Marisawright Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 My husband is worried about moving to the UK (he's an Aussie) because he perceives the health care as poor compared to Australia. He has never had health insurance in Australia and has relied entirely on Medicare. On the rare occasion where he's been faced with a waiting list and he's not been willing to wait, he's paid for it (e.g. he had his cataract surgery done privately). The thing is, I've never heard of people doing that in the UK - people just seem to have to wait. Is that because it's not the culture, or because private health care is horribly expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 You can go private but it is very expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 My friend used to pay in the UK. The main difference I believe is that doctors are not employed by the gov here in Aus and also that we have choice of doctor and can nip to one clinic or another clinic on the same day if we want to. If people are really ill both systems will look after them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slean Wolfhead Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 My husband is worried about moving to the UK (he's an Aussie) because he perceives the health care as poor compared to Australia. He has never had health insurance in Australia and has relied entirely on Medicare. On the rare occasion where he's been faced with a waiting list and he's not been willing to wait, he's paid for it (e.g. he had his cataract surgery done privately). The thing is, I've never heard of people doing that in the UK - people just seem to have to wait. Is that because it's not the culture, or because private health care is horribly expensive? He can do the same in England, though the Emergency departments are pretty good in the UK, it's elective surgery they're trying to pass off as too much to handle which is sort of the Aussie problem as well. Interesting thing about private sector Emergency Departments.....they don't compare well to NHS ones, probably because the profit is in surgery. My mum had an Aussie mate who broke his leg in the UK, they operated, treated him for 6 weeks before he could go home...never even asked for his home address or travel insurance, he didn't even have to pay for an Xray...guy couldn't believe how well he was treated compared to Australia's model. It's the same as everywhere else in the world, either save money for medical emergencies or get yourself private insurance if you don't want to wait, life is a lottery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I found it better in the UK. [h=1]NHS comes top in healthcare survey[/h]The NHS has been declared the best healthcare system by an international panel of experts who rated its care superior to countries which spend far more on health. The same study also castigated healthcare provision in the US as the worst of the 11 countries it looked at. Despite putting the most money into health, America denies care to many patients in need because they do not have health insurance and is also the poorest at saving the lives of people who fall ill, it found. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/17/nhs-health Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 My experience is that in many ways the two systems are similar, and my in-laws have all received excellent care under Medicare, and the care I've received has been excellent. Both the NHS and Aussie public hospitals follow evidence-based protocols (and mostly use internationally-agreed guidelines, where they exist); my concern about the Australian system is the provision of public health by private practitioners, who are free to do pretty much whatever they want, and who may or may not follow agreed 'best practice' in their approach. I also have concerns about the lack of accountability, but that is perhaps the consequence of working in the NHS for so long where efficacy (rather than profit) was the major driver... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adele244 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Many of my medic friends who have moved out to Australia (nurses and paramedics) all say the same thing.... That it is well behind the times (medically)! I'm not sure if that means simply compared to the UK or just not moved on to new medical practices. However, they have all stayed so it cant be that bad. It is probably not as frantic, not as under staffed and undervalued and as they were in the UK. Im sure we have longer waiting lists so I suppose it is swings and roundabouts. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 How much does National Insurance take out of your pay these days? I remember it being reasonably significant and being in Oz and "paying" is significantly cheaper for me annually as a guy about to hit 30. Only injured my foot here and everything was significantly quicker here than when I messed around with the NHS in the past. Now for people with chronic illnesses or older people may have a totally different experience, but for me I quite like the Aussie system at my stage in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The 48% tax bracket I find myself in covers the NI payments I used to make Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The 48% tax bracket I find myself in covers the NI payments I used to make Didn't have you down as a big earner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Reckon they are both similar though seems no choice of doctor in the UK. Sounds like the British are ahead of us in research etc though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 My hubby had very good public treatment here when he broke his leg, nothing on the x-ray but the Dr sent him for a CT scan and that's when the break was detected. Follow up appointments for several months and nothing to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I don't have any real complaints about Aus or the UKs health service. If the NHS is anything like it was 8 or 9 years ago he should be fine. Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 My experience of both healthcare systems has been great. My only complaint would be the $35 I'm out of pocket for every GP visit here as opposed to 100% free in the UK. A friend of mine recently had surgery in the UK for thyroid cancer. She had the option of an NHS surgery in three days, or a private op the next day, costing £5000. Inexplicably she chose the latter. Anyway, my point is that for the stuff that really matters, NHS waiting lists aren't very long at all. This has been borne out by my Dad's experience with a heart condition, my Mam's experience with Parkinson's and my MIL's experience with breast cancer. They do wait a few weeks for the more minor stuff though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I have some friends in Brisbane who recently needed hospital treatment. Her 2 year old fell over and smashed her front teeth, requiring general anaesthetic to remove the remnants. Medicare didn't cover it so they had to fork out $2000. Then a few weeks later the mum fell over and broke her wrist in three places. She had to pay for the gap for the anaesthatist and surgeons fees. You wouldn't have to do either in the UK, would have all been done with no bills. I have had abdominal surgery in the UK and received excellent treatment, they even fit in my operation around my university term times. In reality, if you're working, you pay for both the NHS and Medicare, only with Medicare it seems there are hidden costs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Yeah but Medicare takes a lot less out of your pay than national insurance. So you are still paying, you just don't notice it as much because it comes out before it reaches you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I do like the target times that the NHS imposes for different conditions - I doubt the target for a gall bladder removal would be 18 months (expected wait time in Canberra when I needed it) and my impression is that things do happen quicker here in UK. I'm a bit jaundiced about the public system in Aus at the mo - they were going to let my fit and healthy 30yr old son live without an attached pectoral muscle but he had to fight and fight to get it reattached - didn't get done until May and he tore it in Feb - it should have been done almost immediately. We always had private insurance for surgeries because of the horrendous wait lists in Canberra. I know we're lucky here with one of the best hospitals in the country right on our doorstep but I have to say that my olds (who are frequent flyers!) have received nothing but absolutely top notch medical care and follow up support. The NHS is the last thing I'd be worrying about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 No choice of doc in the UK?How come? We've moved around a lot (OH's job at the time)and we always had a choice in which surgery we decided to go with.Yes you were allocated a specific doctor but if you wanted to change doc you just ask. Or do you mean in Oz you can just drop by any surgery and not a specific one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Yeah but Medicare takes a lot less out of your pay than national insurance. So you are still paying, you just don't notice it as much because it comes out before it reaches you How about the higher tax brackets we pay into every pay packet..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fisheys Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 My husband is worried about moving to the UK (he's an Aussie) because he perceives the health care as poor compared to Australia. He has never had health insurance in Australia and has relied entirely on Medicare. On the rare occasion where he's been faced with a waiting list and he's not been willing to wait, he's paid for it (e.g. he had his cataract surgery done privately). The thing is, I've never heard of people doing that in the UK - people just seem to have to wait. Is that because it's not the culture, or because private health care is horribly expensive? I believe he is correct, the Australian system is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fisheys Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 My experience is that in many ways the two systems are similar, and my in-laws have all received excellent care under Medicare, and the care I've received has been excellent. Both the NHS and Aussie public hospitals follow evidence-based protocols (and mostly use internationally-agreed guidelines, where they exist); my concern about the Australian system is the provision of public health by private practitioners, who are free to do pretty much whatever they want, and who may or may not follow agreed 'best practice' in their approach. I also have concerns about the lack of accountability, but that is perhaps the consequence of working in the NHS for so long where efficacy (rather than profit) was the major driver... Please just review what you have said; it is my experience that when working in Public Hospitals in Australia Visiting Medical Officers follow very rigid protocols, and to suggest like you do that they do "pretty much whatever they want" is just wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix16 Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I'm not comparing systems whatsoever, health insurance in OZ is much more mainstream and at certain salary levels it's pretty silly not to have it. in our experience, I needed a Hysterectomy, told pretty bluntly by the consultant, totally not expected and offered a surgery date 2 weeks later (privately) with hindsight it was the best way to do it. hubby needed a disc replacement, against totally unexpected, just suffered severe neck pain, MRI done within days of seeing GP, saw the Consultant a week later (week before Christmas), booked in for surgery 3 weeks later, back at work a week after the OP (against medical advice! But luckily after a few 'slow' weeks settling in 110% his old self!!!) feel thankful that the private system at least allows you to get it all done quickly and get your life back on track. PS, very little GAP payments, in both cases we possibly spent $250 each on pharmacy bills not covered by HBF, possibly lucky there as I've heard of others experiences.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) How about the higher tax brackets we pay into every pay packet..? And Tax concessions? You are trying to compare an apple with an orange, would love to know how you earn these big bucks. People around the average wage not only keep more of their money they also pay a lot less in health (which was the point of this thread) Edited December 11, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 And Tax concessions? You are trying to compare an apple with an orange, would love to kniow how you earn these big bucks. People around the average wage not only keep more of their money they also pay a lot less in health (which was the point of this thread) I earn money by going to work...!! And you pay way more in tax in Australia than the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I earn money by going to work...!! And you pay way more in tax in Australia than the UK That's a broad sweeping statement. Are you including National Insurance as tax? Uk average wage is 25k. Compared with 50K Australian the UK net is significantly lower... But you obviously like taxing the poor rather than the rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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