An American in Hay-on-Wye

[dreamer_easy]

The doctor says Morgan's foot will be fine; we just have to keep the cut clean.

The receptionist, however, looks altogether more grave.

"The visit's normally covered under National Health," she says apologetically, "but since you aren't residents..."

"Yes?"

We once made an emergency visit to a doctor in Oregon to get a large splinter out of Morgan's foot, and the clinic tried to bill us five hundred dollars. And that was without any blood or swelling.

Jennifer and I brace ourselves.

"... it will be twenty pounds."

We gape.

"What?"

"I'm sorry!" the receptionist pleads. "It's terrible, isn't it?"

"You... think..."

"Is it different in your country?"

We stare uncomprehendingly at her.

"Yes," I finally say. "It is different in our country."

- Paul Collins, Sixpence House, 2003

(Two years after Collins wrote that, Jon and I would both have similar NHS experiences on a UK visit. :)

Comments

[kalibex.livejournal.com]

I had a sprained ankle checked out at the Duchess of Chester Hospital while on holiday in Chester in the UK, back in '89.

I hobbled in and stopped at the initial admittance window just inside the door. I explained that I was an American tourist, had twisted or sprained my ankle, and needed to make sure there wasn't any break there (had swelled up hugely), and asked what they would need from me - whether they needed to see my insurance card from home, &tc.

One of the 2 receptionists glanced at the other, sort of shrugged, then told me to just go right in.

I was seen (had to wait in little waiting areas in between each step, but moved reasonably quickly through the process) , x-rayed just to make sure, then had my situation explained to me and was given a compression bandage and a little handout (xeroxed but hand-drawn) with flexibility exercises to do to get my ankle back functioning normally as soon as possible.

Total cost to me: $0
Having the remainder of my vacation saved (I was bike touring with an older brother, and was able to continue on after an additional day of rest - that last time this had happened at home in the US, I'd been put on crutches for a week): PRICELESS.