A father who donated a kidney to his son on the NHS has spoken of his gratitude for the health service, contrasting it with the profit-driven US system. The man, writing in the Daily Mirror, described how his son faced a hospital bill of thousands of pounds in Florida despite having travel insurance, because the facility demanded upfront payment before treatment.
The writer recalled his own experience at the Royal Liverpool Hospital after a fall, where he waited four hours but received free ECG tests, a CT scan, and follow-up care. He said this made him realise how much Britons take the NHS for granted, and criticised right-wing politicians and media who focus on horror stories while ignoring the service's fundamental principle of free treatment at the point of delivery.
The article references the new US drama series The Pitt, set in an overstretched Pittsburgh ER, which highlights the callous, profit-driven nature of American healthcare. The show's star, Noah Wyle, expressed envy of the UK system, stating that the US has a 'profit-driven, quality-of-care-diminishing system' and needs universal coverage.
The author concludes that while the NHS has failings, it remains Britain's greatest asset, and warns that voting for Reform or the Conservatives is a vote to make the NHS 'the pits'.
