Well done the French health service!

[colyboy]

We had planned to be away for six weeks touring France . But on week four everything went pear shaped! Ann my wife said she had an eye lash in her eye, she of course tried to wash it with water. After to restless nights with this problem and having sever head aches. We sought the help of the chemist who unable to help and suggested we visited the local Doctor which we did (no waiting around or telephone conversations we straight in face face) the Doc suggested we a special eye doctor which we did. She took one look and said this is bad you must go the A&E in Bordeaux. The eye department took over and over three day visits and loads of treatments and some VERY painful lazer treatment she was told that she should return home urgently and see our local hospital (Exeter). This Thursday .
Why have I posted this, I always the English system was good but the French were BRILLIANT, seeing the chemist onwards NOTHING was to much bother and they showed they cared from day one.
Once again thank you France and all the treatment done on the E111 card.

colyboy

PS see my next post about Citi du Europe!

 

[pagey]

We had planned to be away for six weeks touring France . But on week four everything went pear shaped! Ann my wife said she had an eye lash in her eye, she of course tried to wash it with water. After to restless nights with this problem and having sever head aches. We sought the help of the chemist who unable to help and suggested we visited the local Doctor which we did (no waiting around or telephone conversations we straight in face face) the Doc suggested we a special eye doctor which we did. She took one look and said this is bad you must go the A&E in Bordeaux. The eye department took over and over three day visits and loads of treatments and some VERY painful lazer treatment she was told that she should return home urgently and see our local hospital (Exeter). This Thursday .
Why have I posted this, I always the English system was good but the French were BRILLIANT, seeing the chemist onwards NOTHING was to much bother and they showed they cared from day one.
Once again thank you France and all the treatment done on the E111 card.

colyboy

PS see my next post about Citi du Europe!

Wish your wife well asap

 

[violet]

Great to hear that you received such speedy and effective service. We used to find in France that no matter the reason for going to the doctor a visit to a specialist was always recommended!
What price is a consultation now with a French doctor, it used to be €23 but that is a while ago.
Lucky that the E11 covered it all, more things now have to be paid for by the French and visitors alike.

 

[Lenny HB]

Found the service similar in Germany when I had a ruptured gallbladder last October.

 

[violet]

Recently some-one I know has had amazing treatment from the UK NHS, from initial appointment to having two cataract operations was only 4 weeks. We've heard in the past of people waiting years!

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[Tea Bag]

Hi You are safe in Portugal as well.fair play to France and Germany.
Big THANK you for Viseu hospital Portugal about 45 mins? away. Heart attack at home gardening .Bombieros lifted me from home within 15 mins,up to Viseu,straight in stents fitted and coming around in the ward a couple of hours later. Second one,just left the dr's at Santa Comba dao and was in the Chemists just up the road after having more tests. SIL's phone rings.. " Where are you ?( he is my contact ) If he is with you,get him to Viseu NOW..he is having another heart attack ( MY fault Not doing as i had been told..? I DO now..) Go straight in...they are waiting for you.Same fast treatment.
Keep the faith,it seems we are all in good hands wherever.
Tea Bag

 

[Nickg]

My wife had to see a doctor a few weeks ago. We were in Guignicourt near Reims. Walked in, seen straight away, tests done, antibiotics prescribed. Cost about 80 Euros in total but worth every penny. All young staff eager to help. Not sure any walk-ins would have had the same success at our local practice......

 

[Lucky]

The French health service is superior (on all internationally recognised measures) to the NHS. I registered with a small town GP the other week, she required blood tests. We walked to the town's laboratory, tests were done on demand, results within 4 hours. It's just the way things are done. Similarly if you need a scan it'll be done in a day or two max wait with results and consultation immediately afterwards. Simples. Makes me wonder why these things take weeks or months in the UK.

Yes you pay a contribution for some services but most people have an insurance that covers that element.

 

[GirlyVanGirly]

I have always thought the French system was very good, when I lived there, although I never had to use it, the GP appointment was about £20 but for that you got x-rays, blood tests, anything required, results the same day! and you got to keep your x-rays and results, so you could take them anywhere you were going, no worries about the hospital 'losing them' as has happened to me with the NHS. I strongly believe we should have a small 'pay per visit' for a GP appointment here to go to the NHS to cover the test results etc..

