Europe 2005

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There are aspects of the NHS which are greatly superior to services to the rest of Europe.  We rightly take it for granted that if we are seriously injured the ambulance service will take us to hospital.  Even where the ambulance services cannot reach, such as high mountains in poor visibility voluntary mountain rescue services will rescue people without asking for payment up front.  People having skiing accidents on the continent are rescued by competing small firms but only if the injured person has means of payment.  I became aware of this in March 2005 when my son broke his arm skiing in France.

While I do not have direct experience of the continental ambulance services, from the ambulances I have seen there appear to be a large number of private ambulances providing a service that is probably paid for in the same way as a taxi service.

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Sheila Porter-Williams
Campaign for Health Service Democracy
Green Haven, Halfway Lane
Dunchurch
Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 6RD
sheilaCHSD@porter-williams.freeserve.co.uk