Hospitals

[Smithy]

Hospitals in England, UK are very busy and under staffed.
I have been to the hospital today and there is people waiting in the corridors on hospital beds ready to been seen to.

There is waiting times around 12-16 hours in some wards.
England hospitals get FREE healthcare as some countries you have to pay for healthcare.

Are the hospitals the same in your country?

 

[Don Alaska]

Nope, of course are hospitals are pay-as-you-go things, and the doctors are generally the same. The UK has a two-tier system though, doesn't it? You can have private care or use the NHS, right? Canada does not allow private care, so if Canadians need it or want it, they come to the U.S. If Americans want cheaper healthcare, they often go to Mexico or Costa Rica. The so-called Affordable Care Act destroyed much of what was left of good, affordable health care here, so we live with it, but suffer bureaucracy and expensive fees. It was designed to do that --essentially force everyone here to demand single-payer care like the NHS or Canadian Healthcare. Insurance companies contribute enough to politicians and they make so much money, that they push the government to keep "private pay" alive, but many required subsidies to afford it at all. We'll see if they manage to fix it, or if they continue with subsidies until the entire system collapses and the government takes over.

 

[Krystal]

No long waiting in hospitals in the United States, Smithy, not much waiting anyway. People are definetly not waiting 12-16 hours or lined in the corridors; lying in hospitals in the halls waiting to be seen! My husband had an appointment to have a CT done today at the hospital. He went in and did the usual paper work and answered questions and had his CT. The drive to the hospital and back home, paper work, and the CT all took about an hour.

 

[Marie Mallory]

No long waiting in hospitals in the United States, Smithy, not much waiting anyway. People are definetly not waiting 12-16 hours or lined in the corridors; lying in hospitals in the halls waiting to be seen! My husband had an appointment to have a CT done today at the hospital. He went in and did the usual paper work and answered questions and had his CT. The drive to the hospital and back home, paper work, and the CT all took about an hour.

Krystal, when Covid was out here in Florida we had long waits plus getting a doctors appt. now takes longer now too. I hear doctors and nurses are quitting.

 

[Axel Slingerland]

No long waiting in hospitals in the United States, Smithy, not much waiting anyway. People are definetly not waiting 12-16 hours or lined in the corridors; lying in hospitals in the halls waiting to be seen!

I would have to disagree with you on that... If that's the case where you live, lucky you. But it certainly isn't the case everywhere in the US. When I lived in Eureka, for at least 15 of the 27 years I lived there, there was a serious shortage of Doctors and Nurses. Many of them had been there since the 1970s and it seemed like a lot of them retired all at once, and there was nobody to replace them for years. Many people had to go elsewhere for medical care. We used to have to go to San Francisco quite often, which was 275 miles away. Then they got a Residency program, and even though about 95% of the Docs leave after they complete their Residency, a couple have stayed. But they get new Residents every year from the Universities of California, in San Francisco and Davis to replace Docs that move on.

When I got Covid and went into a diabetic coma, I was in the ER waiting to be admitted to the hospital for four days. Of course, I didn't even know about that for two weeks after that when I finally woke up. It stuck me as kind of odd that in the ER (I found out later) they just had people wear surgical masks. But when I woke up after three weeks in a coma, I was in a Covid isolation room and everyone that came into the room reminded me of Storm Troopers, because the stuff they had to wear. There was this huge air filter in the room that circulated air out the window constantly. It was quite loud, and made it nearly impossible to sleep well.

After 96 days in three different hospitals, my primary care Doc strongly advised me to move south to have better access to healthcare, and my daughter wanted us to move here. "There's better healthcare here," she said. Yeah, there's more Docs here but saying that there is "better healthcare" is reaching quite a bit! It took me two and a half years to find a good Doc.

But I learned my lesson about being in a city when Cindy went into liver and kidney failure in 2008 over in Redding, where we stayed on our vacations. (It's a good hub for all the places liked to go to at the time.) I called 911 and when the EMTs got there they asked what hospital I wanted them to take her to. I didn't know any better, so I said the closest one. When Cindy woke up, she asked me where she was. I said Shasta Regional Medical Center, it's the closest one. She said "Why the hell did you bring me here? Mercy Hospital is only one mile farther from the hotel!"