 

[TDub49]

All the funsters wondering why the NHS can't do this or is slow doing that must be living in an alternative universe where the politicians haven't spent the last 20 years doing everything they can to wreck what was undoubtedly the best health service in the world. It's clear what's wrong with the NHS and it isn't the people that work in it (well, mostly not) - it's the political interference from all sides.

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[RidersofRohan]

Shock horror other countries have a health service, even greater shock it’s better than the NHS.
Why would you expect a centralised nationalised bureaucratic monster to work well?
The worry is no one is allowed to question it and any reform of it is therefore impossible.

 

[Sapper520]

Always a flip side……..

Before retiring my wife worked in a busy NHS Orthopaedic department. The amount of unnecessary surgery undertaken on patients who had broken something in France, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus just to name a few was unbelievable.

Plates, screws etc when simple conservative treatment such as a plaster cast would have been ample.

Just passing on her 20 years of dealing with such matters.

 

[westhamman]

Hope your wife is well.

 

[John Barrett]

Always a flip side……..

Before retiring my wife worked in a busy NHS Orthopaedic department. The amount of unnecessary surgery undertaken on patients who had broken something in France, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus just to name a few was unbelievable.

Plates, screws etc when simple conservative treatment such as a plaster cast would have been ample.

Just passing on her 20 years of dealing with such matters.

An inevitable consequence of insurance driven treatment? Just like vets!

 

[Hils and Glenns]

I went to Specsavers on the Tuesday. The optician referred me to the eye hospital. I got a phone call from Harrogate hospital the next day Wednesday and an appointment that afternoon 2.55pm. All just precautionary. colyboy I hope your wife is ok.

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[Odd-no-more]

I have only used the health services in France and Spain whilst abroad, both were far better than the poor old (and underfunded) NHS

 

[EuroTrotters]

We had planned to be away for six weeks touring France . But on week four everything went pear shaped! Ann my wife said she had an eye lash in her eye, she of course tried to wash it with water. After to restless nights with this problem and having sever head aches. We sought the help of the chemist who unable to help and suggested we visited the local Doctor which we did (no waiting around or telephone conversations we straight in face face) the Doc suggested we a special eye doctor which we did. She took one look and said this is bad you must go the A&E in Bordeaux. The eye department took over and over three day visits and loads of treatments and some VERY painful lazer treatment she was told that she should return home urgently and see our local hospital (Exeter). This Thursday .
Why have I posted this, I always the English system was good but the French were BRILLIANT, seeing the chemist onwards NOTHING was to much bother and they showed they cared from day one.
Once again thank you France and all the treatment done on the E111 card.

colyboy

PS see my next post about Citi du Europe!

Great info, thank you.

I hope all goes well ?

 

[John Barrett]

I have only used the health services in France and Spain whilst abroad, both were far better than the poor old (and underfunded) NHS

Agreed. However, this has been said many times before, and not just by me.
"The NHS is not underfunded: it is over managed and badly so!"

 

[Odd-no-more]

The NHS is not underfunded: it is over managed and badly so!"

I totally agree about being poorly run (very) but it is also underfunded when compared with other countries health services, I also think more money will not help without the reform which will not happen due to politics.

 

[Fulham Dave]

We hope all goes well for your wife colyboy, please keep us posted on her recovery

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[Sharkfighter]

I had the misfortune to have to usethe Austrian health service a few years ago. Went skiing and had heart attack on the last day in the gondola on the way down. Airlifted to hospital, though the wind was that bad only got as far as the air ambulance base and continued by road. The local hospital couldn't sort me out so I was taken to Innsbruck where the surgeon was waiting for me. Straight off the ambulance and into the operating theatre where they fitted a stent. Returned to the resort and spent a week in hospital before being discharged. All covered by the EHIC, the only charge was 3000 euros for the helicopter, covered by travel insurance.

