Oh AJ once again stating your opinions as fact in a sweeping statement. I have many friends and colleagues who work in the UK. My brother lived in London for 10 years. At times he used private health care because he wasn't prepared to wait for the NHS.

One of my colleagues daughters developed an abscess on her face. It was deemed non life threatening and she was given some antibiotics and told to come back in a month to check if it had got worse. The very same doctor treated her privately and fixed the problem immediately.

Don't get me wrong - there is much to be said for the NHS but it not necessarily always "better" than private healthcare. Think about nuance in your statements.

With my medical aid I generally pay the doctor and claim back from the medical aid. I am liable for the money not my medical aid.