This morning was really nice because we got to sleep in – we didn’t have to meet up with the group until 9am! We then made our way back to the BCU!
This morning, we got a wonderful lecture from Sue and Shelly about how primary care works in the UK. We also gained further insight into how the NHS operates as well as some advantages and disadvantages of the system. The most similar comparison to primary care, or a general practitioner (GP) in the UK to the US would be an individual’s primary care physician (PCP). I think the role of primary care in both the UK and the US are similar in essence. With the role being to provide holistic, well-rounded care to every patient and to ensure that the needs of every patient is met. However, access to primary care is what, I think, greatly differs between the UK and the US. The UK has a universal healthcare model via the National Health Service (NHS). This means that every individual has the ability to access healthcare no matter what their circumstances are, which is a huge advantage. However, this corresponds to long waiting times to get in to see a GP and for surgeries (wait times can range between 3 to 5 years). When I heard this, I was taken back. I think I always assumed that a universal healthcare system was the best system because you don’t have to pay for healthcare, which is very expensive. It seems so bizarre to have to wait weeks to see a GP when I could easily get in with my PCP if I needed an appointment. While free healthcare is a dream, a consequence is that access to healthcare is much more limited. For example, in the UK GP appointments are booked on a priority basis, not a first come first serve basis. Whereas, in the US I feel like PCP appointments are more so booked on a first come first serve basis. One similarity between the UK and US system, though, is that the cost of prescriptions is an out-of-pocket expense. In the UK, the NHS prescription charge is currently nine pounds ninety. To an American hearing this price for prescriptions sounds like a luxury as prescriptions can be a couple hundred dollars if you don’t have a health insurance plan the covers or partly covers prescriptions. Sue and Shelly also planned a really fun escape room themed game for us to test our knowledge about the primary care system in the UK and that was so much fun – things definitely got competitive!
I think the big lesson I took away from the presenters we had today was that being a nurse isn’t always easy, but you have to find joy in the simple things and hold on to that passion or the reason you wanted to become a nurse in the first place (and it’s not for the money!).
In the evening, we met up with current BCU nursing students who actually did a study abroad program at the University of Pittsburgh. It was so much fun hearing about their time in Pittsburgh. It was also interesting to hear about their experiences at BCU and in their placements because their nursing program is very different from the program I am in.
