In todays news...

[Hot_Air]

I use the BBC a lot, too.

[Pirahna]

I use the BBC website a lot to keep up with news and Sport.

The problem with BBC news is it's incredibly biased. The sport website used to be handy for football fixtures, but that changed last year when they started putting pictures next to teams making it less fluid to read.

[Count Steer]

Still quite a lot of people watching BBC output...and the quitters aren't exactly swamping GB 'News'. (You'll have to scroll a lot to find the figures for that one).

https://www.barb.co.uk/monthly-viewing/

(I watch more Beeb than anything else, listen to Beeb Radio and use their news/sport website so I guess I get what I pay for ).

[Saga Lout]

I don't even need an NHS, if I hadn't been forced to contribute I could buy my medical care bad stuff and/or insure against . And it would be better.,

If you think that the NHS is bad, try what the US has and see just how expensive basic health insurance can be.
You might be tempted to go Luigi on a healthcare CEO.

My son is married to an American girl and I was talking to her parents about it. They get basic coverage through work but top up the insurance to the tune of $25k pa. Even then each claim brings massive stress as claims are denied and appealed. A simple blood test can be $2k and waiting times can be a lot longer than we’d imagine.

I’m sure there’s better models than the NHS but they’re not in the US.

You're right. There are about 200 countries in the world, many of them with better health care systems than the US system or The Envy Of The World™ but whenever anybody criticises The Envy Of The World™ there's always somebody to tell you how bad the US system is, as if that's the only alternative.

[mangocrazy]

There are about 200 countries in the world, many of them with better health care systems than the US system or The Envy Of The World™ but whenever anybody criticises The Envy Of The World™ there's always somebody to tell you how bad the US system is, as if that's the only alternative.

That would be because the loudest voices (i.e. the ones who stand to gain the most financially) are pushing us towards an insurance-based model similar to the US. You know - individuals like 'Man of the People' Nigel Farage.

[Cousin Jack]

The French system seems to work well. Pay for your test, then claim it back.

[Mr. Dazzle]

500,000 people have cancelled their license fees! No surprises here really. Shame when a once great institution is being brought down by wokeism, but the worm is turning...

https://www.google.com/search?q=500000+ ... e&ie=UTF-8

Any evidence that was the reason that so many people cancelled their licence fee?
Percentages?
Or is it like much the rest of the stuff you post nowadays? All elderly opinion and very little evidence?

I associate the BBC with over 60s and shit game shows, not wokeism

[wheelnut]

The French system seems to work well. Pay for your test, then claim it back.

France do better than the UK, but not by much. If we’re looking for systems to emulate we’re probably better looking east to Asia.

[Horse]

The French system seems to work well. Pay for your test, then claim it back.

@Noggin to confirm.

I think it's partially state-funded, partially insurance. Typically 60:40 split.

From my mate's experience, if it's something not covered by insurance, and you don't have sufficient cash to pay the 40%, you don't get the 60%.

[Cousin Jack]

.

I don't even need an NHS, if I hadn't been forced to contribute I could buy my medical care bad stuff and/or insure against . And it would be better.,

If you think that the NHS is bad, try what the US has and see just how expensive basic health insurance can be.
You might be tempted to go Luigi on a healthcare CEO.

I don't really want to kill the NHS but I do want a radical reappraisal of how it works. Just because we have always done that doesn't make it good practice. Lots of stuff needs re-thinking, not only how can we do this better, but should we actually be doing some stuff.

Why do we spend a fortune on the morbidly obese who will not help themselves? Diet or pay.
Why do we spend a fortune on smokers who will not give up? Quit or pay.
Why do we do stuff like breast augmentation on the NHS? Want bigger tits, go private.
Why do are air ambulances and hospices always run by charities?
and the No 1
Why do we not charge a modest fee to see a GP or to visit A&E? It would not raise much cash, but it would deter a huge number of time-wasters.

[MrLongbeard]

.

I don't even need an NHS, if I hadn't been forced to contribute I could buy my medical care bad stuff and/or insure against . And it would be better.,

If you think that the NHS is bad, try what the US has and see just how expensive basic health insurance can be.
You might be tempted to go Luigi on a healthcare CEO.

I don't really want to kill the NHS but I do want a radical reappraisal of how it works. Just because we have always done that doesn't make it good practice. Lots of stuff needs re-thinking, not only how can we do this better, but should we actually be doing some stuff.

