Here in France we get around 70% of our Health Cost paid via the Government, similar means as the UK, funds deducted from your income.

We are encouraged to take out top up type health insurance to cover any short falls. We have always paid this via an insurance company specialising in expats...

We pay approx 200 euros a month for a couple.
That does go up as you get older unfortunately and now over 70 it has increased quite considerably.

We could pay much less but we choose to have a high level of cover.

If Hospitalised you pay for your room and food. Food generally seems terrible but the care is first class overall. Costs will be paid out, for you to claim back normally.

Our English friends, still mainly residing in the UK, always have the necessary insurances. They have both been in French Hospitals and one had too have an ambulance as a emergency.

When home he received a bill for that unfortunate journey in the ambulance of 1000 Euros..fact..without consent from a medical person an Ambulance can cost that much for a hour journey, and the treatment given whatever that might have been.

When you visit you GP here you can wait an hour it depends how long people are in before you. An hour with the Doctor does happen but half an hour is more common.
There is no rush and anything can be covered. Our Doctor expects to see us at least once in 6 months.

Prevention here is what they want. When you have a issue or a potential one, then off you are to a Consultant. Waiting times have varied since Covid19 but previous experience tells me a couple of weeks.
A busy Consultant it could be a month. Scans and Xrays are done within a week here, sometimes within days. All guide times only...

Some Hospitals we pay at the time and get back automatically within a week, others claim from source not from us directly. GP we pay him and get refunded with the week.

When we moved here 6+ years ago the GP's were out on strike against the Government wanting to change the payout system.

Law was changing to.. Patient does not pay Doctor, Doctor puts claim in for patience health costs. They banded together and protested in huge numbers... and won the day..They wanted there payments there and then..no messing about...That is why the French will Protest..they can beat new laws from going ahead... not that they win all time.....

Yes that's my exerience too Ted!
The specialist works on the same principle too but they negotiate
their fees seperately from the GPs for NHS work !
Meantime they can charge whatever they can get away with
privately ??

Donkeyman! 🤔🤔

Sounds a good system Dianne?
What happens to the destitute though ??

Donkeyman! 🤔🤔

Privatise the lot. All of the NHS. It's well past its sell by date and now is just a political lever.

If anybody expects the same service that we have had for years they will likely be disappointed, because the NHS can no longer afford to give that service.

Who is to blame?

All the people that went to the doctors for minor complaints instead of using over the counter medicines from the pharmacy......... Now most of us will have to do that even if we are suffering worse than minor complaints or go to private clinics for things like podiatry care. I have already done that, despite being diabetic !

I hadn't realised that DM, all I was trying to find was the website where I obtained that figure of £156 per patient per year. GPs surgeries are now run like businesses so it's not really surprising as to the type of company that is.

Yes, absolutely.

The National Health Service was a good idea and a great step forward in 1947, but people have been taking advantage of it, often irresponsibly, especially quite recently.

When I was a child, people went to the doctor as a last resort. Now they go for the slightest little sniffle, and to make matters worse, we now have t'internet where people should spend more time checking on things for themselves, only then going to the GP when they are sure they need to.

That's totally not true. The GPs are still on contracts, just more are retiring and not being replaced. It's also become a more difficult job and isn't so lucrative. They are expected to do all sorts but the rewards have gone down & risks have gone up.


Nothing to do with patients having minor complaints. That is precisely what general practice is there for. Things like podiatry aren't provided by GPs but by community trusts. Even if they seem to be in GP surgeries. Even district nurses aren't provided by GPs. People are fobbed off too easily and don't complain enough.

Privatise the lot. All of the NHS. It's well past its sell by date and now is just a political lever.