When I went in England, my big fear was English people…. No I’m joking. To be serious, it was the health system. So after a bit more than three years, now I can tell you I was right to be scared.
NHS
How NHS works ?
So for French people who doesn’t know NHS is the equivalent of our “securite sociale”. You need to register, and it’s very quick. You receive your card and it means you can go to hospital and GP for free. To have a GP you need to check if one in the area you live can take more patients. If yes, well done you suppose to be fully covered.
At the first sight, you can think it’s much better than in France because you don’t have to pay anything not even our 20 euros (maybe more now). You take an appointment, you go, you leave… That’s it. The same for hospitals, you go, you leave… Amazing.
But it’s not the reality … I test it for you
NHS card
Case study
Last week, for some reason, I needed to go to the emergency. So I arrived there and everything was quite fine at the beginning… Like in France, you register at the reception. But after everything change. A nurse called me and asked me what I had. After a description of the symptoms, she said to me, ok fine, wait and a doctor is going to call you. So I wait, and the choice to take a patient was completely random. It was not in term of how long you wait, or are you more in pain, or is it serious or not??? Not at all, completely random. So after 3 hours, a doctor called me. But the thing is was not a real doctor, not a nurse, maybe a kind of student. He asked me again my symptoms. And after, 5 minutes he decided it could better if he checked by himself… I was totally agreed… So he said to me, I’m not sure but it seems to be that… I said but no, I’m not a doctor and I can tell you it’s not. And he said, yes, yes because I can’t see what else can it be… At that point I was like ok bye and thanks.
As you can imagine, he didn’t solve my problem. So the day after, still in pain, I checked if they have special emergency for my problem. YES… So I went. I was like… Amazing this time, I’m going to see specialists.
When I arrived, I talked to a nurse. She told me. We can’t do anything for here. So I asked, am I wrong or you work for a department that treat what I have ? She answered yes but no… Ok … I was in twilight zone. So I beg her to find someone to at least have a look to know if it was serious or not.
Finally nicely, she checked me. And of course, the diagnostic was different from the day before. She asked also three people to come and check. Fair enough people have to learn… But what a mess…
So difference between the french system
Carte vitale
In France, you go in an hospital and you see a real doctor and they can tell you you straight away what you have. You pay but you are covered by your national insurance and they gave you back the money. And if they don’t know they keep you for more exams. They will never tell you I’ m not sure go back home. They will never send a nurse to make a diagnostic. So if it’s serious you are in good hands…
But a part for that I have to say people in NHS are very kind and polite. Like English people in general, they are very respectful.
Do you have any experience like this ???
Actually, in France also you don’t have to pay to see a doctor (a lot of them, not everyone of course) or to be taken care of in a public hospital. Nowdays, if you are covered at least by the national insurance, most of them get paid back by the SS itself. Same thing for medicine too.
It’s interesting to share your experience between the systems in both countries.
Thanks Maissa… Trust me was hell…
I think in the UK all depend on the hospital / GP where you go to…
I experienced GP in Stratford and in Islington and GP in Islington were much better! Better response time, with same day booking, better diagnostics … In Stratford it was a real pity with at least 3 days to wait before seeing a doc that will then tell you to only take paracetamol …
For hospital, I went once in the hospital by Euston for some blood tests and it was all clean and neat. I did not get any doctor advice though.
I tried lately the dentist and it was good, professional people, I would even say better than in France in term of the respect of hygiene. But you have to pay for it…
Yes Gael… You are right… But the thing is why when you go to an hospital in the UK you don’t see a real doctor… Fucking hell… I truly believe they have good doctors but if you don’t see them what is the point???