What I don't understand is the huge discrepancy between Canadian state healthcare (excellent, according to English pals who emigrated there years ago) and the US system. Maybe because there are far fewer people in Canada? Anybody?

Yes!

Absolutely....If I was living in the States right now, I would not be able to pay for a health insurance. The cost in the States is phenomenal. I couldn't not afford it! My very close friend and her husband who live in San Jose, California have been going through tremendous hardship. He was made redundant.. He now has serious health problems (Heart) and they cannot pay for their health insurance. They have accumulated debts to keep it all going but this is not sustainable.. it is frightening. At respectively 59 and 56 years old, I fear very much for their welfare and well-being. In the UK, this would not be the case. He would receive treatment on the NHS.

I can't praise the NHS enough. Ten days ago my mother (age 67) fell and broke her hip. From the ambulance crew who arrived within minutes right through to the surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists, her care has been second to none. I am very grateful to the NHS.

I personally believe that the NHS is something very special and one of the few good things to come out of government. It is however a behemoth that requires carefully managing - with more front line staff, fewer managers and less red tape than we have at the present. Efficient use of funds is critical if it is to survive. Let's face it, management of anything in this country has always been of somewhat dubious quality. 'Bout time they listened to the people who actually do the work!

Quite right, Steve! The NHS is fantastic. I'm happy to say I haven't had to use its services a great deal, but when I was very ill about 20 years ago, the treatment I received was superlative. And I have also received healthcare in the US when I was working there, and having to worry about how you're going to pay the doctor when you're feeling crap, doesn't help. Luckily on that occasion I was not seriously ill. The NHS is one of the best things we have created here in the UK.

Couldn't agree more with your assessment of the differences. The system here in the USA is completely broken and in it's death throes, acknowledged or not.

I know for a fact that if it was not for the N H S my dear wife would have died of her cancers three years ago!The amazing treatment although somewhat harsh I'm sure would have been unafordable otherwise.It is still ongoing even now, and for the forseeable future,but at least she has a future.God bless the N H S for it is certainly a blessing for all of us>

I really hope that Obama succeeds with his healthcare reform proposals- he is up against some powerful vested interests with the pharmaceutical companies etc. However from what I have read recently it look if one or two leading figures who were totally against these new reforms have done a complete u-turn to support him...He is a brave and pioneering man... and yes the British health service is the best- I would not be able to walk if it wasn't for the surgery I've recently had, and the care in hospital was excellent.

Hi; I'm a Canadian living in Montreal. In response to the question above about why Canadian health care works so much better than the U.S. ''system'' - if you can even really call it that - I would say that our system is comparable to the NHS whose praises you are singing here. I have been helping my parents in Ontario transition through various health crises for over three years now. My mother has Alzheimer's and my Dad recently passed away. During my time advocating for them and interfacing with the health care system on their behalf, I had multiple dealings with clinics, hospitals and long-term-care facilities. There was very little paper work to fill out; there were no invoices to be paid, other than for incidentals such as personal hygiene items and some of their (experimental) medications; the health care professionals at all levels and in all settings provided excellent service - without exception; and the leval and quality of care, I dare say, rivals that to be had anywhere in the world. People like me were incensed when U.S. lobby groups haranguing against public health care there actually paid a couple of Canadians to do commercials bad-mouthing the care received up here. One of the provincial governments is even suing a woman who wrongly claimed not to have received timely care this side of the border. Essentially everything Michael Moore says in his film about Canadian health care is true, i.e., it's mostly positive. We like to berate our government just like everyone else in the West, and are often our own worst critics, but I wouldn't trade our system for the confusing mish-mash they have south of the border. Bravo to you Brits for sticking with your NHS. Improvements can always be made, and the quality, quantity and timeliness of care are all subject to perennial budget constraints to be sure, but geez, Louise, give me a break. The Yanks need to get with the program, God bless them...xo

While Arthur C Clark describes an advance science as looking like magic to those people who don't understand it and while they do not know every thing. It's not, after all, what scientists do but what their understanding is used for. But from this blog entry it is evident that you do not know what either a scientist or a even a pharmacologist does as you describe them as Black Magicians. But where would that 'wonderful' health service be without them (nearly forgot to count to 10).

The hardest part about overhauling the health care system in the US is the simply enormity of what they need to do. The NHS and other systems like it throughout the world were largly first developed (or began planning) during and just after WW2... back then, the population size to implement and cater for was fewer, and the systems are so good today because they have been evolving over the last 50 years to become the institutions they are... The US health system is so problematic... and it's sad to look at the US and see the task they have ahead of them. Trying to implement an A grade health care system is going to be very difficult to carry out when needing to accommodate such a large population, and the fact they are only just starting to lay the groundwork now...

If there was ever a case of a country being fur coat and no knickers its the States - we're bigger, better and gonna teach the world to sing ... but hey... if you're ill and poor ... tough .... a hurricane blasts your homes and you dont live in the right zip code ... tough. I pray Obama has the discernment to see what really needs changing and the vision and strength to see it through. Lets blast him with good wishes eh? And love.

I couldn't agree more with the person who says we need fewer managers and more front line staff. I work in a teaching hospital where the staff who actually do the work are ignored and in the last round of pay talks (2 yrs ago) actually had a PAY CUT while the managers awarded themselves large pay rises, go figure. What's worse is there is a blame culture which makes life very difficult for those staff if a patient makes a complaint, even when that complaint is unjustified. It really doesn't help when the media go on another NHS bashing exercise as this only seems to make people more aggressive to staff. Not wishing to bleat, but having an insider's viewpoint might actually make people think twice before they make that angry call. We're just trying to do the jobs we're paid to do, not save the world, in difficult circumstances.