A young UK woman named Laura Price, age 30, has died waiting for a vital brain scan from the NHS. From the story:
Laura Price…was found dead in her home just hours after she had been discharged from casualty. The evening before she died, Miss Price…had begged a junior A&E doctor for anti-seizure drugs but had been told they could only be prescribed by a neurologist.
Two days earlier she had visited a specialist at Charing Cross hospital and was told she would have to wait six weeks [emphasis mine] for a brain scan. She had felt “concerned and afraid” at having to wait that length of time for a test before being treated for a recurrence of childhood epilepsy, Westminster coroner’s court heard.
She had not had a seizure for more than 10 years, but after a series of “strange episodes”, including a numb face and flashing lights in her vision, she had visited her GP and was referred to the specialist.
I agree that the US system is badly in need of reform. But a socialized system like that in the UK ain’t the answer.