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Post by notanimby on Jan 27, 2014 18:43:02 GMT -1
They Breed 'em tough in New Zealand From the Australian Dr James Grant's Scottish genes coming to the fore there, I imagine! Him being a medic couldn't hurt, probably saved his own life with his stitching skills and lack of squeamishnessness. My mate's a GP on Shetland but doubles up as a vet when the need arises in remoter areas. Not unknown for her to heave the odd sick animal into her 4x4 and take it in for treatment. She's some gal, the only on-call GP left in Scotland as far as I know...That could be true, there were 3 in Millport until they retired in a fit of pique, ( May 2012) they got their ( £400, 000 per year) dispensing business taking off them as someone we know opened a pharmacy there.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2014 18:44:02 GMT -1
Yeah there are one hell of a lot of Scot descendants there. There is even a slight Scots burrr in their accent. The main towns are Dunedin, Invercargill and Oban, on Stewart Island. Part of the area is called Otago. You have an Otago Street in Glasgow from memory. Another large area is called Mackenzie Country. When we were on our grand trip to Scotland we came across a deserted village in Caithness with a monument commemorating the villagers who left to go to Otago en-masse. It was a very sad place. They had been pushed out of their crofts on to a cliff side to make way for sheep. Cant remember name of place Bloody Highland rubbishs. In hind-sight they had the best of it Your Shetland friend sounds some lady Rolo I lived on Otago St for about 7 years, Oz, it's in the West End at Kelvinbridge. Laughed out loud there at the Bloody Highland rubbishs (I changed the word CL.EARANCE into RUBBISH cos of the K.ITCHEN spammers, ) Though *rubbishs* describes it better, I'd say...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2014 19:04:07 GMT -1
Dr James Grant's Scottish genes coming to the fore there, I imagine! Him being a medic couldn't hurt, probably saved his own life with his stitching skills and lack of squeamishnessness. My mate's a GP on Shetland but doubles up as a vet when the need arises in remoter areas. Not unknown for her to heave the odd sick animal into her 4x4 and take it in for treatment. She's some gal, the only on-call GP left in Scotland as far as I know...That could be true, there were 3 in Millport until they retired in a fit of pique, ( May 2012) they got their ( £400, 000 per year) dispensing business taking off them as someone we know opened a pharmacy there. She runs her own surgery north of Lerwick and turns out anytime of day and night when she's needed, Nota. She's also called out when things go badly, suddenly, wrong, as in the Braer disaster and of course (sadly) helicopter accidents, all too frequent in that area. She's also a pediatric consultant in Lerwick one day a week. So many unsung everyday heroes working in our NHS. The Tories' ultimate aim is to sell it off....well OVER OUR DEAD BODIES. It's complete anathema to our doctors to even begin to consider asking a patient for their credit card/insurance details before they'll treat them. RUK is sleepwalking into just that.
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Post by notanimby on Jan 27, 2014 19:39:09 GMT -1
That could be true, there were 3 in Millport until they retired in a fit of pique, ( May 2012) they got their ( £400, 000 per year) dispensing business taking off them as someone we know opened a pharmacy there. She runs her own surgery north of Lerwick and turns out anytime of day and night when she's needed, Nota. She's also called out when things go badly, suddenly, wrong, as in the Braer disaster and of course (sadly) helicopter accidents, all too frequent in that area. She's also a pediatric consultant in Lerwick one day a week. So many unsung everyday heroes working in our NHS. The Tories' ultimate aim is to sell it off....well OVER OUR DEAD BODIES. It's complete anathema to our doctors to even begin to consider asking a patient for their credit card/insurance details before they'll treat them. RUK is sleepwalking into just that. Indeed, a couple of GPs who were family friends were similar - if somebody called they went - no matter what. My late mum in the early to mid 1960s was Port Glasgow's district midwife, when somebody phoned ( rare occurance in those days) or more usually the polis or a wifies neighbour/man/rellie turned up at oor hoose tae come quick the wen was on its way - she went, even when aff duty. Home births were still very common then if not the norm. Even when she was no longer a midwife, she still got called oot and went gladly, no on was ever turned away, that sort of thing just wasn't done. It wasn't just a job, it really was a vocation. So much so that a lot of my friends were actually delivered by my maw, strange looks when you tell people I've known Robert/Davy/Alex/Ian etc ALL their life I'll never forget the day that a wummin across the street came running in ( oor door was never locked tae neighbours), my mum had retired by this time, anyways the wummins 6 month auld wean was in a bad way - mum noticed straightaway that the wean wasn't alive anymore ( wean been sleeping in his cot, when the mother checked and noticed he wasnt brething and was blue/gray) but went through all the processes, CPR, heart massage, everything, because that what was not just expected of her but what she needed/wanted to do to help the mother until the doc and paramedics arrived.
