The UK's National Health Service

[Jamiet99uk]

Let me just tell you a little of what's happened to me this week.

In the past I've suffered with a serious illness called Ulcerative Colitis. In 2012 - 2013 this meant I had to have several major operations including the complete removal of my diseased colon. I only have my small intestine left, but the surgery saved my life.

Due to the massive abdominal surgery I've had previously, I developed a small hernia.

On Wednesday morning I suddenly found myself in great pain and unable to use the toilet. After two hours of no relief and with the pain unbearable, I called the National Health Service - the UK's state-funded health service, open to all citizens. They arranged for a gastrointestinal specialist to call me back, and she did so within 5 minutes, and advised me to get to hospital - offering to send transport if I had none. However I was able to get to hospital myself.

Within 30 minutes I was seen by a nurse and admitted to hospital. Following X-Rays and a CT, the consultant surgeon came to see me and explained I had a hernia, in which a loop of my small intestine was caught, causing a blockage which would require an operation to correct.

I had to wait a little while, on pain relief now, but after not too much time I was taken to theatre, put to sleep by a very kind and professional anaesthetist, and awoke three or so hours later having had my intestines repaired and the hernia closed up.

After two days of rest, care, and careful obersevation on a small, clean hospital ward, I have now been allowed home. With a little rest I will be able to return to work in a week or so.

At every stage in this process the care and treatment I have recieved has been superb.

All of this is funded from my taxes; there is nothing to pay at the point of use. I do not have private health insurance - nobody in the UK really has to. The same excellent treatment would have been given to me if I was the Chief Executive of a top business, a middle-ranking civil servant (the actual me), or a homeless person.

I cannot understand why my American friends would not want such a system in their country.

[Randomizer]

"I cannot understand why my American friends would not want such a system in their country."

Because we've been raised on the evils of government helping the people. It goes back to the idea of laissez faire and social darwinism that we should let people fail so only the strong survive. That's why we were told we shouldn't have social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the worst evil of all: universal healthcare. That's why the Republicans want to end Obamacare that was based on Mitt Romney and the Republican's Heritage Foundation plan for healthcare.

[MajorMitchell]

Best wishes for your recovery Jamiet99uk. One of the notable achievements of the Australian Federal Government led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke (1980s) were the improvements to our public health care system that gave us our equivalent of the NHS.

[Ir0nChancell0r]

"I cannot understand why my American friends would not want such a system in their country."

In the immortal words of Benjamin Washington Reagan, "Any country that gives poor people healthcare is indistinguishable from the USSR."

Do you want the gulags, Jamiet?

[Jamiet99uk]

"I cannot understand why my American friends would not want such a system in their country."

In the immortal words of Benjamin Washington Reagan, "Any country that gives poor people healthcare is indistinguishable from the USSR."

Do you want the gulags, Jamiet?

Funny. Nice troll. Trot on.

[Ir0nChancell0r]

"I cannot understand why my American friends would not want such a system in their country."

In the immortal words of Benjamin Washington Reagan, "Any country that gives poor people healthcare is indistinguishable from the USSR."

Do you want the gulags, Jamiet?

Funny. Nice troll. Trot on.

(Jokes aside, American healthcare is looking pretty barbaric.)

[MajorMitchell]

I think that Ironic~Chancellor is either trolling or over reaching to a ridiculous degree. Gulags and the other evils of a dictatorship or theocracy are NOT axiomatically included in having decent public health services that are publicly funded in a democracy.
Stop using feeble excuses for collective inadequacies, there's plenty of examples of the capacity of Nation States to provide decent public health services that are publicly funded. Nor is nitpicking over imperfections in for example, the NHS, or Medicare in Australia justification for not introducing decent public health services.

[MajorMitchell]

One of Trumptoad's deflections​​ in response to calls for effective gun control laws is the "the shooters/murderers are mentally unstable/sick" excuse. I invite his supporters to elucidate on the ways Trumptoad is implementing effective improvements to the general health of the citizens of the USA and the health services in the USA. If you reject the NHS type of policy solutions for public health services, then DELIVER (or advocate for) A BETTER alternative set of policy solutions.

[Maniac]

Sorry to hear about your condition Jamie and wish you a speedy recovery. I have Crohns so can relate to some of what you've been through.

[Jamiet99uk]

Sorry to hear about your condition Jamie and wish you a speedy recovery. I have Crohns so can relate to some of what you've been through.

Thank you, Maniac. I am now feeling much better.