NHS, don't ever complain

My cousin, a female living in the UK and and in her late 70’s, was visiting her son in Seattle and slipped on the bedroom floor breaking her hip. The medics asked which hospital she wanted (she hadn’t a clue with not living there!) so they took her to one and she was given two options; either wait for it to mend which could take several weeks or have a replacement hip joint and fly home after a couple of weeks, she chose the latter. The surgeon was actually on half a day holiday but told her that he would come back in the evening to operate. All went well, she returned to the UK after around a month at her son’s and twice in the following few months he (the surgeon) called her at home in the UK to check that all was well. Downside was the cost; $15000 at the last count, but travel insurance paid for the majority (if not all) of it. She was very impressed with the whole US health system, but maybe not everyone is treated the same, and presumably money talks?

Pete.