This made me 'smile'

[acompton]

Cue classic NHS story:

A friend of mine used to work as an installation engineer for a supplier of dental equipment (chairs etc). One time he had to install truck-load of stuff at an NHS authority. He turned up with the truck and was shown the rooms where the chairs were to be installed.
“Ok”, he says, "that’s half the stuff. Where does the other half go?”
“Dump it in the warehouse at such-and-such address” was the reply.
“What’s it for?”
“Oh, we don’t need it. I thought my budget application would be halved, so I asked for double what I needed. Once I got the full amount, I had to spend it, otherwise I’d get it halved next time.”

[guccij]

Here in Harrow we are fantastically well supplied for NHS dentists - I don't know why but it's known as a hotspot of good quality NHS care. Yes, you still have to pay a proportion, but it's minuscule compared to private stuff. And the orthodontists are happy to take NHS patients too, so long as they fall within the criteria for how bad the over/underbite etc etc is. Two of my boys have had NHS orthodontic treatment, all in a fab surgery within walking distance. It's one of the few things (maybe the only thing?) I'd ever recommend Harrow for.

[Sean Williams]

i paid but its off set by the quality of service i received.
..... several GP's i have met and one that i was register with are complete idiots and they dont care about the patients (just get paid).

I agree with you there - I spent 10 years in Greece and although a lot of the Greek hospitals have a deservedly frightening reputation , my experience was that provided you have the ability to pay (and it wasn't expensive as it was more or less the norm) the treatment was excellent.
Although they do have GP's, most of them are also specialists, so the beautiful aspect of the system was one went to see the specialist for one's particular ailment right from the start, so none of this referral and waiting list nonsense; got an ear-ache when you wake up, get dressed, go to the ear-ache wallah and bingo! Job done.
Etc.

[pnagames]

I agree with you there - I spent 10 years in Greece and although a lot of the Greek hospitals have a deservedly frightening reputation , my experience was that provided you have the ability to pay (and it wasn't expensive as it was more or less the norm) the treatment was excellent.
Although they do have GP's, most of them are also specialists, so the beautiful aspect of the system was one went to see the specialist for one's particular ailment right from the start, so none of this referral and waiting list nonsense; got an ear-ache when you wake up, get dressed, go to the ear-ache wallah and bingo! Job done.
Etc.

unless you go to what they call "university" hospitals the rest of them are to be avoided.

unless ofcourse you go for an op to the same specialist that has seen you outside. if you pass a brown envelope to them you care is somehow become from good to brilliant (i am not joking!!!)

and you are right about the doctors over there. my doctor (when i was a kid) is still my "GP" and also he is a specialist for ENT at the local hospital

to the story from Alan.

unfortunately that is very common in UK. the problem is that until a few years ago they did not run the hospitals as business (they have started now but still miles away).

budgets have to be used by end of year or you loose them. so you can see near the end of the year there a lot of requests trying to be approved.