Just for comparison, the cost of a dental filling in USA without insurance varies from $200-600 and can be as high as $4000. That would be the equivalent of £160-500 depending on how bad it is. In Germany, it can cost 200Euro - again much higher than here.
Atlee's government were indeed a high point in UK politics, but could have been higher. Eyesight is clearly not as severe a condition as epilepsy but they are both medical conditions which untreated would leave the patient significantly incapacitated. I would never have been allowed to drive and neither would she. My point was not a criticism of the way she has been treated, but as a contrast to my experience. Edit; I don't wear glasses to make me look better....
I get your point but, and I think this is what Jay is also hinting at, epilepsy could result in death very easily (dependent on seizure type and level of control) whereas being short sighted is unlikely to have the same impact.
No argument except that before my eyesight problem was spotted (by a teacher), I could easily have stepped into a road thinking it clear and then been hit by a vehicle - particularly in low light conditions.
Whilst I’m not critical of Attlee on this ‘issue’, the treatment of sight issues are an ongoing cost to me as well, and will be for two of my three kids. It is something we just have to deal with. As Brush says, because we are myopic rather than epileptic, we pay - opposite way on the medication would be free. Furthermore, epileptic patients don’t just get their epilepsy medication for free - they get an exemption certificate giving ALL prescriptions for free. And also pay nhs dental fees and a bigger contribution to eye care - free tests and free basic glasses (or a reduction in the cost of other glasses). Epilepsy is only one such condition that gets a medical exemption, there are others, but it isn’t just the medication for that condition that is free. Mind you, prescriptions only cost us in England. They are free in Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland anyway. So it isn’t just a quirk of which naturally occurring defect you suffer; it’s also a quirk of what part of a couple of little islands you were born in (or actually, live in.)
But surely you must concede that having epilepsy is much, much worse than having myopia? Particularly, as you pointed out, a person can have both. These posts are reading like "It's not fair, him over there has epilepsy and he gets his scripts paid for but I'm short sighted and I don't." Well, you're right, it's absolutely not fair. But the person it's not fair to is the poor bugger with epilepsy. Life's like that. People are born with terrible conditions and it absolutely isn't fair for them. In an ideal world everyone would get free treatment for every condition, no matter how major or minor. And yes, that is worth striving for. But until then, I believe that helping those with the worst conditions is the most appropriate and I wouldn't feel comfortable complaining I have to pay for my glasses because someone gets free epilepsy medication.
I think you're pretty much correct with that. Ultimately we should all have free healthcare for everything and its something to believe in but we shouldn't be too quick to slag off Attlee for his imperfect/incomplete policies. There'll be lots of Tories too willing to do that
