Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

My daughter works for NHS in this area, Admin position.

Some of the tales she comes home with really shock me.

A couple of years ago a Norwegian gentleman with a Stage 4 cancer was encouraged by some British Friends to come and stay with them and have the benefit of our free treatment. In Norway, they had placed him on a palliative care package because there was no more to be done.

When he turned up at the Surgery to register and with the details of his illness and treatment to date, the manager didn't think they would be able to register him and contacted the Health Board. They made exhaustive inquiries which basically ended with them saying yes, there was a precedent for him to be treated.

As the Senior Manager at the Health Board said, if a British National was taken ill in Norway and without appropriate Medical Insurance they would have left him at the roadside to die.

I've also seen it myself when my husband was having treatment. The one hospital was a University hospital and there were many patients having treatment and their extended families came with them.

They were given social workers and housing for the time they were here. I think they were very rare cancers so probably used for investigative purposes. I remember one young lad who had tumours all down his spine, I very often wonder if made it although common sense tells me, he wouldn't have ...

Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

It's quite simple: we follow the American example that someone posted on here, I think. Credit card = money taken. No credit card or other means of payment = painkillers and out.

As long as we keep behaving like mugs, we'll be treated like mugs.

Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

It took nearly a year before my operation during which time I was occassionally screaming in agony and could not even stand up. Three or four times taken back to hospital before they decided I needed an operation which they couldn't do straight away as something was highly infected (what I wasn't told),just some blood readings for something or other was dangerously high

If they had diagnosed properly at the beginning even after MRI and CT scans then I would not have had to suffer so much.

Sue my wife was even told at one stage not to expect me to come out of hospital alive and I was going onto intensive care unit

Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

`H

Hi JBR, still vehemently against it. Regardless of whether the NHS is paid well for it - every time a theatre, staff, bed and care is in use to a private patient in a NHS hospital it is at the expense of a NHS patient being pushed to the back of the queue for his/her operation in that theatre.

Private hospitals were built to provide private treatment That is the reason those who could afford it took out private insurance to be treated immediately at these private hospitals.

At our local hospital "The Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, voted number 1 in Europe if not the world !!! once had an absolutely brilllant A&E department. Unfortunately the Trust did away with the A&E department necessitating the need for locals to travel 18 miles to Shrewsbury or 18 miles to Wrexham or 18 miles to Welshpool to be taken in the event of illness or accident to the nearest accident and emergency department. Now there is a looming danger of Shrewsbury A&E (which most locals use due to reputation) being closed and A&E transferred to Telford. a journey of 30 miles !! yet not 5 minutes away here in our own backyard, where once we had an excellent A&E, we have instead a ward specifically for private patients called Ludlow Ward. This is staffed by 36 specialist surgeons looking after 16 private rooms for patients who can afford to pay for their treatment. i feel very strongly that that ward should have been for NHS patients only.

I can see your point about private patients being treated on NHS hospitals pay for themselves more than adequately and which no doubt goes to funding for the rest of the hospital but you will never convince me that private facilities should be situated in the same premises as NHS , ever !!

Just me I'm afraid.
I don't object to anyone being able to pay to have the best treatment. I wish we all could do the same. but not at the expense of having their cake and eating it by not only having private hospitals but taking up residence in NHS and Trust hospitals. Begone with ya !!!!

Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

I see your point, SG. However, as some have said on here, aren't the government hoping to make the NHS into a private healthcare scheme? It wouldn't surprise me.

I'm afraid that health insurance would be too expensive for me, unless they make reasonable provision for pre-existing conditions. My wife will be OK, though.

Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

Yes I see sgs point too, never seen it that way before I think she has changed my mind about it.

Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

Same for me JBR, with my medical condition now the insurance companies would be rubbing their hands with glee if there was a contract to pay what they would charge me. !!!
Ive told he who must obey that if we feel I am on the way out, just knock me on the head, put me in a black bin bag and wait for the dustbin men to collect me on the Monday.

Re: "Health Tourists take precedence over British Patients !

Good idea. It'll save a lot of money on funeral costs.