Yeah... Go read up on the news wrt the NHS of late here in the UK
Also, I really don’t think when people are complaining about the NHS in the UK that for the majority of them the US system would be at best no better, for many would be worse, and for all would be more expensive.
But I‘d rather an inefficient system that manages to treat some people that can’t afford procedures.
Although in BC we've had an NDP government for five years and it's not like things are doing so hot.
it is one of the worlds largest employers but has essentially no economies of scale due to its structure
an example: until very recently it had no centralised procurement: trusts fought each other for resources (with its suppliers benefiting enormously)
it is exceptional and efficient at treatment if your condition(s) slot neatly into its "production line", but god help you otherwise
(but it's still vastly, vastly preferable to the US system which is an embarrassment for the richest nation on earth)
You added "to be copied".
Many countries (eg: Canada, Australia, other Commonwealth countries) have looked to the NHS as a reference, both for the intial launching of their own national health services and for ongoing comparison as the decades have passed.
Australia has a hybrid health care system that works better than the US system, it was built with reference to several other global health care systems and is still modified to this day.
Much as Australia has a "Washminster" system of government that was designed with reference to both Washingtond and to Westminster.
well, if you are going to be that pedantic: I agree it definitely serves as a reference
... on how not to structure your health service
You altered the meaning of what I wrote by adding "to be copied".
Own it, don't throw that on me.
My few conversations are certainly anecdotal. However, the numbers of UK medical tourists isn't; it was around 4,000 in 2010 and estimated to be around that number each year, according to this paper [1], although it acknowledges the number is underestimated.
[1] https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10...
And this right here is the exact reason why Americans have resisted national healthcare. Do you see the kind of people we regularly elect to the presidency and to congress? As bad as our healthcare system is, something tells me that turning it over to our government would only make things worse.