In today’s lecture, I learned so much about the healthcare system in the UK. The group got to talk to wonderful healthcare professionals about their role and how the healthcare system runs from the top of the hierarchy to the bottom. The beginning of the lecture was taught by David Waters who is an associate professor and was an intensive care unit nurse (ICU). The healthcare system in the UK is ran by the government which is similar to the United States. The system in the UK has moved their focus away from hospitals and more towards the community. In the area in Pittsburgh where I am from and the surrounding areas, lack the resources to accessible and affordable healthcare in the community. In the UK they have general practitioners (GP) and that is equivalent to our primary care physicians or family physicians.

A big difference that I did not expect was leaning that you only go to the hospital if your primary physician refers you to a specialist at the hospital. In order to see the specialist you are put on a long waiting list, you are triaged amongst the people on the waiting list, and then it could take 6 months to a year to be seen!! However, if you need to see a specialist sooner because of life threatening symptoms you can be put in within a week. GP’s generally work with certain hospitals and you are referred to the hospital that they want you to go to. When you call 999 (UK emergency number) you are triaged by importance by the NHS. Medicines in the UK are not always covered as well. There is also a private healthcare system in the UK which mostly only the wealthy pay for because they have the money, but in some cases if you want to be seen you do contact a private insurer. In comparison to the US, I feel like we go to the hospital for every little thing we need first before going to our primary care physician. In America, when you see a specialist the waiting list is usually no longer than a month (in my experience). When it comes to being referred to a specialist I would say that it depends on who the doctor knows personally or professionally and trusts. When you call 911 in America, I would not say there is much triage. They will send an ambulance no matter how big or little.

The lecture was filled with many speakers that taught me so much about the healthcare system. One of the speakers was Lisa Jesson, I think her perspective was the most surprising to me out of all of the people I got to speak to. She was a midwife, as someone in nursing school and aas someone that has been interesting in nursing for awhile, I never really heard the perspective of a nurse midwife before. It might be because it is not as common in the US. Samantha Perry was another speaker that supports children with special education and disabilities. Her field was very interesting to me because I do not here much about special needs children getting help when it comes to finding jobs, managing school or even helping siblings that they have.

Overall, the UK and the US have many differences, however they are different in how they do things not so much what is being done.