Today, we started are classes looking at the healthcare and educations systems in the United Kingdom. With today’s initial lectures, we had various speakers come in and talk about their respective jobs and what it is they do. One lecture was also on how students with special educational needs are helped with in the United Kingdom’s system. While listening to our speakers talk, we learned that, although there are differences between the US and UK, we also have similarities as well.
Let’s start off with the healthcare side of things. In the UK, you visit what is called a General Practitioner (GP). This is where you go to start with on the medical adventure. From here, the GP can issue you a referral to a specialist for whatever may be bothering you. In the US, our GPs are our Primary Care Physicians. The process is similar except that in the US you don’t need a referral in order to visit a specialist. What makes this referral problem unique is that it can add you to a waitlist depending on how many people are seeking the same treatment. While in the US, we don’t really need a wait time for treatment. We are usually offered some form of treatment almost immediately. Another thing of great importance noted in the US and UK is the patient advocacy. Although there were not any notable differences, one speaker made me think if the UK takes it more seriously. That speaker worked as an ODP or Operating Department Practitioner. During her lecture, she mentioned that the patient is reminded of consent all the way up into the operation room. She also goes on to say that a patient could say they don’t want the surgery, even if it’s right before they’re out under by anesthesia. Thinking back to my few surgeries in the US, I truly don’t remember them reminding me of my right to pull my consent. And my most recent one was after I turned 18, so I find it interesting that I wasn’t reminded even though I was legally an adult.
Pivoting to the education side of things, the special needs system for education in the UK is also something worth talking about. First, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system includes those from age 0-25. In the US, its equivalent system goes until 21, which you are then covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Something I asked about was if the UK had any room requirements for special educational needs students like here in the US. I was surprised to hear that the UK does not have any requirements in what they call “mainstream schools.” However, they do have schools for students with the special educational needs that do have very specific requirements. A very large similarity in the education realm was the use of Education Healthcare Plans (EHCP). The EHCP is quite like its American counterpart, the Individualized Educational Plans (IEP). Both of these truly help children with special needs gain the quality education they’re looking for. The major difference though is that the educator plans a greater role in the US, while the educator isn’t as focused on in the UK.
Between our lecture sessions, we got to go and visit the local botanical gardens! It was quite a lovely place to visit and stretch out our legs from sitting in lectures. The day was a,ready enjoyable from the lectures, but the botanical gardens really helped! I look forward to tomorrow’s blog, where we will be visiting Stratford-upon-Avon or otherwise known as the place of Shakespeare’s birth!