Why do we spend a fortune on the morbidly obese who will not help themselves? Diet or pay.
Why do we spend a fortune on smokers who will not give up? Quit or pay.
Why do we do stuff like breast augmentation on the NHS? Want bigger tits, go private.
Why do are air ambulances and hospices always run by charities?
and the No 1
Why do we not charge a modest fee to see a GP or to visit A&E? It would not raise much cash, but it would deter a huge number of time-wasters.

Smokers are already denied treatment.
The obese are already denied treatment.

Why pay to treat those that cause themselves injury on smelly dangerous motorbikes, why pay to treat those that have a car accident when safer public transport was available etc etc etc etc ad infinitum

[Saga Lout]

The French system seems to work well. Pay for your test, then claim it back.

@Noggin to confirm.

I think it's partially state-funded, partially insurance. Typically 60:40 split.

From my mate's experience, if it's something not covered by insurance, and you don't have sufficient cash to pay the 40%, you don't get the 60%.

That's fair enough, I suppose. 60% of a heart transplant isn't going to be much use to you: "Well, we can take out the old one but you'll have to put the new one in yourself!"

[Bustaspoke]

Why do are air ambulances and hospices always run by charities?
and the No 1
Why do we not charge a modest fee to see a GP or to visit A&E? It would not raise much cash, but it would deter a huge number of time-wasters.

I agree with most of what you said & noted when the Covid pandemic was at it's height the regular 'Creaky Gates' stopped making apointments at the Doctors for a few months
A couple of years back I was listening to a interview with someone regarding Air Ambulance funding & they said that they prefer to remain a charity as this gives them more autonomy with regards to the equipment they use.

[Saga Lout]

Why do we not charge a modest fee to see a GP or to visit A&E? It would not raise much cash, but it would deter a huge number of time-wasters.

The reason is the ridiculous "free at the point of use" mantra. It's almost a religion. We pay for prescriptions (well, some of you do), we pay for dental care and some of you pay to get tanked up on a Friday or Saturday might so you can injure yourselves and be patched up for free at A&E.

Maybe we should have a protest march, I've already got the obligatory rhyming chant: PAY A SMALL FEE, FOR GP OR A&E*.


* It might need a bit of work.

[ZRX61]

Adding incarceration to injury...The video will ALWAYS be funny

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp5n1qn8yo

[Skub]

Adding incarceration to injury...The video will ALWAYS be funny

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp5n1qn8yo

Instant karma.

[Taipan]

Adding incarceration to injury...The video will ALWAYS be funny

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gp5n1qn8yo

That was comedy gold! I'm sure there's a special internet award out there for him!

My other favourite!

[Noggin]

The French system seems to work well. Pay for your test, then claim it back.

@Noggin to confirm.

I think it's partially state-funded, partially insurance. Typically 60:40 split.

From my mate's experience, if it's something not covered by insurance, and you don't have sufficient cash to pay the 40%, you don't get the 60%.

It used to be a 70/30 spit but from what I understand, it has recently changed to 65/35 (lots of hand wringing as the the mutuelles/top up insurance have of course gone up too)

In general, with a prescription and a mutuelle you either don't pay at all or you get it all refunded in a few days.

Not everything is covered, my latest Vitamin D test I had to pay for - but it really isn't that expensive (I think it was 25€)

Most treatments are covered, some are covered 100%.

We have to pay to see a doctor (pretty sure this is all over) but up here they are private and so we have to pay everything, not just the 30% top up. But it's refunded quickly.

You don't have to pay as you go into A&E - not actually sure of the procedure there as I've only had to hand over my Carte Vitale and mutuelle and that seems to cover everything!! (The two times I had to go to A&E at least!! LOL). I'm sure I was told that if it's an emergency, treatment is covered 100% (although that was pre changes) - but I guess it's like the Carte Neige for skiing, it's covered 100% at the first point of treatment. Then you pay for rehab etc. Maybe

Overall the system works pretty well - if you are low income and can't afford a mutuelle, the government provide a basic one for around 10€ a month I think, so no one should have to pay the 30 or 35% for anything.

Although some people don't bother with a mutuelle, after the last few years, I can't imagine choosing not to have cover - I did once look up the costs of all the treatment I had around my shoulder op and it was a massive amount!!


However, the system is wobbling, hence the change I guess to the govt 'only' paying 65%.


Weirdly (not really, due to the original base religion!), the contraceptive pill is NOT free, but HRT is!!