Posted by NikkiT2 on October 16, 2005, at 6:32:31
In reply to The British Medical System-A few thoughts, posted by Tom Twilight on October 7, 2005, at 16:29:12
Hi, sorry for a late reply.. But working too hard and less time online for more than the basics of what I read *L*
>I think part of problem with the UK is that the NHS is completely publicly funded;
You do have the option of going privately remember.. Yes, thats expensive, I agree, and wasn't an option for me..
But the other side of it is, if you need treatment, you WILL get it. There is no way at all that I would have been able to have been treated in the US.. I would have simply had to sit back and suffer.. For both my medical and physical problems.
I like that when I was earning *nothing* (but couldn't claim any state benefits because I was still legally employed, and had used up all my SSP) I was still getting treatment and medication at an affordable level. have you thought about how much you pay for your medication over the vast majority of the rest of the world?>The UK system is, on the whole, unwieldy and conservative.
Yes, alot of the psychiatrists are - not the system, but many of the doctors. Getting an advocate is always agood idea, someone who knows how to really work the system, so you can try and change your pdoc
>Most UK docs seems unwilling to experiment with med combos, and are also unwilling to treat disorders aggressively.
Also the vast majority of UK GPs and Psychiatrists seem to be quite benzo phobic.GP's are benzo phobic for a reason. They're highly addictve, and it is, in my opinion, not good to prescribe something to someone and cause an addiction. In the 70's they were much more free with benzo's, but they ended up with large numbers of benzo addicted patients.. Once bitten, twice shy I guess.
Also, there is this thing called "evidence base". Most doctors have a strong belief in working with an evidence base. If you can find a doc that works in research too, he would probably be more willing to work with combo's.
I have to say here though, that I have been shocked by some of the HUGE combo's that some people here are on, and I find that level of medication really un nessesary.
> I've had lots of trouble getting what I need from UK docs. Try mentioning Parnate to a UK pdoc and then wait to be laughed at!In the UK a patient that expresses suicidal urges (whether ideation or simply said they do have a plan) won't be prescribed an MAOI. Or a tricyclic often.
> It seems especially hard for Social Phobics who have limited choice already. Yet for some reason Seroxat or Moclobemide are 'highly' recommended for it. Uh, why?
Theres not real evidence base for any meds working for Social Phobia. The only real evidence base in this area, that works long term, is therapy such as CBT or CAT.
No meds ever touched mine, but CBT worked utter wonders. Have you asked for therapy to help with it?>
Moclobemide for serious mental illness, what a joke! Treating one the most stubborn disorders with one of the weakest drugs. To his credit my last UK Pdoc said it was useless
Having said that it probably works great for some people, but not very many, I daresay.Not quite sure what you're saying here, I don't believe it is a highly prescribed medication.
Someone said that the Australian health system is best
Probably because it a mixture of public and private funding so you get the best of both worlds..........The French system is similar and works incredibly well in my opinion. But, if anything has to be paid "up front" and then claimed back, then you're cancelling out all those people who simply cannot afford to pay up front for things. If that had been the only option for me, then I can quite clearly say I would be dead now.
The UK does work heavily on evidence based medicine in the main stream (ie, non research hospitals).. It has its positives, and it has its negatives..
Nikki xx
poster:NikkiT2
thread:564641
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20050924/msgs/567518.html