I found the article about the waiting list for hospitals approaching 5 million on the right side of the page more interesting. Great commentary on socialized medicine.

Greg

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If you are a Canuck that engages in gratuitous bashing of the US, you are probably on my Iggy List. So, save your self a bunch of typing a response unless you also feel the need to gratuitously bash me. If so, have fun.
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Didn't read it. In what way. Do you think there is a material difference in quality, wait, approval and impact on those that do not have insurance inbthe aggregate relative to socialised medicine? E.g. in the aggregate insured systems generate better outcomes for more people, if so, absolutely none of the public health data would support that conclusion

People get stuffed in both systems. The US - in the aggregate - is not a fan of socialised medicine. In the aggregate those with access to socialised medicine (and include systems with an insurance component - the french and dutch) are not fans of the alternative

I've worked in both and i have worked on developing policy to move from one to another

They both have downsides. If the consequence in one is that hips, knees and varicose veins are delayed and in the other that conditions are not covered and people can not obtain insurance - its a wash

I found the article about the waiting list for hospitals approaching 5 million on the right side of the page more interesting. Great commentary on socialized medicine.

I'm not a big fan of socialized medicine but wasn't there about 45 million in America without health insurance not that long ago?

Hillary Clinton's email server just sent out the same message.

Trump has known that it was going to be posted for several weeks - so it is no surprise to him.

What does "waiting list" mean? Does it include people who've been waiting a week? a month? 6 months? Are they waiting but scheduled, or waiting for a schedule slot to open up?

That soundbite in and of itself doesn't really mean much.

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so, the way it works (and I know because my wife developed the A&E policy and we've both been in and around the system for a few years)

you have a problem, go to GP, GP determines that asprin does not cut it and you require a referral for a consultation, you are provided with a referral letter, access to the choose and book system and you log in (or it can be done from the GP's office by phone) and pick an appointment

depending on what you might be referred for e.g. endoscopy, you would have the diagnostic prior to the referral e.g. if you have heamoroids as opposed to bowel cancer, it would be better to find that out prior to seeing a consultant, you don't need to go GP - Consultant - endo - Consultant, you would just be referred straight in to the scope clinic

from the moment that you receive the referral, the clock is ticking, you need to be (and the order varies depending on what it is - see endoscopy example above) assessed diagnosed, treated and discharged (that may require follow up's but the 18 week pathway itsself has ended)

there are large numbers of rules around this; you go on holiday - delay on you

you fail to show up - a Did Not Attend - was when I left, on the hospital - so patient f**ks off and does not show up, but the hospital is still responsible for delivering care within 18 weeks

anyway, the broad point was always that MOST referrals of, lets say, suspected cancer turn out not to be, so they are discharged quite early in the 18 weeks, they are seen / diagnosed and sent back to their GP

the problems lie in surgery and access to allied health professional services such as OT and PT