The point being there are several hospitals here and the closest one to me, I won't go to. That old saying about Ducks comes mind when I think about that hospital. "Quack, quack!" Yep, it talks like a Duck...

 

[Don Alaska]

I can get imaging done promptly with almost no wait. Getting through an ER session is much different. Generally I don't have to wait very much though. My only objection is the cost and what they do.

 

[Nancy Hart]

My mother made the mistake of choosing the closest hospital here to send my father after he fell and hit his head. It was a small rural hospital. My father had really good insurance. They kept him until the 21 days of Medicare coverage had expired, claiming since he had a fall and hit his head, he needed to be observed. He was in much worse shape when he was released than when he went in. We didn't know about these dubious practices at the time. Ten days would have been more than sufficient. I will regret this forever.

 

[Krystal]

Krystal, when Covid was out here in Florida we had long waits plus getting a doctors appt. now takes longer now too. I hear doctors and nurses are quitting.

I think during Covid, it was a whole different ballgame going on. It was terrifying and no one knew what to do at the time. Yes, I think some doctors and nurses have now left because the Administration that runs the hospitals or healthcare in areas has forced the healthcare workers into doing things they did not want to do. They took advantage of a situation to reduce costs and have control. I can go on and on about the injustice of all it, but that horse has been beat to death already. I’m glad we woke up from the deep sleep the Government hypnotized us into before we lost all our freedoms and rights.

 

[Krystal]

I would have to disagree with you on that... If that's the case where you live, lucky you. But it certainly isn't the case everywhere in the US. When I lived in Eureka, for at least 15 of the 27 years I lived there, there was a serious shortage of Doctors and Nurses. Many of them had been there since the 1970s and it seemed like a lot of them retired all at once, and there was nobody to replace them for years. Many people had to go elsewhere for medical care. We used to have to go to San Francisco quite often, which was 275 miles away. Then they got a Residency program, and even though about 95% of the Docs leave after they complete their Residency, a couple have stayed. But they get new Residents every year from the Universities of California, in San Francisco and Davis to replace Docs that move on.

When I got Covid and went into a diabetic coma, I was in the ER waiting to be admitted to the hospital for four days. Of course, I didn't even know about that for two weeks after that when I finally woke up. It stuck me as kind of odd that in the ER (I found out later) they just had people wear surgical masks. But when I woke up after three weeks in a coma, I was in a Covid isolation room and everyone that came into the room reminded me of Storm Troopers, because the stuff they had to wear. There was this huge air filter in the room that circulated air out the window constantly. It was quite loud, and made it nearly impossible to sleep well.

After 96 days in three different hospitals, my primary care Doc strongly advised me to move south to have better access to healthcare, and my daughter wanted us to move here. "There's better healthcare here," she said. Yeah, there's more Docs here but saying that there is "better healthcare" is reaching quite a bit! It took me two and a half years to find a good Doc.

But I learned my lesson about being in a city when Cindy went into liver and kidney failure in 2008 over in Redding, where we stayed on our vacations. (It's a good hub for all the places liked to go to at the time.) I called 911 and when the EMTs got there they asked what hospital I wanted them to take her to. I didn't know any better, so I said the closest one. When Cindy woke up, she asked me where she was. I said Shasta Regional Medical Center, it's the closest one. She said "Why the hell did you bring me here? Mercy Hospital is only one mile farther from the hotel!"

The point being there are several hospitals here and the closest one to me, I won't go to. That old saying about Ducks comes mind when I think about that hospital. "Quack, quack!" Yep, it talks like a Duck...

Not all hospitals are ran the same way ,or have "good" doctor/staff but you will still get treated and usually in a reasonable amount of time. And when a person is in dire need of healthcare or having an emergency, you don't really think about the kind of hospital or what doctor or healthcare worker you are going to see. You just want someone to help you to feel better or get out of pain, or not feel like you are going to die.

