How does the NHS work in the UK
Many persons do not know how the Bristish National Health Service (NHS) works..This article will solve this information gap
This is how the NHS works:
1. Minor illness- self-limiting illnesses, we expect you to manage at home or through your pharmacy. Colds, coughs, fever etc. Going to the GP is not advisable. If not better in 5 days then call your GP.
2. Ongoing illnesses- issues you have been dealing with for a while like aches and pains, period issues, fertility, prostate etc. You book a routine appointment for these and can be up to three weeks before you get an appointment. It is planned care, not an emergency.
3. Urgent: cannot wait like children under 5, urinary tract infections, acute back pain etc. Call your GP and you will most likely be attended to on the same day either virtually or in person.
4. Emergencies: straight to A&E like chest pain, anaphylaxis, breathing problems, heavy bleeding, acute abdominal pain etc. You can call the ambulance or if safe, someone can drive you to the nearest hospital.
Sometimes, people want to be seen immediately for non-urgent problems, that’s not possible in a free service. There are calls for the NHS to introduce a small fee, would you be open to that?
Waiting times for elective care is crazy right now. Someone very close to me was seen in A&E in June and now has a follow-up appointment for November 2024. We understand the system is far from perfect. The NHS is dealing with major workforce and funding issues. IT IS FREE at the point of delivery, everyone regardless of status is looked after. It relies on taxation and is also subsidised by the government. It may be time to change this.
FREE AND FREE AT THE POINT OF DELIVERY are two different things. The NHS is funded through indirect taxation which not everyone pays and more recently charging some visa types a small upfront fee, also from the budget. The point is, you don’t pay a monthly fee like insurance or bring out your card when you go to the GP or a hospital. You pay a flat fee for a prescription irrespective of the cost of that medication (an amazing deal) and a basic fee for NHS dental care.
The NHS is not coping financially and workforce wise but it is highly regulated. The professionals who see you cannot move anyhow, they are heavily scrutinised, it is relatively safe but you also have a duty.
Which government is bold enough to introduce a different policy to fund it?
