Posted by Meri-Tuuli on January 20, 2007, at 13:15:44
In reply to Re: Smoke and Mirrors and Quackery, posted by Klavot on January 20, 2007, at 8:18:17
AFAIK, NHS pdocs get paid a salary. I think by the local (council government) hmm or maybe by the local NHS trust.
Well its a difficult situation to explain in the UK. Basically there's the NHS, which is totally free for users and basically, what everybody uses. Nobody I know ever goes to have anything done privately and I think this is the same for much of the population. As its free and everything is free from cancer therapy to vaccinations to x-rays to triple by-pass operations to emergency services etc etc, no-one has health insurance really. Some people do have private health insurance, but its exceptional really. Companies often have health insurance for their employees, but its hm, not for normal use really, essentially its there to get you back to work quicker if there's a waiting list for say, a knee operation. And even with health insurance, they defer to NHS provisions often, for example, emergency care.
So people are not used to paying for healthcare, in fact, people take it for granted. I mean, I know I did - growing up you just assume the doctor is free because you never hear about people paying for medical bills etc. Anyway.
Even mental healthcare is free, although notoriously underfunded and neglected. I mean, you pretty much need to be bipolar, schizophrenic or be in a really really bad way with your depression to even get to see a pdoc. I had to plead and breakdown in tears to get my GP to refer me to a pdoc, and even then, they refused me first time. Its a very sad situation.
On the other hand, dentists, well they get paid per thing they do in your mouth, which is bad news as they often do more work than needed.
I don't really know what my point was.
Oh well.
poster:Meri-Tuuli
thread:724330
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070119/msgs/724454.html