The NHS is far from perfect but...

ShockingPink

I just found a Rheumatoid Arthritis forum on Facebook - through one of those scary-spy adverts they put at the side of the page.

Anyway, it's an American forum and people were discussing the cost of various drugs that their insurance policies wouldn't pay for. The last one I was on cost $5,000 every 6 weeks and my current one was $1,500 a month! They had to pay this out of their own pockets or do without - unless they had extremely generous (expensive) insurance policies.

Made me realise how lucky I am.

soolin

I think we sometimes forget that. There is a big difference in the US between the affluent who have full medical cover usually as part of their work perks, and the lower paid or unwaged people. As many (not all obviously) people with disabilities find themselves in the lower end of the working market or maybe even totally unwaged they are the ones who bear the brunt of the denial of treatment issues.

It seems unfair that it is often those that need to most help that are the ones being limited by budget through no fault of their own.

[Deleted User]

I absolutely agree that when the chips are down the nhs doesnt let us down,i know people in the usa from epilepsy forums who pay $400 per month for one item,more than 47 million people have NO health insurance.We are very lucky.

Prinzessilein

A few years ago I found a lump. I went to the GP and he arranged an appointment for me to see a specialist 2 days later. It was decided to remove the lump, and four days later I was in hospital. From GP to surgery in less than a week - and all on the NHS. I didn't stay overnight, but could have done.

When I had a serious attack of bronchitis, I saw the Practice Nurse rather than the GP. Antibiotics didn't help much and so she arranged for me to have a hospital bed that afternoon. Again, my stay and treatment were all NHS.

It's too easy to complain. We are really lucky here.

(Having said that I will point out that it took me the best part of a year to see a Mental Health specialist on the NHS.....I think that Mental Health Care is still the weaker part of the NHS - but my visits to the specialist and any treatment are all covered by NHS so I'll just whisper that complaint, because I really am grateful!)

sunnyone

I have RA and that put me of having Dupuytrens fasciectomy surgery but I changed my mind on the 13th of this month and I was offered the op on the 18th!

Unfortunatly my complex disabilities meant they couldnt do the pre op assessment by then so instead Im having the op on Tuesday, not many private hospitals can offer surgery 5 days after you decide to have it and none of them would touch me anyway.

My complex needs mean that the day surgery unit cant take me, you need to be self careing, Im booked onto a ward so that I can stay in if I need to (they will have to tie me down or I must be to ill to complain to make me stay in by choice) and my nutrafiles (sp) are dangeriously low due to my RA treatment so the chances of infection are quite high.

I looked up the price of my drugs in the book the doctors use (its free on line) and the cost is frightening:eek: and I certainly couldnt afford them, I do moan about having to pay over £200 PA on our prepayment cards because it costs more to administer prescription costs than it would to give everyone free scripts and its an unfair tax on two people who have no choice but to take many diffrent drugs.

Indie_Kid

Sunnyone - as a wheelchair user with other disabilities, do you not qualify for free prescriptions due to having a physical disability that means you can't get of your home without help?

Can I ask, what's the link that shows the true cost of the drugs we get prescribed?

sunnyone

sh1305 wrote: »

Sunnyone - as a wheelchair user with other disabilities, do you not qualify for free prescriptions due to having a physical disability that means you can't get of your home without help?

Can I ask, what's the link that shows the true cost of the drugs we get prescribed?

http://bnf.org/bnf/bnf/current/, you need to register but its free and very informative especially the diffrent drug and interaction information alongside the drug costs.

I havnt been out alone for a long time but having a NHS powerchair Im not sure that that my GP would sign the needed form to get free scripts but she does know that I need help with every aspect of life including taransfering into my powerchair.

Indie_Kid

According to that site, my medication is £3. I'm glad I don't have to pay the £7.20 for it.

Miss_Penny_Pincher_2

I agree that we are so fortunate to have the NHS here!

A friend of mine who lives in America went into hospital for 2 days to have her appendix removed and she now owes them $39,000!!

Ames

I was reading up on the treatment I'm going to have to need in the not too distant future and it costs $50k a year (probably more now, that info was a couple of years old and there's been a massive shortage of it lately). I'll have to have that for life. So I agree about the NHS!

Indie_Kid

Ames wrote: »

I was reading up on the treatment I'm going to have to need in the not too distant future and it costs $50k a year (probably more now, that info was a couple of years old and there's been a massive shortage of it lately). I'll have to have that for life. So I agree about the NHS!

Ouch! How much would it be in the UK?