Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

What, adrian chiles ohn come dancing 2015. the chap cannot dance, can he? one fluttah he has twoh left feet. bring it ohn, neaaarly as spiffing as one is ah celebrity mustah myself out of here. what an evening that will be. Don't you know?

I'll have some as well dc.

One must be pulling one's leg, to giz awah this raaare something special. Jolly good show old bean! :-)), Orf to bed knoh. Heavens above! How smashing! Soohhn be eastah, simply four days wok next week. Goodness me!


For the Irish - One must be neckin' one's leg, ter giz awah this raaare firkin special. jolly sound as a pound show owd bean! :-)), orf ter flock knoh. cer above! 'ow smash'n! sewhhn be eastah, simply fo days wok next week. gewdness me!

Cockney -

Wahn must be pullin' one's 'ard boiled Borra And Beg, ter giz awah this raaare summit special. jolly Robin Hood sha old bean! :-)), orf ter uncle ned knoh. 'eavens above! 'a smashin'! soohhn be eastah, simply knock at the Dorothy Lamour days wok next Bubble And Squeak. goodness me

medical cover . if a ex pat comes back to uk he as to be back 6 months for a doctor to take him back on
but must still have homes in uk like my brothers .

nhs it takes 30 seconds to check if person is on the list of people with a national insurance number . no insurance number no medical

no immigrant should get cover till they have paid in for 5 years
back to france the doctor will not see you unless you pay him most will not take
insurance papers they want the cash. same in spain portugal

Beloved reminded me that we did indeed pay when she saw a doctor in france, though that may justifiably have been deemed to be a private call

cynic I have private cover but let me assure you the doctors says claim when you get back home and gives me a letter with the cost on it .

the uk must change its rules

the uk is a better place today no mps

Oh well if you claimed as a private then they should have charged you twice...Good Moaning Alf -):

MrT - actually, i agree with most of what you say about health and other benefits
despite fred's protestations to the contrary, i see no excessive expense or problem with charging "the unentitled" at the door for most hospital or surgery visits
where there is an acute emergency, i agree with fred that a different set of rules and morals should apply, even if they would'nt in USA!

I told you in my story that my US friend thought it was absolutely wrong that he didn't pay for treatment here , he asked me "how do you pay for this" .

The answer now is staring us in the face ,the NHS is in trouble .

Fred will be here in a minute to tell me i'm Pol Pot !

jimmy - i fear NHS is now approaching "beyond repair" mode .....
for several years yet, i suppose gov'ts can apply elastoplast with barrowloads of money, but imo, someone will eventually have to be brave enough to cry "Enough!" and institute something far more radical along the lines of, "If you can afford to pay for medical insurance, you must do so"
having done that, i have my doubts that you can then stop those who have paid from "technical queue jumping" and also picking the consultant or whatever of their choice

i'm sure fred would say that we should just increase top-end taxes ad infinitum, but though that may make a few happier, i cannot believe it would produce anywhere the funds required to make the present system work

They could change to the French system of payments easily enough.

Works a treat, very prompt and a lot cheaper than here.

how does that work ..... other than by taking cash!

On a basic level, cos I don't know the ins and outs of the whole system.


Everyone has a Carte Vitale, which entitles you to a certain level of care and determines the level of charges.


Basic doctor visit is (last time I used the service) €22, of which about 70% will be refunded by the state if you are entitled.

Hospital and chemist charges work in a similar way, you pays your money and the 70% gets refunded. It is probably different for major stuff, hospital stays etc.

No one gets treated simply by turning up, you have to be entitled and contribute to the system.


edit:

A lot of people insure themselves for the 30% that isn't covered, charges vary. but if you have a long term problem, it no doubt pays to insure.

Not sure what happens with retired people.

thanks Max
that system certainly has merits, but i wonder how the unemployed or those on the breadline are meant to pay upfront and then no doubt have to wait a long time to get reimbursed
perhaps there's some sort of safety net for their ilk

I'm not sure how the system works for the unemployed/very poor, but it's probably coded into the carte vitale system under a safety net.

What you cannot do, is walk into france and demand treatment for nowt, they'll turf you out on your arse.