 

[Don Alaska]

My mother made the mistake of choosing the closest hospital here to send my father after he fell and hit his head. It was a small rural hospital. My father had really good insurance. They kept him until the 21 days of Medicare coverage had expired, claiming since he had a fall and hit his head, he needed to be observed. He was in much worse shape when he was released than when he went in. We didn't know about these dubious practices at the time. Ten days would have been more than sufficient. I will regret this forever.

I am sorry @Nancy Hart

 

[Don Alaska]

Not all hospitals are ran the same way ,or have "good" doctor/staff but you will still get treated and usually in a reasonable amount of time. And when a person is in dire need of healthcare or having an emergency, you don't really think about the kind of hospital or what doctor or healthcare worker you are going to see. You just want someone to help you to feel better or get out of pain, or not feel like you are going to die.

There are probably still good hospitals (I always hear good things about M.D. Anderson) and I know there are still good doctors (although my cardiologist just gat accused of child porn and killed himself allegedly), the changes in healthcare in the U.S., especially since ACA passage have been horrible and very money-centric. One hospital where I once worked is now near bankruptcy and was threatened with shutdown due to lack of quality and malpractice. It was a wonderful trauma center when I worked there and I am sad to see how far it has fallen. Mayo Clinic once said they would have to shut down if the ACA passed. They are still around, but they no longer practice they way they once did, and the quality of work, at least in the Rochester, Minnesota facility has fallen terribly.

 

[Krystal]

There are probably still good hospitals (I always hear good things about M.D. Anderson) and I know there are still good doctors (although my cardiologist just gat accused of child porn and killed himself allegedly), the changes in healthcare in the U.S., especially since ACA passage have been horrible and very money-centric. One hospital where I once worked is now near bankruptcy and was threatened with shutdown due to lack of quality and malpractice. It was a wonderful trauma center when I worked there and I am sad to see how far it has fallen. Mayo Clinic once said they would have to shut down if the ACA passed. They are still around, but they no longer practice they way they once did, and the quality of work, at least in the Rochester, Minnesota facility has fallen terribly.

We have some pretty good hospitals in St Louis, MO, which is a few hours’ drive for us. Doctors here will refer patients to one of the hospitals in St Louis if they feel that better care can be given to a patient. Although, the local hospitals in my area aren’t too bad…so far.

 

[Don Alaska]

Local hospitals can certainly be good, but they often have a hard time staying afloat without subsidies. Some subsidies to rural hospitals were included in the Big Beautiful Bill, and the Democrats fought the inclusion of that in the bill, they are happy to pass money to Big pharma, insurance companies, and other political contributors, but rural hospitals and small medical practices are usually not big contributors, so the Dems oppose supporting or subsidizing them. If local hospitals are helped with local and/or state funding, they can be a great asset to rural towns and counties. I have worked in small as well as very large hospitals. Both have their advantages, but if you are having complicated surgery or someone has a non-responsive disease or infection, normally large places are the way to go.

In St. Louis, this is the most famous place

 

[Nancy Hart]

... Some subsidies to rural hospitals were included in the Big Beautiful Bill, and the Democrats fought the inclusion of that in the bill, they are happy to pass money to Big pharma, insurance companies, and other political contributors, but rural hospitals and small medical practices are usually not big contributors, so the Dems oppose supporting or subsidizing them.

Here's the way I remember it...

Republicans claimed Democrats were hypocritical for complaining about rural hospital impacts and then voting against the bill, and later proposing to eliminate the dedicated fund, which Republicans presented as a vote "against helping rural hospitals".

Democrats did oppose the "big beautiful bill" because they believed its large-scale Medicaid cuts would ultimately lead to rural hospital closures despite the specific, but in their view inadequate, relief fund included in the legislation.

