Did someone say free healthcare?

We have employer based U.S. health insurance coverage.  While posted in the UK, we are eligible to register with the National Health Service (NHS) for medical care.  This is the first time that we have been eligible to participate in socialized medicine and I am looking forward to this social experiment for our family.  I have heard nightmare stories about the NHS, but whenever someone proposes making changes to it, people rally around their NHS.  Kind of like Social (in)Security in the U.S.

One of the items in our employee to do list was to register with a practice.  The way this works here is that you go online to the NHS Service Search and enter your post code.  A list of local surgeries in your catchment area will come up.  The term "surgery" is the U.S. equivalent for office.  Even the headmasters at the schools hold surgeries i.e. office hours.  

You must register with a general practitioner surgery in your catchment area.  The list includes NHS customer ratings. Anything above 88% is rated "among the best" and anything below 70% is rated "among the worst".  The listing also includes how many patients are in a practice, whether you can make online appointments or request prescriptions online.  It also has the website listing for the practice.  Being technically inclined as I am, I chose the practice that allowed me to conveniently register online and make appointments.  They also happen to be open every day including weekends until 8pm, have the lowest amount of registered patients (under 5000) and it is rated among the best.

To get started, you must get your NHS number.  To do this, you must complete the application form below on the GP's website for each member of your family.  

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When you submit the form, the surgery prints it out and holds it for your signature.  You just drop in and sign the forms and you get a card with a number at some point afterwards. Then, supposedly, you are set.  You just make an appointment and get seen.  For free.  I found this odd because we don't pay into it, but it is free.  

This will be interesting because for the first time ever, I will very likely require medical care and surgery (of the non office variety) for rotator cuff tear repair and PT while in the UK. The NHS search lists the average wait time for an orthopaedic appointment from GP referral to the actual appointment. It ts about 30 days for the appointment and about 14 weeks to treatment.  To be continued....