Sunday 16 September 2012

Vancouver Health Care Experiences

Just back from an interesting trip. The holiday was fun & great to spend time with our Golden Boy who has lived there for 12 years. All was fine until my chap, who'd had a cough for a couple of weeks, had a scary episode when we thought he was choking to death. The neighbours heard the noises of us trying to get some air into lungs which had seized up, and they dialled 911. Two handsome paramedics and a police chap climbed the (not very safe) outside staircase to GB's garret and were very relieved to see they didn't need to break in nor did they have to carry him down the ricketty wooden steps to take him to hospital. He had managed a few breaths and was on the mend by then. There was not even a flicker of a smile from the professionals when I commented " terrible stairs to get a coffin down" (an old family saying); different sense of humour I suppose! 

On arrival at the hospital I was sent to report to the desk and was asked to guarantee $850 before my bloke was allowed to see a doctor. Of course I was in shock (hadn't managed to find the Will and his wallet was padlocked...!) and I agreed to whatever was necessary. There followed a couple of hours of tests; chest x-ray, ECG, blood tests and then occupation of a bed for 7 hours whilst they did heart monitoring followed by 3 prescriptions ($100). If the insurance company (RBS...!!!) don't come up with the cash we will be on bread and margarine for at least the next 12 months.

Is this sort of stuff the UK health care providers are going to be facing us with in the very near future, I wonder? Canada is supposed to have a Public Healthcare System which sounds much like the NHS and we were visitors, of course, BUT if this was the real cost of just seeing a doctor what kind of accounts are we going to be faced with if NHS privatisation continues? I am very concerned....as ever....but this experience scared me. My chap seems to be better; there is a chance he's got pertussis (Whooping Cough) from our granddaughter; could last a few more weeks. Both were inoculated but there is some kind of  mutation I understand. Take care out there!