Healthcare within the EU.

[Jim Brady]

I always thought that being a citizen of the EU that I would be given free medical treatment whilst in any of the countries within the EU.I have been watching a programme called Benidorm ER,it is about an accident emergency unit at a hospital in Benidorm.The programme is about Brits on holiday who have had an accident or have suffered some other ailment.A guy came in the other night with a bad back,he needed an op which was going to cost £10k/£12k his bill ws already up to £5k for the time he had spent in hostpital.The hostpital checked with his insurance and because he had had a previous scan on his back which he had not declared they were not prepared to pay for the op.I think they eventualy agreed to pay 25%.The mans wife had to go and get £4k and another £2k the next day.John Sutton can most probably answer this,what would've happened if he did not have the money???What happened to the form was it called an E111 which you took on holiday which covered you a State Hostpital was it. People coming into this country are seen to and I think our government try and get the money back from the country of the person that we have treated.We are owed millions by various countries I remember seeing a list of who owed what I think Ireland was pretty well up on the list.One thing I will say the hostpital and the treatment given in Spain leaves this country way behind.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Keith Tindell]

I also believed that we were covered while on holiday in Europe, i suspect that like all insurance companies, they are looking for a get out. The biggest get out for them is the declaration of a previous problem, so for us oldies will cover most things, blood pressure, heart, cholesterol etc. KT

[Captain Kong]

I read somewhere in January that the NHS has to treat anyone from anywhere free of charge.
It may have been a eu directive.
It obviously only works one way. We treat the world for Free. That is probably why the NHS is in deep financial trouble.
Every non citizen of the UK should be charged the full amount of treatment, if they dont like it, then Do Not come to the UK.
My medical bill for the Honolulu Hospital is around £28,000, We are still working on the final figures. I dont even mind if the Insurance Company does not pay. That Hospital saved my life with less than four days to live, and I will be happy to pay for it.
The American Doctors were amazed when I told them everything was free in UK.
Cheers
Brian.

[Keith Tindell]

Was reading about the Royal Bolton in Manchester,

Hospital chief executive steps down after investigation is launched into patient deaths | Mail Online

good job you didn`t go there with your recent problem Brian Kong!!!!!!!, i wonder how many other hospitals are playing the numbers game KT

[cappy]

brian it appears if u have youreuropean health cardwith you and you go to a public hospital in the euro zone you can claim back any expenses when u come home but it does not cover u in private hospitals or for medevac home etc this is only a small part of the system but you can ring 01912181999 and get all the info regards cappy

[john sutton]

jim
spanish hospitals(nhs)will treat you if you have a european health card and you are not on a medical vacation.from the sound of it the man should have never gone on holiday unless he was sure that his insurance co was aware of previous problems and agreed to cover them.
the spanish government are getting tougher on obvious medical vacationers although they do claim costs back from uk nhs.
regarding the spanish nhs they are so superior to uk.one of the things is that family are expected to spend time with the patient and assist with things that are not medical such as feeding washing and toilet assists.this releases nursing staff to do what they are trained to do.
i have been on spanish nhs for medication for about 8 years now and find their systems so far ahead of uk that its unreal.
john sutton

[Captain Kong]

Was reading about the Royal Bolton in Manchester,

Hospital chief executive steps down after investigation is launched into patient deaths | Mail Online

