Just as fast as I was back blogging, I was back to not blogging. A week ago on Saturday, I was back to experiencing pain and had a low fever, so I went to the ER to have them take a look at things. It turns out I had complications from the appendicitis which ended up keeping me in the hospital for another 6 days. That was . . . not a pleasant surprise.
But I’m out now, hopefully for at least the next long while. And I’m here to report out on how the two different health care systems stacked up. Because why not at least get a good blog post out of the ordeal?
First off, I’m not going to say anything as to price. I still don’t know what either visit will cost me, though I do have very good insurance. I will say that the ER in Scotland (known as A&E (accidents and emergencies, not the TV channel)) is free. They don’t charge a thing for people to use that. Even non-Scots such as myself. I also know from experience that the ER in Maine is definitely not free . . .
But beyond price, how did they stack up?
- Rooms: In Scotland, i was always in a shared room. They had curtain partitions, but they weren’t fond of them at all. I tried putting mine up a few times, and the nurses would come in later and put them away again each time. I had 2 rooms with 6 people and 1 with 4. I didn’t mind the shared rooms as much as I thought I would. People were kind and respectful and none of my roommates were obnoxious. All the rooms had nice beds and windows. In America, I was in a private room while I was in the ER, but it was very small, with no windows. The bed was very much not great for the first night, but they brought in a hospital bed the next day, and then that was fine. There was a TV (none in Scotland), but I generally didn’t use it. I just had no desire to sit and watch television. There were more outlets available for patients in Scotland than in either hospital in America. Charging stuff was easier there than here.
- Doctors: They were about the same in both countries. All doctors seemed to know what they were doing, and they were happy to answer any and all questions I had. I felt like I knew what was happening to me and why. That was helpful. I appreciated that they would ask me why I thought I was there, the first time they met me. That was a good way for them to ascertain that I knew what was going on. Good job, docs!
- Nurses: Also very reliable and kind. It was interesting to get to know each and see how their different personalities affected how they worked. Some of them were very no-nonsense, some were chatty and laid back, some were fond of checklists, but they all did a good job.
- Food: This is no contest. The food in Scotland was terrible. The food in the two hospitals I was in in Maine (the ER and then Portland) was fine. Not great, but at least edible. About like cafeteria food from grade school, from what I recall.
- Roommates: I already went over how the Scottish ones were. In Portland, I was in a shared room with one other person. He was an obnoxious, cantankerous 91-year-old man who was absolutely horrible to nurses. Always complaining, never grateful, and it drove me up the walls. The good news is that the curtain was up between us the whole time, so I didn’t have to sit there staring at him every day.
- Ambulance ride: I only went on one in America, so I can’t compare it to the taxi ride I took to the hospital in Glasgow. I’d never been in an ambulance before. Driving backward on a stretcher the whole time is less than fun, but they were all nice, and it was a fine experience. Could have been much worse.
- Equipment: All hospitals seemed to be well-equipped, with the latest devices necessary to provide good care. Socialized medicine in Scotland didn’t seem like it resulted in a bad situation. Other than the food. The hospital in Glasgow did seem older than the American ones, but since it originally opened in 1794, I think there’s good cause for that . . .
- Quality of Care: Again, I saw no real difference between the two systems. Staff were attentive and thorough, and I had no complaints. I’ll say that the experience in Scotland felt more like a shared one with all the patients in it together, whereas in America it was more I was on my own, if that makes sense.
So to sum up, I would go to either again, though I would do my darnedest to have someone bring me in outside food in Glasgow. Other than that, they felt comparable. It’ll be interesting to see the final bill for each. My guess is there will be a stark difference, but what do I know. I do know that all the warnings about how much socialized health care would end up with worse health care seemed, in my limited experience, to be unfounded.
And that’s all I’ve got time for today. Glad to be back. Hope it sticks this time. Thanks for reading!