HMW 30 - Comparison of UK and US Healthcare

Possibilites

- Interview Me and D differences about experience in hospitals?

Research-

- Ecoli in hospitals in UK, comparison US disease?

-Dying on tables UK

-Waiting lists UK

-Comparison between public and private healthcare UK

-Examples

-Payment of nurses

Healthcare in England is mainly provided by England's public health service, the National Health Service, that provides healthcare to all permanent residents of the United Kingdom that is free at the point of use and paid for from general taxation. Since health is a devolved matter, there are differences with the provisions for healthcare elsewhere in the United Kingdom.^[1]

^{The National Health Service (NHS) is free at the point of use for the patient though there are charges associated with eye tests, dental care, prescriptions, and many aspects of personal care.}

^{The National Health Service Act 1946 came into effect on 5 July 1948.}

^{private insurance, but it is used by less than 8% of the population}

^{The NHS is largely funded from general taxation (including a proportion from National Insurance payments).[3] Most of the expenditure of The Department of Health (£98.6 billion in 2008-9[4]) is spent on the NHS.}

NHS Constitution

The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, sexual orientation, religion or belief, respecting their human rights.

Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay (except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament).

The NHS aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism to provide high quality care that is safe, effective and focused on the patient experience.

NHS services must reflect the needs and preferences of patients, their families and their careers.

The NHS works across organisational boundaries and in partnership with other organisations in the interest of patients, local communities and the wider population. The NHS is an integrated system of organisations and services bound together by the principles and values reflected in the Constitution

HMW 28 COMMENTS

As usual it won't let me copy and paste into this box so I print screened them..

HMW 29

Facing Terminal Illness- from my understanding I thought that there wasn't a 'normal' way to deal with facing a terminal illness. I thought that it was one of those things that had to happen to you, and since reading literature and hearing a guest speaker face it only enforced this theory. "Tuesdays with Morrie" is a piece of literature facing this exact issue. It follows Morrie through his journey on coming to terms with his terminal illness, and eventually, his unfortunate death. It was enlightening to hear the story of someone who faced such an awful experience with such an open minded attitude. The 'social norm' is to go to hospital at the first sign of something out of the ordinary, but Morrie decides to die at home, spending his final days with the people he loves. Saying such things as ""Mitch, I don't allow myself any more self-pity than that. A little each morning, a few tears, and that's all." (pg 57) Although I cannot promise I would face a disease like this with such complacency, I found it enlightening to see someone treat such a situation like this. Relating this a real life situation, Beth, a guest speaker came in and told of her husbands battle with cancer. As Beth told her story I sensed a medley of different emotions from denial of her husbands death and the nasty disease that took his like to shock of the diagnosis. I identified with everything she said, although I can't imagine the person I'd spent over two decades with not being there when I woke up everyday. Seeing this in real life reinforced the different ways in which people approach death. And unfortunately, although I would love for it to be this epiphany and an enlightening time, I think sadness would be the overwhelming emotion.

Paying for medical care - As Michael Moore has made clear to us in Sicko (although completely biased) the state of the healthcare system in America is a mess. The United States spends the most GDP on healthcare in the world, but still is plagued with mostly preventable deaths such as heart disease and diabetes as its biggest killers. You think that the Yanks would have learnt by there close neighbours, the Canadians. Tommy Douglas, the first person to introduce public healthcare to Canada is seen as the most important person in their history. But with 45 million people currently without healthcare in the US, its quite

obvious that they haven't.

As seen above the US has spent the most on healthcare for a decade and a half, but yet still the healthcare is still in the poor condition that is was in 15 years ago.

“Fixing our healthcare system as a whole is our primary challenge, and to make it happen you need to get engaged – to pound the pavement, get your hands dirty, endure real sacrifice, take on antiquated thinking and help lead the public debate.”

iilana Senator John Kerry quotes All eyes are now on Obama's healthcare reform. Five years from now, there's an excellent chance you won't have the same health insurance you have (or don't have) right now. That's because members of Congress are gearing up to reform the U.S. health care system, "and unlike in 1993 when then-first lady Hillary Clinton tried her hand at changing the medical system, this time the important players -- doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers -- seem to be on board." (CNN.) Whilst nearly 46 million Americans have no insurance, a further 25 million more are underinsured. One major reason for this crisis is that many employers have stopped offering insurance to employees because of the high cost. In the United States, total health care spending was $2.4 trillion in 2007 -- or $7,900 per person -- according to an analysis published in the journal Health Affairs. ONe of the FAQ about Obama's healthcare reform is that of where the money is coming from. Whilst one option is to reduce tax deduction amongst high income Americans, which of course is unpopular amongst Republicans, another is to eliminate waste fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid, which Obama believes which credit the system "hundreds of billions of dollars." One of the main improvments is the point that no insurance plan "would be able to deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions," which means many Americans could get the healthcare that they are entitled to. Being Sick- I have always said that I never want to get old and frail and become a burden upon someone. When you hear children turning up their nose at 'speaking to Grandma' or dragging their feet because they have to go visit Granddad. I'm not sure whether this comes with getting old or just the person you are. I've just realised that I'm actually focusing more on getting old, rather than getting sick. But in some ways they are pretty similar. You get aches and pains. Things don't work the same as they used to. People have to come and visit you. You don't do the same things you used to. And you definitely have a different outlook on life. Wow that's depressing! Anyway, when i get older I intend on being exactly like my Grandma. Still with the grace, pride and fashion sense of a 30 year old, but with the dry, frank, i-don't-give-a-shit-what-you-think humour you get with age.

