Katie Brickell

oneki is wrong. Katie says nothing about her district or that she does not like the NHS, What Katie wanted was a reversal of the decision not to fund free pap smears for people under 25 because the science shows it MOSTLY to be a waste of time and money. Katie is one of those rarities for whom a pap smear under 25 may have prevented a cancer from spreading. Her being the exception does not make the rule. T

he fact is that, as in the U.S. Katie could have paid for a pap smear privately.

In Britain, everyone has choices. There are private hospitals and private insurers. And a free service from public hospitals and family physicians. Katie was really complaining that the NHS would not PAY for her pap test at her young age. Its very RARE to have cancer at that age. She could have paid for a test privately. She was very unlucky. But so are people who are hit by lightning. The NHS draws a line on funding which everyone can cross if they wish.

indeed. I would doubt that even a private HMO would allow a Pap test as that age. She would probably have had to pay for it anyway.

This makes the NHS look very bad indeed, but as you say, very unlucky.