when i lived in the us, i was one of the lucky ones with really great private medical insurance. so when i moved to the uk, adjusting to the national health service was a bit of a shock. there were no more incredibly high insurance premiums paid by employers, but at the same time, gone were the clean white corridors with tasteful framed prints, plush sofas and rooms that smell of disinfectant. there were no more lengthy discussions to ensure you understood your illness and possible remedies, and no more simple and speedy referrals to specialists.
the nhs provides free medical cover to all residents of britain, but at a different kind of cost: the local medical centres are in run-down 1960s buildings with stained carpet and out-of-order bathrooms. the hospitals are plagued with mrsa, and waiting times for treatments can be lengthy.
a few years ago, the labour government put in some targets around appointments to decrease waiting times for patients. the idea was that you shouldn't have to wait more than 48 hours to see a doctor. at our medical centre, and many others nationwide, the centre is meeting this target by not taking appointments in advance at all. instead, you phone up at 8am exactly to make an appointment for that morning (inevitably getting a busy signal) and keep phoning over and over until you get through---at which point they often tell you all the morning's appointments are full and ask you to phone back at noon for an afternoon slot. this process works okay if you have a lot of time on your hands between 8 and 8:30 and have an urgent need for a doctor, but it's particularly annoying for any ongoing health concern or routine appointment.
i have recently had an ongoing issue that i wanted to see a doctor about, and this was what i went through to get in to see someone:
three weeks ago: phoned at 8:30 to find all appointments full. decided to try it another day.
two and a half weeks ago: phoned 6 times between 8-8:30 and got a busy signal. got through at 9am and asked to see my favourite doctor. she was on holiday and other doctors were all booked solid. decided to try it another day.
last thursday: phoned 8 times between 8:15-8:45. got through to find out my favourite doctor wasn't working that day. decided to try it another day.
today: phoned at 8am and phone was busy. took maddie to nursery, and phoned again at 8:30 to find all appointments full. explained that i really did want to get in, and they suggested that i take a "fill-in" appointment--ie, i come in and they squeeze me in between other patients. i took them up on this, which meant waiting an hour, but i did eventually get to see my doctor of choice.
don't get me wrong, i think it's amazing that medical service is free here, and am grateful for that. i think there is a large portion of the population that benefits hugely from socialized medicine, and i thought my care during my pregnancy and labour with madeline was very, very good. the doctor i saw today knows who i am, and she is a caring person and intelligent, educated doctor. but honestly, scheduling a routine appointment requires some serious patience.
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