Article

2026-06-09 Britain

Free… If You Can Get it: Emergency Room Waits Kill 300-a-Week in Socialised Healthcare UK

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Posted by Skidmark 2026-06-09 06:51|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [1809 views ] Top

1 Anything the govt gives you for free will be worth every penny.

Posted by ed in texas 2026-06-09 08:44|| 2026-06-09 08:44|| Front Page Top

2 The Times of London states the main reason for extremely long A&E wait times is not the emergency room itself, but rather that the other departments in hospitals are so overcrowded they cannot admit any more patients for treatment.

Perhaps the overcrowding of new citizens is a factor?

...all patients should be seen within four hours of arriving at A&E. The last time that happened nationwide was in 2015.

Posted by Bobby 2026-06-09 08:59|| 2026-06-09 08:59|| Front Page Top

3 Travelers from the States (USCITS) face even greater medical challenges getting seen, meds, or treatment.

Posted by Besoeker 2026-06-09 09:07|| 2026-06-09 09:07|| Front Page Top

4 Ya get what you pay for.

Posted by DarthVader 2026-06-09 12:04|| 2026-06-09 12:04|| Front Page Top

5 In the State, a lot of emergency rooms closed because of the unfunded federal mandate that they could not refuse (uninsured) patients. Most emergency rooms now are found in state funded university hospitals. Give the inventiveness of Americans, the system has come up with commercial 'urgent care' outlets to cover most non-threatening immediate medical care.

Posted by Procopius2k 2026-06-09 12:41|| 2026-06-09 12:41|| Front Page Top

6 In fairness, I've had some nightmarish experiences in California emergency rooms.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2026-06-09 12:46|| 2026-06-09 12:46|| Front Page Top

7 In the State, a lot of emergency rooms closed because of the unfunded federal mandate that they could not refuse (uninsured) patients.

That's a big, big part of the problem. Of course, the uninsured are usually here illegally. You know it's a problem when you walk into an emergency room and it looks like the Third World.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2026-06-09 12:49|| 2026-06-09 12:49|| Front Page Top

8 Thinning the herd.

Posted by Regular joe 2026-06-09 13:06|| 2026-06-09 13:06|| Front Page Top

9 ^5
Agree with Proco...

Also note that the spreading of Urgent Care facilities has been very beneficial. Probably about 15,000 or so in the USA. Probably 160 M or so visits to these facilities. In some small towns, it is almost like a hospital in terms of the town's dependence on them. They were overwhelmed during Covid but still probably saved many lives.

Posted by Lord Garth 2026-06-09 13:16|| 2026-06-09 13:16|| Front Page Top

10 #6 Abu: Show up in a CBP uniform. Watch the room empty out.

Posted by Frank G 2026-06-09 13:55|| 2026-06-09 13:55|| Front Page Top

11 ^ That'd be fun.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2026-06-09 16:08|| 2026-06-09 16:08|| Front Page Top

12 Urgent Care is where you go when it's non-life threatening but bad enough that you don't want to wait for an appoint with your primary care doctor. It's a good thing.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2026-06-09 16:12|| 2026-06-09 16:12|| Front Page Top

13 2018, UC Davis Sacramento Emergency Room, my wife had a 102+ fever and urinary tract infection. After 7 hours waiting, with the patient next to us an illegal Mexican with a stomach ailment, handcuffed to a gurney, with a Sacramento Country Deputy Sheriff escorting him, we notified the desk we were leaving. Within five minutes a Nurse arrived took my wife's temperature, put her in a wheel chair and she was admitted. We were placed in a semi=private room, waited another two hours for a Doctor who examined my wife, provided oral antibiotics and a prescription, and signed the discharge paperwork. After midnight so that they could bill for the overnight hospitalization. We were clearly admitted solely to avoid the loss of a paying customer! We left CA in 2019 and have never regretted to move, despite my wife being a native Californian and most of her family and ours still in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. Paradise Lost!

Posted by NoMoreBS 2026-06-09 16:26|| 2026-06-09 16:26|| Front Page Top

14 Re #10: Frank, do that in some places and you're likely to get mobbed.

Posted by Rambler 2026-06-09 16:34|| 2026-06-09 16:34|| Front Page Top

15 #3 Besoker, I got stitched up quickly in Monmouth, Wales during ‘99 Rugby Tour of Ireland and Wales. 15 stitches and of I went.

No issues 25+ years ago and it wasn’t a Paki doc either. I am sure that has changed

Posted by Beavis 2026-06-09 16:59|| 2026-06-09 16:59|| Front Page Top

16 No issues 25+ years ago and it wasn’t a Paki doc either. I am sure that has changed

The past is another country. They do things differently there.

Posted by SteveS 2026-06-09 17:21|| 2026-06-09 17:21|| Front Page Top

17 There are med workarounds in the UK. If you can locate a doctor through a contact and can coordinate a CASH deal.

Like everywhere else, cash is king.

Posted by Besoeker 2026-06-09 17:38|| 2026-06-09 17:38|| Front Page Top

18 They didn’t want a dime but took up my offer to meet at the drink up after the match! 🤪

I don’t they could figure how to charge me

The bandaging and stitches held up well as I played another match 3 days later in Pontypridd

The team did move me from the pack to the back line, though!

For what it’s worth my kid just won his second National championship in 15s, in Chicago, 3 weeks ago for Atlanta Old White

Posted by Beavis 2026-06-09 17:53|| 2026-06-09 17:53|| Front Page Top

19 ^ congrats

Posted by Frank G 2026-06-09 18:42|| 2026-06-09 18:42|| Front Page Top

20 Thank you!

Posted by Beavis 2026-06-09 18:49|| 2026-06-09 18:49|| Front Page Top

21 Nice, Beavis! It’s always nice when one’s child(ren) share an interest.

For some reason, many of the cardiology fellows at the University of Cincinnati happen to be Pakistani. It will be interewting to see if that’s still so a year from now.

Posted by trailing wife 2026-06-09 20:38|| 2026-06-09 20:38|| Front Page Top

22 Nice, Beavis! It’s always nice when one’s child(ren) share an interest.

“The sport they play in Heaven”. I have 3 pics mounted of the USS Alabama in the background in Mobile with myself, my daughter and son the first is me, then 12 years later my son and then my daughter a couple years after that on the exact same pitch

Posted by Beavis 2026-06-09 21:05|| 2026-06-09 21:05|| Front Page Top

23 Awwwww…..

Posted by trailing wife 2026-06-09 22:02|| 2026-06-09 22:02|| Front Page Top

22:02 trailing wife
21:18 DarthVader
21:05 Beavis
21:03 Frank G
21:01 trailing wife
20:48 DarthVader
20:46 trailing wife
20:38 trailing wife
19:56 Sheba tse Tung9505
19:41 Thing From Snowy Mountain
19:40 Thing From Snowy Mountain
18:49 Beavis
18:42 Frank G
18:36 Lord Garth
18:33 Frank G
17:59 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
17:57 Chantry
17:53 Beavis
17:51 Chantry
17:40 James the lesser
17:38 Besoeker
17:21 SteveS
16:59 Beavis
16:35 Lord Garth
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