The U.K just got worse, regarding receiving treatment for mental health issues

While I'm very happy you can afford mental health care on a tight budget, it's unrealistic to say anyone can simply sacrifice more and go private. There are people out there who have less income or no income (unemployed, job seekers, carers) and more outgoings (dependent children, high-cost of living areas) who can't just make it work if they try harder.

Is private healthcare better? In my experience, yes, but that's true of virtually everything, from education to roads to live-in childcare. And I suspect private mental healthcare remains relatively affordable in the UK precisely because private therapists know clients have the option of going to the NHS and paying nothing.

I'm not a huge fan of the NHS. I've had exceptional care, but I've also had care that was incredibly poor.

Some of the issues I had with the NHS are down to a**holes who shouldn't be working in healthcare to begin with. But a lot of the issues were down to understaffing and a lack of funds.

Countries that don't have public healthcare have their own issues. I grew up in Canada (which had universal healthcare), and went to university in a town that bordered the US. I worked in a supermarket with a pharmacy. The number of Americans hopping the border to buy insulin because they couldn't afford it at home was shocking. Some told me they rationed it.

I'd rather live in a country that provides both public and private services.

I just want to say for the record that the NHS is amazing and I feel eternally grateful to live in a country offering free universal healthcare.

Nothing is free. I expect that's the problem regardless of the system and that system's unique shortcomings.

Well, that and the way the rich just get richer and horde all their wealth.

I don't see a solution. If you have "free" public healthcare, you have politicians, **** mental health services, and decreased autonomy. If you have a private system, profits come before all else, it is also highly politicized (at least here), and the costs can get pretty ridiculous (especially when you force them to cover everybody).

Nope. I just don't see a solution, unless the miserly rich ****s decide to stop being so damn selfish and hording more money to themselves than they can even spend.

You aren't entitled to someone else's money.

When taxation works properly, it isn't someone else's money, it is public money. Wealthy people benefit enormously from the structure and makeup of society. It is only fair that they contribute to it in a meaningful way, if they are going to reap the benefits.

You aren't entitled to someone else's money.

What about those that don't contribute. Should they reap the benefits too?

My son worked hard to get where he is. Yes, worked to get where he is. Unyet they fleece him through the tax system.

To much of this take, take take. Give me give me give me.
What about go make it happen yourself

Did your son have the benefit of a public education? Did you receive child benefit while he was growing up? Did you do extra mileage on roads to complete school runs? Because, if he/you did, I and countless other childless people helped to pay for that. So yes, I expect a certain amount of his income to go back into the pot -- I want my investment back into the social services that I, as a childless person, will be more likely use (like end-of-life care and the NHS, as it's unlikely I'll have family to take care of me).

You have to be making nearly double the median national salary in the UK before taxes really start digging into your wages, and even then, those taxes are paying for services you're using. 'Fleecing' is a bit of an exaggeration.

I'm an immigrant to the UK. The Home Office charged me an NHS fee on top of the taxes I already pay. My final visa was £3000, despite the fact their costs are about £300. That's fleecing.

That's not fleecing. That's fair.

It's discrimination and it's financial rape.

I'm not going to respond further, but I'm so glad my British husband and friends don't think like you.

When taxation works properly, it isn't someone else's money, it is public money. Wealthy people benefit enormously from the structure and makeup of society. It is only fair that they contribute to it in a meaningful way, if they are going to reap the benefits.