I went into the emergency room at St. Mary's Hospital in central London at 8 p.m. on Sunday. The British health care system has a mandate that no more than four hours can pass between the time a patient enters ER and is treated. And so the disparities between the American system and socialized medicine were revealed.
During my two-day stay at St. Mary's, I was continually impressed by the level of care I received. First off, everyone from the ER staff to the ward nurses to the team of doctors assigned to my case seemed to be genuinely enjoying being there. Everyone was happy, even playful. I attribute this to a different focus, not profits and cost controls as in the American system, but doing whatever is in the best interest of the patient. As the cheery Dr. Joe Lewis (he told me his mother did not name him after the fighter) said, "I don't even think about those things. I am just interested in giving the patient the best care." What a concept! And surely health practitioners who are focused on the reason they entered the profession--maintaining and restoring health--are going to be much happier than their American colleagues who are under the gun to reduce costs.
Because I am a kidney patient with complicating factors--diabetes, heart disease--I was given special care. Not only did an in-house team of a half dozen doctors monitor my case, but two nephrologists from a nearby kidney-specific hospital oversaw my care and made visits.
I was given a private room in the oncology ward because it was the last bed that was available in the hospital. This was the quietest, most relaxing experience I have ever had in a hospital--by far!
On the wall was a notice that oncology patients could receive complimentary reiki, acupuncture, massage, and reflexology. This is due to Prince Charles, who made a push to combine conventional medicine with alternative, or complimentary, practices. We are so far behind as far as that goes in the States!
Lastly--and this is a big one for me--the place was clean. Every corner appeared to be disinfected and dirt-free. The cleaning lady spent 20 minutes or more each day cleaning my room. Yes, the building itself was old, perhaps 100 years old or more. There were dings at every corner and even large gouges in the walls. But the place was clean. Women were not allowed to wear dangly earrings, and no one could wear a wrist watch--thereby denying germs a place to attach. This was so wonderful to see, as I have had such awful hospital experiences in the States--blood and feces and pills and syringes on the floor. Yikes!
So now I have been in the hospital in three socialist countries--China, Canada, and the UK. All have been much more positive experiences than I have ever had in the United States. I don't understand why socialized medicine gets such a bad rap, as I have had only positive experiences.