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Post by ozneil on Jan 27, 2014 19:41:39 GMT -1
Is it so bad Rolo?
When I go to doc the receptionist asks for my medicare card and scans it. It gives her basic information. In my case she asks if I have any health care cards which will give me free or discounted fees. If none its a Visa card. No one is turned away because of no cash.
On the bright side I make an appointment and am usually taken within 10 minutes of the stipulated time
One time when I was at docs an old lady fell over in street outside and gashed her head. at least 2 patients (me included) were left in consulting room while my doctot and another doctor rushed out to attend to her together with the practice nurse. Quick examination on pavement then brought in to treatment room where they stitched her head. Apparently she refused to go to hospital for a check up. I was impressed by the speed they reacted .. Mind you I reckon it would have happened anywhere.
I was there just getting my driver's licence medical so I just made another appointment
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Post by notanimby on Jan 27, 2014 20:05:40 GMT -1
Is it so bad Rolo? When I go to doc the receptionist asks for my medicare card and scans it. It gives her basic information. In my case she asks if I have any health care cards which will give me free or discounted fees. If none its a Visa card. No one is turned away because of no cash. On the bright side I make an appointment and am usually taken within 10 minutes of the stipulated time One time when I was at docs an old lady fell over in street outside and gashed her head. at least 2 patients (me included) were left in consulting room while my doctot and another doctor rushed out to attend to her together with the practice nurse. Quick examination on pavement then brought in to treatment room where they stitched her head. Apparently she refused to go to hospital for a check up. I was impressed by the speed they reacted .. Mind you I reckon it would have happened anywhere. I was there just getting my driver's licence medical so I just made another appointment It's getting that bad souf of the border Oz - but the NHS ethos souf of the border is very different from the one in Scotland The NHS in Scotland has always been a completely different entity from the rest of the UK, they were setup as separate right at the start - teh Scots model being based on an auld highland cooperative system that existed previously Down souf the privateers are moving in, funnily enough these companies give huge donations to teh tories and have tory party members on their boards, ex-gov ministers on their boards and are wined and dined by government and vice versa
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Post by ozneil on Jan 27, 2014 20:08:26 GMT -1
Not only UK
Red tape gone mad
From the papers
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2014 22:04:21 GMT -1
Is it so bad Rolo? When I go to doc the receptionist asks for my medicare card and scans it. It gives her basic information. In my case she asks if I have any health care cards which will give me free or discounted fees. If none its a Visa card. No one is turned away because of no cash. On the bright side I make an appointment and am usually taken within 10 minutes of the stipulated time One time when I was at docs an old lady fell over in street outside and gashed her head. at least 2 patients (me included) were left in consulting room while my doctot and another doctor rushed out to attend to her together with the practice nurse. Quick examination on pavement then brought in to treatment room where they stitched her head. Apparently she refused to go to hospital for a check up. I was impressed by the speed they reacted .. Mind you I reckon it would have happened anywhere. I was there just getting my driver's licence medical so I just made another appointment Oz, what are the conditions for free treatment or discounted fees? And, obviously, what happens if you don't have access to them and no credit card? It would seem to me Australia has a two-tier medical system, the same principle as the US. Here, in Scotland, it doesn't matter who you are, what you earn, how much you have in the bank-- or not. Everyone is treated according to 'need' in a medical sense. Some have private health care, that's their choice and they don't get any better treatment than on the NHS, only slightly more decorative surroundings and free car parking I don't 'judge' our NHS on whether I'm kept waiting a wee bit at an outpatient clinic. Sometimes you're seen on time or just after, other times you wait a bit, usually because consultants are busy upstairs on the wards. That's FINE by me. Also FINE by me is the tax I pay towards our NHS. That was my belief even before I had life-saving surgery.
