This raised many red flags in my mind because I feel like this guy is just BS'ing my friend to try to get some kind of sympathy or financial support (more like swindle).
However I do not have very much knowledge on how healthcare works in England, and how it is different from here in the U.S. So can anybody enlighten me on this? (preferably someone who lives in the UK, or might've visited there at one point)
I don't want to go around pointing fingers without any kind of confirmation though. All feedback is appreciated.
The UK emergency treatment process is treat NOW paperwork later.
We regard it as simple common decency to save lives. There is no way any hospital in the UK would demand money up front - anyone presenting with appendicitis is going to theatre.
There may be charges AFTER the event, we have the right to recover costs from none nationals who are not in possession of insurance. There is no hurry for this.
The phrase "utter nonsense" comes to mind. Appendicitis is life-threatening and the NHS would operate immediately. Most likely they would be rushed to hospital by ambulance and taken straight to theatre. A UK resident would then have no bill to pay.
If they are visiting, the NHS might bill them, but only AFTER the event - and anyone with any sense would have bought travel insurance to cover medical bills, which is quite cheap for just a week or two away (because of course very few people ever need to claim on it!) From what I understand of the USA, it would do the same in a genuine emergency and this certainly is - present with appendicitis and the first concern is to get the inflamed appendix out before it bursts and kills the patient of a nasty abdominal infection.
Consider the position I was in a bit over 11 years ago - involved in a car crash and woke up from it in hospital. First priority was to get me there and do what needed to be done, never mind bills, and being unconscious nobody could demand money off me anyway! Fortunately not much was needed. I had a few broken bones and all anyone can do about those is let them heal, so I was off work for weeks while they did and the hospital gave me free loan of crutches to walk with, and I needed some stitches. The hospital also gave me a CAT scan (and probably others - I can't remember) to make sure there was no brain injury. And being British, I didn't pay a bean for any of this. Nor did my father for his treatment for terminal brain cancer, and nor did my mother when she had both hips replaced.
On the wider issue of how our NHS works, the principle is that it is almost entirely "free at the point of use" and paid for out of taxes. The upshot is that it is a BIG fraction of the government budget, and that is reflected in the level of tax, but on the other hand nobody needs health insurance. Yes, because tax is involved, the rich subsidise the poor to some extent, but we think that's civilised. Private health care exists, but you're not going to be using that in an emergency. To see your doctor is free, in England any medication prescribed is charged at one flat rate whatever the real cost of it is (and for children, pensioners and people claiming social security that's free too), and all hospital treatment is free. Dentistry is not free but charged on a scale which is less than it would be privately.
Total nonsense. If they're British then no, no one pays a bill like you do in the US because we pay tax which goes towards our healthcare. We can just walk into A and E and see a doctor. No bills.
Even if they weren't British they would not be ignored or told to pay up before hand, if it were an emergency, that's half there issues the NHS has, helping everyone even non-taxpayers and never recouping the money.
Total nonsense healthcare is free at point of use for ALL British people and even people who are tourists even if they have zero health insurance which they MUST have would get emergency treatment immediately, no one would be turned away, it is totally opposite to reality what your friend is saying.... and not just England but the whole of the United Kingdom
Healthcare is free over here to all UK citizens so this story seems to be a load of rubbish to me. Even if this person was a non UK citizen then they would still receive the treatment first and then the NHS would attempt to re claim payment afterwards.
Total rubbish - health care is free at the point of delivery. For foreign nationals there is a fee recovery scheme to deter health tourism but there is certainly no up front payment of any kind especially in emergency situations.
In all parts of the UK, where there is NHS coverage with varying rules and regs., RESIDENTS, citizens or otherwise, get FREE at point of delivery care..DO NOT have to be a UK citizen but legally RESIDENT and COULD be a citizen and NOT resident so technically NOT entitled...
NHS is NOT FREE but paid for by us all from GENERAL TAXATION....
However treatment is of course not free for visitors from outside U.K. A standard travel insurance policy from whoever you purchase your airline tickets from, should cover you for medical emergencies
If this "guy and his daughter" are British citizens, then the story is complete fabrication. The NHS would give treatment and operate for free (paid by taxpayer).
All your answers hit the nail on the head, and are appreciated. I wish I could award you all best answer. Thanks for the confirmation. Take care!
