A True Story of British Healthcare: One Woman's Experience

Sadly, all the snow here in Edinburgh has resulted in something much less enjoyable a week later: ice. And, lots of it. The roads are well cleared but the sidewalks....well, not so much. After several near misses, on New Year's Eve it happened. I slipped and fell. Not once. Twice. The first was a little underwhelming. I slipped and landed on my bum. It hurt, but not had and there was only one witness--a gentleman behind me who graciously offered to help me up. The second time was a bit more dramatic.

I just stepped onto the sidewalk when I noticed a woman sitting on the pavement screaming. She had not fallen, but was quite agitated over seeing another woman fall. That woman appeared unconscious and there was quite a crowd gathered. No sooner did I see the scene, when I myself slipped and fell. How I fell, I cannot tell you, but I landed face down, hitting my chin, hand, and elbow pretty hard. Mortified by the crowd of witnesses, I quickly got up and went on my way. Just a bit down the road, I realized my hand hurt. A lot. I tried to shake it off, but to no avail. It still hurt. Ice helped--some. Tylenol helped--a little. But still it hurt. In the morning, the pain was so bad, it woke me up. My hand was (is) so swollen and blue that Joe and I decided a trip to the doctor was warranted.

Now, seeing as it was New Year's Day and all, all the local doctor's offices were closed. There are no urgent care centers. So, it was off to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Royal Infirmary Hospital. This was our first experience with healthcare here, and we weren't sure what to expect. Here's a faithful account of our day.

11:00am: We prepare to depart. Holiday bus schedule is checked and rechecked and route is confirmed. Passport, national insurance card, bank statement and lease (both to verify our address) is packed in order to confirm my identify and my eligibility for care. Our survival kit is prepared: 5 books for Joe, a 500 pager for me; snacks and water; playing cards; the ipod. We're preparing to spend the first day of the New Year hunkered down in the waiting room of the Royal Infirmary.

11:55am: Arrive at the hospital. Check in immediately with the receptionist. The following conversation ensues:

Receptionist: Hi
Amanda: Hi. I slipped yesterday and hurt my hand. I'm worried it might be broken.
R: Okay. What's your surname?
A: Rivera.
R: Date of birth?
A: 4/8/79 (mentally prepares for a long litany of questions)
R: Okay. So, are you Amanda? At 10/3 Dean Path?
A: Um. Yes. How did you know that?
R: Once you register with a doctor, you get entered into the system to make everything go more quickly.
A: Oh. Ok. (prepares for more questions)
R: Just have seat and someone will be with you.
A: (stands there, dumbfounded--clearly this woman does not know what she is doing. Don't they need all my id? My fingerprints, my mother's maiden name, my shoe size, the name of my first grade teacher?)
Joe: Oh. Um. This is our first time using health care here. Don't we need to do something? Paperwork? Pay something?
R: No. You're all set.
A: Oh. Thanks.

We then sit in the waiting room and prepare ourselves for the long wait. We agree to try to amuse ourselves by talking first. Who knows how long this will take and we can't use up all our entertainment options right away.

12:10pm: The doctor, himself, comes to the waiting room and calls my name. He takes me to the exam room and does a brief exam before declaring I need x-rays. He takes me to wait for x-rays.

Joe and I think, "this must be a fluke. Who gets seen in the ER, by a doctor, for a hand injury in 15 minutes?!" So, we prepare for what we're sure will be a very long wait. After all, it seems the A&E department is packed with people who are there for possible breaks. There will certainly be a long wait for the xrays.

12:30pm: Radiologist comes to get me for xrays. She takes 2, reviews the film and decides they need a 3rd. Takes the 3rd and sends me back to waiting room.

Joe and I break out our books and start reading. Clearly, now we are going to wait. We'll probably even have to remind them later that we are here and they need to find and read my xrays.

12:50pm: Doctor comes to the waiting room. He explains that no breaks have appeared on the xray. It appears it is just a very bad contusion. He gives me home care instructions and guidelines for when to seek additional medical attention regarding this matter. Answers some questions and sends me on my way.

12:55pm: We confirm with receptionist that we can in fact leave. No payment needed. Now or ever. No paperwork. We can just go.

Joe and I leave asking each other--did we really just go the ER, on New Year's, and get out in an hour without paying a pence? Seriously? Awesome.

And that friends, is the true story of our first experience with national healthcare.