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Post by ozneil on Jan 27, 2014 23:00:21 GMT -1
Not 2 tier ... multi tier.
Every permanent resident gets a medicare card .. That entitles you to free basic medical and hospital... if a tourist or illegal you pay (tourists usually have travel insurance) an illegal is billed AFTER so if he cant pay he cant pay. BUT he will only be seen in a Public Hospital
Pensioners unemployed and people on welfare get a "red Card" which entitles them to more than basic medicine such as glaases and a lot of other services at a discount
Ex-service men have a "Gold Card" which entitles them to everything free
Private health Insurance gives what you choose it to cover . In my case Private hospital, surgeon of choice. I have chosen to opt out of the rest as not being cost effective, I have no cards except Medicare & Visa so I pay for services with a government rebate given later (ie pay the lot & get some back later) Costs about $75 up front to see doc with a $38 reinbursement from medicare.
I never had time to hang around a doctor's surgery I always had to be somewhere else 10 minutes ago so I relied on being seen on time. Surgery phones up and tells me if doc is running late and re-schedules.
Now why should I clog up the public system (though Im entitled too) & slow service for those more needy than me. In case of a major operation I may get the same surgeon & treatment in Public but there again I may not ... I have no choice in surgeon or indeed hospital.
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Post by bormes on Jan 28, 2014 17:01:12 GMT -1
Rolo, Sorry to disagree with you but private health has a couple of distinct advantages over our normal NHS One is immediate access to a Doctor or Surgeon. Second is immediate treatment by whosoever needs to treat one. Now I do not have a private health scheme, I have been very lucky, I have had quite a number of injuries, some life threatening and I found the NHS EVERY time rather superb but I was always in after an injury and in the Military ones I was also in fairly quickly after being shot and another time with shrapnel injuries and the only difference was in the Military Hospitals the administrators were negligible, whereas in our NHS they are everywhere and that is one of the problems with the NHS. The other problem with the NHS is for non emergency treatment it is a long long long ...... Wait!! Finally my last gripe about our NHS. Is that Doctors Surgeons etc can do an operation in a private clinic and if there is an emergency the NHS is used. I do not like that, if they are private they should be totally private and fund themselves and the doctors should be paid privately. People paying private health care could then have a tax break as they pay for the NHS. Like us so that would be fairer too?
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Post by ozneil on Jan 28, 2014 19:12:19 GMT -1
Bormes wrote
Why Although they choose to pay Private Health they still pay NHS contributions or do they? I know we do here 1.5% of pretax income for health on average about $800 a year
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Post by bormes on Jan 28, 2014 23:09:03 GMT -1
Yes OZ, we have to pay National Insurance and the more you earn the more you pay, another tax you see, it is NOT free in the long run. It is the same with Private schools, people pay into the system for education and there is no tax break if you pay for a child's education nor if you have a private health scheme. I pay for a family private dental scheme for the last 35 years and it is splendid. Again no tax breaks.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2014 0:16:21 GMT -1
Not 2 tier ... multi tier. Every permanent resident gets a medicare card .. That entitles you to free basic medical and hospital... if a tourist or illegal you pay (tourists usually have travel insurance) an illegal is billed AFTER so if he cant pay he cant pay. BUT he will only be seen in a Public Hospital
Pensioners unemployed and people on welfare get a "red Card" which entitles them to more than basic medicine such as glaases and a lot of other services at a discountEx-service men have a "Gold Card" which entitles them to everything free Private health Insurance gives what you choose it to cover . In my case Private hospital, surgeon of choice. I have chosen to opt out of the rest as not being cost effective, I have no cards except Medicare & Visa so I pay for services with a government rebate given later (ie pay the lot & get some back later) Costs about $75 up front to see doc with a $38 reinbursement from medicare. I never had time to hang around a doctor's surgery I always had to be somewhere else 10 minutes ago so I relied on being seen on time. Surgery phones up and tells me if doc is running late and re-schedules. Now why should I clog up the public system (though Im entitled too) & slow service for those more needy than me. In case of a major operation I may get the same surgeon & treatment in Public but there again I may not ... I have no choice in surgeon or indeed hospital. Please explain the difference between *basic* treatment in a *public* hospital for me, Oz? Is it worse than *private* hospitals or just restricted to emergencies or what? And what happens to those ordinary people, working folks, who can't afford private insurance: from the above it seems they only get the lowest tier of care? What happens if they need more treatment over time, complications say, from emergency or long standing illnesses? Keep me right here, so I understand it better?