 

[DerryW]

We had planned to be away for six weeks touring France . But on week four everything went pear shaped! Ann my wife said she had an eye lash in her eye, she of course tried to wash it with water. After to restless nights with this problem and having sever head aches. We sought the help of the chemist who unable to help and suggested we visited the local Doctor which we did (no waiting around or telephone conversations we straight in face face) the Doc suggested we a special eye doctor which we did. She took one look and said this is bad you must go the A&E in Bordeaux. The eye department took over and over three day visits and loads of treatments and some VERY painful lazer treatment she was told that she should return home urgently and see our local hospital (Exeter). This Thursday .
Why have I posted this, I always the English system was good but the French were BRILLIANT, seeing the chemist onwards NOTHING was to much bother and they showed they cared from day one.
Once again thank you France and all the treatment done on the E111 card.

colyboy

PS see my next post about Citi du Europe!

Colyboy. I'm sure your wife will receive the same care and attention when you arrive back home from our wonderful NHS nurses and doctors.

 

[gus-lopez]

colyboy I hope your wife is soon on the mend.

I have always thought the French system was very good, when I lived there, although I never had to use it, the GP appointment was about £20 but for that you got x-rays, blood tests, anything required, results the same day! and you got to keep your x-rays and results, so you could take them anywhere you were going, no worries about the hospital 'losing them' as has happened to me with the NHS. I strongly believe we should have a small 'pay per visit' for a GP appointment here to go to the NHS to cover the test results etc..

Same here in spain with xrays etc, Wait while they check they are ok & you take them with you for the appointtment with doctor.

 

[Sapper520]

I totally agree about being poorly run (very) but it is also underfunded when compared with other countries health services, I also think more money will not help without the reform which will not happen due to politics.

My wife’s boss was a top grade Sister…..rarely did any hands on stuff as she was always busy doing the Managerial paperwork / Computer work……which then went on to a non medical Manager to check ( he didn’t just check hers I must add ) .The non medical Manager was earning far more than the top grade sister.

 

[138go]

On Sunday I had a problem with my eye. I telephoned our local NHS hospital and spoke to someone, who said a nurse would call me back. Within 10 minutes a nurse practitioner called me, asked me some questions and then asked me to attend eye casualty ASAP. I went straight away and was seen by a nurse and then a doctor. All done within an hour. Apparently I have posterior vitreous detachment, which sounds worse than it is. No treatment, discharged.

Let us know how your wife is colyboy

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[Vikdikdok]

You'll get near instant treatment when the NHS sell off comes - I doubt that US insurance companies will make you wait for treatment or surgery . . . That's if you have deep pockets or expensive medical insurance otherwise it's going to be a big personal financial crisis

 

[Odd-no-more]

You'll get near instant treatment when the NHS sell off comes - I doubt that US insurance companies will make you wait for treatment or surgery . . . That's if you have deep pockets or expensive medical insurance otherwise it's going to be a big personal financial crisis

Actually you are mistaken, what you describe is the situation we have at the moment. Friends who needed hip replacements were offered one in 2 to 3 years with the NHS but next week if they paid privately, which they both did at approx. £13,000 each. What we need is alternative providers to come in and do NHS work for the same cost as the NHS, this would help reduce the waiting times and give the NHS some competition which may go some way to making them a little more efficient. I don't care if the new providers are Americans or Martians as long as I get the treatment I need.

 

[Puddleduck]

It's great to hear that it all went well for you colyboy.

Having said that I had NHS laser treatment the same day I was diagnosed with a serious eye problem, diagnosis at 4 pm and back home before midnight after a couple of hours in recovery - I did have to travel 40 miles as our local hospital only do eye surgery Mon-Fri 9 to 5 so emergencies have to travel.

 

[Puddleduck]

Recently some-one I know has had amazing treatment from the UK NHS, from initial appointment to having two cataract operations was only 4 weeks. We've heard in the past of people waiting years!

Hope my Mum's comes through that fast and that she doesn't cancel again.

 

[gus-lopez]

The non medical Manager was earning far more than the top grade sister.

Absolutely ridiculous situation

What we need is alternative providers to come in and do NHS work for the same cost as the NHS,

Or to make illegal any type of private medical operations therefore making nhs work the only way ?

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