 

[Krystal]

Local hospitals can certainly be good, but they often have a hard time staying afloat without subsidies. Some subsidies to rural hospitals were included in the Big Beautiful Bill, and the Democrats fought the inclusion of that in the bill, they are happy to pass money to Big pharma, insurance companies, and other political contributors, but rural hospitals and small medical practices are usually not big contributors, so the Dems oppose supporting or subsidizing them. If local hospitals are helped with local and/or state funding, they can be a great asset to rural towns and counties. I have worked in small as well as very large hospitals. Both have their advantages, but if you are having complicated surgery or someone has a non-responsive disease or infection, normally large places are the way to go.

In St. Louis, this is the most famous place

Barnes is an excellent hospital! My dad was in Barnes for a serious surgery many years ago. It is where most folks go to around here, if needed for anything major. Can't say enough good things about that hospital.

 

[Axel Slingerland]

I think during Covid, it was a whole different ballgame going on.

Here, let me fix that for you... Since Covid, it is a whole different ballgame going on.
Because just like the Flu, Covid isn't going anywhere. I looked it up yesterday and nationally, approximately 3.6% of people tested for Covid tested positive. Yes, that's nothing compared to 2020, but it's still here and theoretically the pandemic could start up again any time. Because of the same reasons it did the first time around. People knew what to do, they heard about all the time. But many people chose to do nothing. In November, 885 people around the word died from Covid. Guess where most of them were? If you guessed here in America, you were right. 652 Americans died due to their own carelessness, laziness, stubbornness and or stupidity. And that was just last month.

This is why I say, if you're a Senior in moderate or bad health, you do not want Covid. It almost killed me, and I was only 67 at the time.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

Since the covid virus is actually a corona virus, just like the common cold, no one gets the flu anymore, they get covid becasue they take the test and it shows they have a corona virus.
When you look at the statistics, during the pandemic, they showed almost no one getting the flu for those years. Now, instead of people just buying one flue vaccine every year, they get at least two, since they also get one for covid, at least the people who diligently get vaccinated every year.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Since the covid virus is actually a corona virus, just like the common cold, no one gets the flu anymore, they get covid becasue they take the test and it shoes they have a corona virus.
When you look at the statistics, during the pandemic, they showed almost no one getting the flu for those years. Now, instead of people just buying one flue vaccine every year, they get at least two, since they also get one for covid, at least the people who diligently get vaccinated every year.

So far we haven't had any vaccines, then we don't go anywhere during flu season but grocery store or this year dentist yesterday. Last vaccine I had was vaccination as a child. I do get a tetanus shot every several years.

 

[Axel Slingerland]

When you look at the statistics, during the pandemic, they showed almost no one getting the flu for those years.

Masks and gloves, which were used by a little less than half of the US population, don't just help prevent Covid. And they could have helped nearly everyone else during the pandemic if they didn't listen to BS Conspiracy Theories.

Did you know that the Spanish Flu that killed 50 Million people worldwide, many of those US deaths could possibly have been prevented with cloth masks? The same group of people who refused to wear masks during Covid, refused to wear them back then to.

Now, instead of people just buying one flue vaccine every year, they get at least two, since they also get one for covid, at least the people who diligently get vaccinated every year.

Not necessarily. I get two flu shots every year and I haven't had the flu since the mid 1990s. And I had a Flu shot and a Covid shot about a month before I got Covid. However, my Doc says there is no difference between a Flu shot for Seniors and a regular one. Just in case any of our Seniors don't have a death wish.

 

[Krystal]

Here, let me fix that for you...

Thank you, but you don’t have to fix anything for me.

Masks and gloves, which were used by a little less than half of the US population, don't just help prevent Covid. And they could have helped nearly everyone else during the pandemic if they didn't listen to BS Conspiracy Theories.

Viruses are so so so small, a mask will not stop a virus from entering through a cloth mask. Cloth maskes help against respiratory sprays; people sneezing or coughing in your direction. A surgical mask is a much better choice , if you choose to wear a mask. A cloth mask is good if you have allergies or are in a polluted area, or if you have a severe breathing problems. But you must also cover the nose, not just the mouth. Germs can also enter through the eyes, so there’s that too.