Venting Best healthcare in the world?

[Emerald]

I suffer from terrible pain in my stomach and back so I went to my GP today to ask yet again to be referred to the hospital for tests. This process is sooooooooo unbelievably slow because there are long waiting lists for even the simplest of tests! I live in Northern Ireland/UK and I feel like we're programmed from a young age to believe we have the best healthcare system in the world and you're not allowed to criticize it no matter what. I've never been to other countries and used their healthcare system so I can't comment but I've never had a positive experience dealing with healthcare professionals here in the UK. Everybody is perfectly nice and professional (especially nurses) but they have so many people to see that they rush you through appointments (literally you have 2 mins) and don't really listen properly to what you're saying. This is incredibly frustrating especially when you're in so much pain. I even asked to be referred privately rather than wait for the public hospital but my GP said there is also a waiting list up to 9 months!!! Which I found to be ridiculous! You're paying a small fortune for a simple scan and you have to wait what feels like a lifetime when you're in pain!! So private healthcare it seems is no better. I'm grateful we have a healthcare system that's free but I've come to despise how slow and ineffeciant it's become.

Can anyone tell me your experiences of healthcare in your own respective countries outside the UK? Is receiving treatment slow or fast?

 

[painoflife]

I agree that in the UK everything seems to take so long. It is so frustrating asking for help to get better (mental or physical health problems) and then being told to put up with it for 6-12 more months.
I am surprised they said the private wait would be so long though, if it's something you are able to fund then I'd look into getting a second opinion or approaching a private healthcare provider directly.

 

[sammii]

Yeah the nhs is soooo slow, I've been waiting for a psychiatrist appointment for about a year I think. I'm starting to think they're just gonna wait til I ctb then be like oh well my psychologist said he sent them an email ages ago telling them it's serious and they need to hurry tf up, but it's still taking forever.

 

[Emerald]

I agree that in the UK everything seems to take so long. It is so frustrating asking for help to get better (mental or physical health problems) and then being told to put up with it for 6-12 more months.
I am surprised they said the private wait would be so long though, if it's something you are able to fund then I'd look into getting a second opinion or approaching a private healthcare provider directly.

I don't know what its like in other parts of the UK but here to get any private treatment you need a referal from your GP! I literally had to beg for it.

Yeah the nhs is soooo slow, I've been waiting for a psychiatrist appointment for about a year I think. I'm starting to think they're just gonna wait til I ctb then be like oh well my psychologist said he sent them an email ages ago telling them it's serious and they need to hurry tf up, but it's still taking forever.

That's insane. I would bet that in a lot of other countries it would take nowhere near as long.

 

[painoflife]

I don't know what its like in other parts of the UK but here to get any private treatment you need a referal from your GP! I literally had to beg for it.

Wow I didn't realise it was like that, I'm sorry they are so bad at helping you. It's terrible to feel so rushed after waiting so long for help.
I'm in England and that's not the case here, you can approach private hospitals if you wish, just like taking out private healthcare. I've never done it myself but know others who have.

 

[Stan]

I don't know what its like in other parts of the UK but here to get any private treatment you need a referal from your GP! I literally had to beg for it.

Maybe it is your GP, got mine in 5 minutes!