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2014 0:26:00 GMT -1
Rolo, Sorry to disagree with you but private health has a couple of distinct advantages over our normal NHS One is immediate access to a Doctor or Surgeon. Second is immediate treatment by whosoever needs to treat one. Now I do not have a private health scheme, I have been very lucky, I have had quite a number of injuries, some life threatening and I found the NHS EVERY time rather superb but I was always in after an injury and in the Military ones I was also in fairly quickly after being shot and another time with shrapnel injuries and the only difference was in the Military Hospitals the administrators were negligible, whereas in our NHS they are everywhere and that is one of the problems with the NHS. The other problem with the NHS is for non emergency treatment it is a long long long ...... Wait!! Finally my last gripe about our NHS. Is that Doctors Surgeons etc can do an operation in a private clinic and if there is an emergency the NHS is used. I do not like that, if they are private they should be totally private and fund themselves and the doctors should be paid privately. People paying private health care could then have a tax break as they pay for the NHS. Like us so that would be fairer too? That's true, of course, you can in some urban areas, get seen quicker if you go private. I'm not altogether sure though that you get *better* treatment. The reason I say this is that very far from all doctors, anaesthetists and surgeons WORK in the private sector. Many choose not to, despite the financial reward. You mention the wait for non-emergency treatment and you're right again about that. I'd just say though, that people who're not in an emergency situation, if they're horribly worried and inconvenienced, can opt to shell out to be treated privately earlier. I also agree re the layers of administrators and managers. I'd rather money was spent on front-line care, myself, thus speeding up those waiting lists. I get your drift yet again re private hospitals relying on state ones in cases of emergency, very common indeed. Then again you could argue that private patients also pay their dues towards NHS care, so I'm a bit ambivalent about that one
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2014 0:51:56 GMT -1
Yes OZ, we have to pay National Insurance and the more you earn the more you pay, another tax you see, it is NOT free in the long run. It is the same with Private schools, people pay into the system for education and there is no tax break if you pay for a child's education nor if you have a private health scheme. I pay for a family private dental scheme for the last 35 years and it is splendid. Again no tax breaks. NHS and basic dentistry is free *at the point of use*, Bormes. Free in that you don't pay a fee for your treatment or your hospital stay or your hospital food. But of course it's not FREE, we all pay for it via our NI, as you say. In many ways it COULD be seen as unfair that some pay for the service via tax and perhaps are not the biggest users. So it follows that it COULD be seen that the more you earn, the more you contribute to those more in need. Likewise with education, it COULD be argued that those who choose private education should get tax-breaks. But my personal view is that it comes down to the simple fact that we all pay via our taxes, for the training of medics and teachers who then go on to work in the private sectors. I pay Ms Rolo's private dentist fees and by god it's bloody expensive. Nearly £1000 in the last year alone for a few basic white fillings, a couple of root canals and the extraction of a troublesome wisdom tooth the other week. But I don't expect to pay less in tax towards NHS dentistry, because going private is her/my choice. Just going back to basics for a second: I am REALLY concerned that we're sleepwalking into a Tory mindset re the NHS. Health treatment should NOT be about your ability to pay. It seems much more sensible to me to offer free healthcare at the point of need, keep our people well looked-after and allow them to live productive, contributing lives. No?
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