good job you didn`t go there with your recent problem Brian Kong!!!!!!!, i wonder how many other hospitals are playing the numbers game KT #
.
.Hi Keith,
I was in the Royal Bolton Hospital last June on the Assesment Ward for three days. I got out fast. I had the same problem that started in Honolulu, Severe pains in the stomach.
On arrival in the ward, all medications, BP Tablets are taken off and then dispensed by a Nurse at the reccomended times.
On the following day, I asked for my BP tablets. The Nurse shouted in a very loud voice, for all the men in the ward to hear.
"Your medication has been stopped, you are a Drug Dealer and we do not give medication to Drug dealers."
Whats all that about?? she says "Your son was in here shouting that you have been stealing drugs from his girl friend and selling them."
My son just happens to be a Consultant Hepatologist at Portsmouth Hospital, and my other son`s occupation is Classified,
None have girl friends on drugs.
I demanded to see the Doctor, he wasnt available until the following day, so no BP medication.
The following day I was taken to the op theatre for a endoscopy at 2pm and was sedated from two to six pm.
That evening I asked for my BP tablets, the Nurse said "You have had it" Me , `No I havent` she, "You had it this afternoon at 4pm." me I was in the op sedated with tubes down my throat at 4pm. " she "Well you have still had it"
I looked into my folder at the bottom of the bed. It said that I had my BP Tablets at 4pm. I looked further and there was another mans name on differet pages. "Hey, `I shouted, `Whats all this here, two different men on the same files`
She then tore out the other mans files and tore them up.
I climbed out of bed and got dressed, `Where are you going `? she said . `me `I`m off, I dont need this it is like a lunatic asylum with the nursing staff worse than the patients. I went home.
I wrote a letter of complaint to the Chief Executive telling her what was happening on that ward. it took a month then I got a reply, She said they had an investigation and found the nurses involved and got an appology off them.
A month later that CE resigned.
.
. So I now see another CE has resigned. That hospital is a disaster. I know several people who have died there unexpectedly. Unforunately, if you call an ambulance it has to take you to the nearest hospital not the hospital of your choice.
I have a long list of complaints of that place.
When I was injured in the Antarctic after being chased by a Bull Elephant Seal in 2009 I had an operation for a broken collar bone and the torn Clavicular Ligaments. I had no food or drinks for three days. I was in a corner of the ward that was full of immigrants, with curtains around me and no one looked in on me. I tried to get out of bed and a big giant of a female? nurse shouted abuse, get back in your bed. I want a drink said I. Too late its 10.30 breakfast was at 8.30. she eventually gave me a half cup of cold tea that was obvious someone else had been drinking out of from the stains down the side. She had got it from one of the other lockers. Here that is all there is. says she.
I am off says I and climbed out and got dressed. and went out. I live ten minute walk from the hospital then I was hit by a car on the way home and ended up in hospital again. 20 minutes later on the same ward.
Some times you just cant win.
Cheers
Brian.

[Rocky]

just seen in news
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Nicola Sturgeon ignored 'warning bells' about NHS waiting times
Nicola Sturgeon ignored “warning bells” about how health boards were meeting her waiting times targets, the Auditor General for Scotland has said.
Caroline Gardner told MSPs that the former Health Minister should have investigated why the proportion of patients marked as "socially unavailable" for treatment had risen from 11 per cent to more than 30 per cent.
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And this lil snippet from the same report is relevant all over the country we had a report that the NHS failed to meet targets of employing racial minorities in this area stuff the minorities give us staff that can do the job no matter where they are from not based on skin colour
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Opposition parties said her evidence showed Scottish ministers still have questions to answer about the management of waiting lists. GPs have claimed patient care was being compromised by politically motivated targets.
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Get the polys out of healthcare and let the doctors /nurses do the job we train them for

[j.sabourn]

It wasnt friday the 13th. was it Birian. Cheers John Sabourn

[Captain Kong]

And this lil snippet from the same report is relevant all over the country we had a report that the NHS failed to meet targets of employing racial minorities in this area stuff the minorities give us staff that can do the job no matter where they are from not based on skin colour
.
Hi Rocky,
As regards targets of employing racial minorities regardless of qualification.
several years ag my son was a senior doctor in a leading London Hospital. He was told he was being promoted to Consultant.
He had two Pakistani junior doctors under him.
He was then told that the hospital had targets to meet so the two junior doctors of Pakistani extraction were leap frogged over him and they both became Consutants with very little experience and he had to remain as the senior Doctor under them. The Hospital had covered two targets. They had an extra Consultant and two extra ethnics for their Targets.
He left in disgust at the mal practice and went to the States for a few years before returning.
I have endless tales of bad practice in our hospitals.
Cheers
Brian.