils of American health care!

I had the same. Saw my GP before work. Was told to phone them and tell them I was being immediately referred to hospital. So went to the hospital. Ultrasound and biopsy and then results same day. Had to call work and inform them I was having a MRI and a bone marrow biopsy the next day and that I had cancer. Next day (Wednesday) had everything as planned. Went to work Thursday and obviously had emergency meetings because cancer and time off. During one of these the hospital phoned. I was starting my chemo Monday and then carrying it on every two weeks for 6 months with constant monitoring by my GP due to other health conditions that could be made worse by chemo. In the US I would have died. I wouldn't have had a minor lump on my neck checked - I initially thought it was just a stubborn infection

I'm not sure if it's just emergency care, but I think in USA you can get the treatment, they won't refuse you, but it just means at the end you'll get a huge bill which you'll spend a good part of the rest of your life paying off.

@@marsmacl6211 Why would you have a bill for emergency care? Why would you have a bill for any care? A healthy population means less sickness? Treating things before they become major seems common sense and a money saver!

@@chrisdavies9821 I agree. I'm in the UK. I was just commenting on the way the US system works. Yeah, I think that there are a lot of people in the States who put off going till the problem gets a lot more serious. It's quite sad considering they're the richest nation on the planet and a lot of their citizens struggle financially because of healthcare.

@@chrisdavies9821 I believe that , even if you've been mugged and shot in America , you get a bill for treatment .

Or john-q

It was hard for Europeans to understand that it really could happen in America.Such a terrible system

@Alfie Green so someone chooses to get cancer?

@Alfie Green and that’s the trouble with the US, “why should I pay for someone else’s healthcare”. I’m 73 and never been in Hospital overnight in my life, I have paid taxes all my life, still do, and I’m proud of the NHS, and happy to know that through my contributions I’ve saved countless lives. Because we are a caring society, not a selfish nation of individuals.

@Alfie Green But that's exactly what the US health insurance system is -you pay for something you may never need while others less fortunate may claim. The same principle applies in the UK, except the government hold the bank and not an insurance company profiteering to serve its shareholders. And please don't tell me your employers pay for your health insurance. Sure they do, which is why you are not legally entitled to annual leave, whereas we all get a minimum of five weeks by law.

It cost you a fortune its called tax

@@angrybrit7331 less than America

@@non-masturbatingtyrannosau3476 A LOT less than in America...

@@angrybrit7331 well fortune is subjective, for all you know he could be on disability benefits and pay no tax so...............

We created all that stuff to treat you all free loaders. You're welcome!

Prescriptions are free in Wales to all.

Also free for certain illnesses, I'm type 1, born with it

I disagree with you. It's the older hospitals (i.e. pre- 1945) that are built to a much better standard and are far more sustainable than their modern counterparts. I think that it is a shame that so many old hospital buildings are being sold off by the NHS, or worse demolished.

@@charlestalks5638 Er No! A very small number of pre '45 hospitals are good, most aren't. They often have rooms and corridors that are just incapable of supporting the type and variety of equipment etc. This means having to add additional buildings to cater. But of course there's no room, because all the older hospitals are in heavily built up areas. My wife is a band 5 nurse working in A&E in a brand new hospital, It's a few miles outside of the town centre with lots of space around for both expansion and for the peace and quiet that often helps with recovery. I've worked on the ambulances locally (not emergency!) and can tell you that all the modern hospitals around here are truly wonderful places. The olders ones really are quite abysmal.