HMW 24 #3

Throughout my Tuesdays with Morrie, I have learnt alot about myself. Through his unconventional insights about life and death I have learnt what is truely meaningful in life and how worthless everything but family, life and love is. Morries funeral was simple. He wanted no fuss as he didn't want others to mourn him. He had a ceremony when he was alive in which all his loved ones were to pay tribute to him. He cried. I cried. Everyone cried. But yet it was a cry of joy, not upset. I will miss Morrie, but I've been told to go to his grave to talk to him. And although this may be upsetting to others, it seems normal to me. Even comforting.

"As you grow old, you learn more. If you stayed twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not a decay you know, its growth." pg (118)
I loved the way that the author approached this. I think in todays society there is a growing fear of getting old. With woman in there 50's aspiring to look like they are in their twenty's with the use of plastic surgery and 'miracle creams' there is no longer such a concept as 'growing old gracefully.' Although I may feel different when I get older I'm confused as to why women do not embrace the knowledge and wiseness you obtain with age.

"Death ends a life, not a relationship" (pg 174) I wasn't sure whether the author was trying to say that although when you break up with someone it may feel like the end of the world, like your life has come crashing down, really the only defining end to life is death. As that is the only thing that can stop your world, and you will not understand that until you experience it yourself.

Reading this book has confirmed that there is no way I want to die of a disease. Although Morrie has dealt with his illness in an incredible way, I'm not sure I would have an epiphany like him. I think seeing my friends and family torn apart by watching my body slowly cripple would be heartbreaking and would rather just have an instant death.

HM 27

Unfortunately, well actually not unfortunately, I don't have anyone in the US I could visit that is sick or dying so I couldn't finish this homework. But instead I've decided to write about what I think about death, and how it's been changed by this unit.

To be honest I am scared about death. I could never embrace it like Morrie in 'Tuesdays with Morrie' and I don't think I could speak about it as freely as Evan's mum. I am scared about leaving the people I love or them leaving me. I don't want to sit in a nursing home, and reminisce about 'the good old days.' And I don't want to watch my body slowly cripple at the mercy of a disease.

Although I don't agree with the fact that talking about dying and death is sometimes taboo, I understand why it isn't. I've never experienced death until my Grandad died last year. He was like a father to me, and his disease seemed to creep up so quickly. No one tells you how to deal with death. Whether you'll be numb, whether you'll feel empty,upset. There is no guideline. And thats the hardest part. There are no rules to follow or expectancy to live upto, you have to deal with it in your own way.
I could never have gotten through my Grandad's death without having the comfort of thinking he was always watching over me, sending me signs from wherever he was. I feel sorry for people who do not have this comfort, and I think thats why most people turn to religion. For answers and guidance through a time where there is no clear path.
I have never really been around 'old' people persay, my Grandma is 67 and walks around with a Moschino bag, and still goes to bars with her friends. She's the strongest woman I know along with my mother and I could never imagine her being old and frail. So when I come across other grandparents, ones that spend there time knitting or eating toffees, it almost makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't really know how to deal with it.

I have always felt sympathetic towards the elderly. When I see them shuffling aimlessley in the street alone. Or sitting staring blankly. It makes me sad because I know one day I am going to be in their position. Maybe it's the fear of being alone that makes me scared about getting old. Because I don't think you would ever feel alone if you had the love of your life beside you. No matter what age. No matter how many grey hairs you had...

HMW 23 #2

Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

As I get more deeply connected with Morrie on a personal and spritiual level, I can see that he is broadening my horizons. No longer do I find frivilous material possessions important, I am beginning to see things in a whole new light, and for that I have Morrie to thank.

"SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE, YOU MUST BELIEVE WHAT YOU FEEL. AND IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO HAVE OTHER PEOPLE TRUST YOU, YOU MUST FEEL YOU CAN TRUST THEM TOO" (pg 61)

"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." This one was particularly enlightening to me as I feel this personifies the book, in that until you are given the ultimatimum of life being taken away from you, you do not understand truely how percious it is. Hence 'bucket lists' and people doing extraordinary things when they are given an ultimatimum, as they have a new found purpose in life. I don't think you can really appreciate the joy of life until your inhibitions and worries are forced out of the window.

As shown in the last quote I think the fragility of life has alot to do with how we treat it, as until we are shown just how easily it can slip away, we never appreciate it. Also, one of the rare good things that came out of Morries illness was that we learnt to trust people. As his body cripled under the sheer demand of the disease he was forced to rely on other people to do meanial, yet precious tasks. I think that the ability to trust someone, although at times may be percievced as weareing your heart on your sleeve is a skill that many of us can learn from. As sometimes we are so consumed in everyday pesimisim, we do not put faith in people.