[Default] On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:31:23 +0100, Hiram
offered the following words of wisdom:
wrote:
Like yours the NZ state health system doesn't cover travel insurance
outside NZ. But considering that my wife's aunt died alone on a gurney
in a corridor of a public hospital in the UK after being forgotten -
literally - by the idiots who work in that system, I'd sure as hell
have private health insurance if I lived in the UK.
I work for a company that supply private healthcare here in the UK.
There are some procedures operations you could only have done in the
state system. Unless, you are extremely wealthy. The private hospitals
only tend to do minor or cosmetic operations. Not only that, you'll
often find the same surgeons working in an NHS hospital as you would in
a private one. They tent to do both.
The problem with NZ's public health system is not only the waiting
lists for non-urgent procedure operations - such as hernias, knee &
hip replacements, etc - but also for far more urgent issues, such as
cancer and heart conditions.
There are also problems with the system's ability to address accident
victims and discharging people with fractured skulls, brain injuries
and other injuries etc without treatment or care.
That's why those of us who can afford it have private health insurance
and why anyone visiting NZ would be wise to get travel insurance that
covered medical contingencies and things like cancellations, damage,
loss & theft.
BTW - like the UK, the medical specialists can be the very same people
in both systems, but in NZ you can use your private health insurance
to access both private and public hospitals. Conversely, private
hospitals are sometimes used by the public system.
It's the time factor and level of care that can differ.
Having said that, it has been my experience that NZ's "Accident
Compensation" cover for all injuries cause by any accident - including
those incurred by visitors - gives better treatment to overseas
victims than New Zealanders and so does the public health system.
So, for example: if (God forbid) you were in a road accident or broke
your leg skiing while visiting NZ, all of your medical expenses would
be paid by the government (eg: NZ taxpayer) while you were here.
I'm not here to defend the NHS, but the current UK government has spent
billions upgrading the system. Not sure when your wife's aunt died, if
it was recent then I'd be disappointed.
My wife's aunt died as a result of medical negligence during Tony
Blair's term in office. If things have finally improved, then it's not
too soon ... but far too late for her.
I've used the state systems all my life, as have friends and family,
personally I have nothing but praise for it. But peoples mileage will
vary. As it would in any health system, look at the amount of
malpractice claim that are filed each each with private healthcare.
True, but as an individual's mileage will vary, so does that of state
systems and the people who work in them. Unfortunately, my wife's aunt
got the people who were under-resourced, overworked and
unprofessional.
Have you tried google? Here's the list that came up the first time I
tried:
http://www.google.com/search?q=trave...n___NZ308&aq=t
It not getting insurance that is the problem - it either too expensive
or doesn't cover me for over 30 days in one trip.
I've just checked two at random and both offer what appears to be
comprehensive travel insurance for over 30 days. Whether it's too
expensive or meets your requirements is another question:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/p...diaId=19300208
http://www.aviva.co.uk/single-trip-travel-insurance/