How lucky we are to have our NHS

Sallywally hear hear. Our NHS is flawed and stretched but is truly a treasure. In the last three months two friends, one young, one old were sent for tests, diagnosed with cancer and started treatment immediately.
My daughter is an insulin dependent diabetic. Her medication is free, her cataracts were dealt with promptly and she had a successful pregnancy.
And to lower the tone, I've just received my bowel cancer checking kit...lucky me..
Thank you Nye Bevan- a legacy like no other.

”Thank you Nye Bevan- a legacy like no other”

Hear, hear!

Whatever the problems in the less dveloped countries - and Myanmar has specific problems, the resukts of a failing government and dictatorship.

This still does not make the NHS the envy of the world . In fact there are many far better health systems, the UK is not even in the top 3 or even the top 30.

Statista ranks the UK and the NHS at 34. www.statista.com/statistics/1376359/health-and-health-system-ranking-of-countries-worldwide/

The 4 best health systems are in Asia. most European countries have a better system than ours, even small countries like Malta and Cyprus, then there is Cuba, Costa Rica and Thailand.

Yes, we have better world care than in the failed state of Myanmar, but not one that is the eny of the world.

A wonderful idea back in 1948.
Sadly, mismanaged by Governments for many years now and one of our major services overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of those using it.
It is crying out for a root and branch overhaul to streamline it and save billions.
Whenever I have needed it, the NHS has been there for me and mine.

Well personally I give my heart felt thanks for saving my then teenage sons life after unexpected heart surgery. I agree it has been mis managed, but I’m glad it is there. When my shoulder is eventually replaced I know I will be in expert hands.

So grateful we have the NHS. I have been wearing NHS hearing aids for over 20 years, my Mum even longer.

Currently have 2 family members undergoing Chemotherapy, and they both say how well they are treated by Staff, nothing too much trouble.

It was a wonderful idea in 1948.

2025 is a totally different world

People still get sick and need help- what's different about that?

Monica.. I know you are a statistics whizz but I am eternally grateful for the wonderful care I have received from the NHS..

I have a superb Medical practice with lovely, knowledgeable staff.. and when I was hospitalised during covid I couldn't have had kinder care despite how frantically busy they were...

It was the most wonderful idea, but, many years ago nobody asked are we getting value for money here
I know that sounds clinical. But that failure has led to where we are now. My dear friend paying £18,000 for a shoulder replacement. Another friend’s husband paying £15,000 for a knee replacement.

I could not fault the care I received 2 years ago, when suddenly taken very ill with pneumonia, followed immediately by pleurisy. 111, ambulance, all the hospital staff from consultants down to the cleaners, were brilliant.

Aftercare ditto - various tests, and I was on ABs for 5 weeks altogether.

It used to be….but then offered it free to anyone who happened to come to the U.K. and of course they came in their droves, and who can blame them. Now, people who have paid in the system all their lives are having to wait years or paying privately to have anything done.

I truly believe we do often fail to appreciate how lucky we are with our NHS.

It’s damaged and needs reform, we need far more doctors and nurses and more hospitals, but our NHS has saved mine and my husbands lives, successfully delivered our 5 chikdren.

If it's the "envy of the world" why are we putting an EXTRA £27billion into it. Can that money be transferred to defence as that obviously isn't the envy of the world.

My youngest daughter has been in the Acute Cardio Unit in our local hospital for several days and is being looked after very well at what is a rather scary time for all of us, she is and out of hospital a lot and 99% the care is excellent , just one occasion when she had a really unpleasant Gynaecologist who has since left. As a family we are very grateful for the NHS.

The NHS is not perfect, we all know that. But it is very often extremely good when we really need it.
I do believe it needs a thorough overhaul and could be run a lot better, but we are still lucky to have it. I do hope it is never privatised.

I am also extremely grateful for the NHS. As Mr Cheese and I are getting older we are valueing it more than ever. I don't begrudge a penny spent on it. I wish we had more British trained staff, but we don't, partly because we made the ridiculous decision to charge for training.

Can anyone point to the part of my post that said that the NHS was the envy of the world? I spoke of it's problems and shortcomings also.
I said that I am grateful to it .
And Poppyred, I am grateful, too, for some of those " droves" - the ones who have me OT last year ( from Guyana), who vaccinated me in December ( from Hungary) etc etc

The best and the envy of the world - Thanks Nye Bevin

Yes, good in emergencies, but most of our interactions with the NHS are not emergencies and that is where the inefficiency and incompetence lies.

My daughter came close to death, she was described as critically ill, the code for 'may not survive' because of the incompetence of her GPs.

Two years ago I was twice diagnosed with having strokes, when I did not, the result of an over enthusiastic young University Fellow, knew everything, but had no experience. Just when it is all being unravelled and I was hoping to come off all the medications, I read that once you have been on anti coaagulants you have to stay on them because coming off them leaves you at a higher risk of a stroke than before you were given them. So I am stuck with a lifetime of medication for a condition I didn't have in the first place.

DH nearly died last year because every doctor, mostly at the local hospital treated each symptom as unrelated to any other. It took paramedics to join them all together, and finally get him sorted.

Unfortunately the poor treatment more than outweighs the time they get it wrong.

M0nica

Yes, good in emergencies, but most of our interactions with the NHS are not emergencies and that is where the inefficiency and incompetence lies.

My daughter came close to death, she was described as critically ill, the code for 'may not survive' because of the incompetence of her GPs.

Two years ago I was twice diagnosed with having strokes, when I did not, the result of an over enthusiastic young University Fellow, knew everything, but had no experience. Just when it is all being unravelled and I was hoping to come off all the medications, I read that once you have been on anti coaagulants you have to stay on them because coming off them leaves you at a higher risk of a stroke than before you were given them. So I am stuck with a lifetime of medication for a condition I didn't have in the first place.

DH nearly died last year because every doctor, mostly at the local hospital treated each symptom as unrelated to any other. It took paramedics to join them all together, and finally get him sorted.

Unfortunately the poor treatment more than outweighs the time they get it wrong.

So sorry to hear about all these awful and avoidable issues.

That can happen in the private sector,too. For some things public is actually better here- heart attacks for one. I envy you the NHS. At least you don’t have to fork out every time you see a GP for 5 minutes!

The NHS is not perfect and in a changing world is never likely to be so. Nor are doctors etc., ever likely to never make mistakes, lack knowledge, etc. Other countries have health services that sometimes give better patient outcomes. We should learn from them. The NHS should not be immune from improvement.

The NHS was designed years ago when times were very different. Now, it’s overwhelmed and creaking due to the sheer numbers using it. People who have not paid in should not be using it unless in extreme circumstances. In other countries non nationals pay and this should happen here. That’s why we all pay travel insurance when we go abroad. Unfortunately there is no will to implement this.