What's the healthcare system like in Crete Dave? Has it been affected by the problems of the Greek economy?

I think that UK's population increase shouldn't have had a major effect on NHS funding - there are more people to pay into it to balance the greater demand (provided that everyone pays their whack). What it has certainly caused though is chronic overcrowding since hospital building hasn't kept pace.

John

It is good here on Crete John, very short waiting lists if any, emergency is super fast as I found out twice, once with kidney failure due to dehydration, in and receiving dialysis straight away then four more treatments in five days saving my kidneys two more weeks in hospital then discharged and seeing a specialist every year since, and once with severe cut from a chainsaw through to the bone, again seen straight away with treatment and saw the same doctor every day for one week then discharged and weekly checkup for 2 months, alot of the staff are working without pay and kept by family until pay can be made, so John all-in-all the system beats the UK hands down and 98 percent staff are Cretan/Greek, my nieghbours son works in the Chania hospital and I get all the up to date news from him, very few top bods receiving silly high saleries...

(16-Dec-2017, 06:30 PM)jwhi Wrote: What's the healthcare system like in Crete Dave? Has it been affected by the problems of the Greek economy?

I think that UK's population increase shouldn't have had a major effect on NHS funding - there are more people to pay into it to balance the greater demand (provided that everyone pays their whack). What it has certainly caused though is chronic overcrowding since hospital building hasn't kept pace.

John

The big problem is a lot do not work because they are at university longer than any in my day, we left at 15 and went to work contributing for 10 years before most of the modern generation, end of...

(17-Dec-2017, 12:14 PM)Dave H Wrote: It is good here on Crete John, very short waiting lists if any, emergency is super fast as I found out twice, once with kidney failure due to dehydration, in and receiving dialysis straight away then four more treatments in five days saving my kidneys two more weeks in hospital then discharged and seeing a specialist every year since, and once with severe cut from a chainsaw through to the bone, again seen straight away with treatment and saw the same doctor every day for one week then discharged and weekly checkup for 2 months, alot of the staff are working without pay and kept by family until pay can be made, so John all-in-all the system beats the UK hands down and 98 percent staff are Cretan/Greek, my nieghbours son works in the Chania hospital and I get all the up to date news from him, very few top bods receiving silly high saleries...

Can't ask for better service than that can you?
Lots of people criticise the NHS but I can't complain........I've had the benefit of life-saving intensive care as has my son (totally unrelated incidents). A couple of years ago I presented myself to A&E at Chorley with chest pains and within 10 mins they had gone to town on me with a great series of tests - showed it was nothing, but still.........
I think you might have something with the 'silly high salaries' of top managers though. I wonder what the old efficient Matrons were paid?

This reply was to your comment about the population in England increase John...

That was the point John, the old matrons with very few above them. A number of my relatives work as nurses in different departments. Their comments are constantly about the senior managers, level upon level and the salaries they command. I've always found Greek and Turkish health care to be very good on the few occasions we have needed it. Antibiotics and other medicines we need a prescription for can be bought freely in Turkey. Dalyan have a doctor's surgery that stays open late in the evening, we could call in without an appointment and usually without waiting

(17-Dec-2017, 06:42 PM)Dave H Wrote: This reply was to your comment about the population in England increase John...

Sorry, I missed that reply Dave.

Well that's true - almost 50% of 18+ year olds now go to university. But isn't having a degree supposed to make you a bigger earner (and bigger taxpayer)? Hmmm.....apparently not in most cases!

Another big reason for spiralling NHS costs is the advance in medical capabilities, requiring expensive new technology and drugs - we now expect to survive many diseases which were once a death sentence.

John

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all from Crete

Same from Anacortes, WA. We'll have 12 family members here for dinner on Christmas Eve! One grandson is coming from New York. The others are all in Washington. One daughter will be taking a ferry ride as part of her trip.

Frank

And from me in Sunny Farington.....if you believe that.. we are having son daughter-in-law and granddaughter Christmas day. She asked for a plate full of pigs in blankets followed by chocolate sponge pudding. Boxing Day all the tribe will be here all12 of them . Roll on 2018 :-)