I don't have much personal experience with the NHS (touch wood), but I think the consensus opinion is that it's excellent for people with an immediate medical problem, and I don't think the vast waiting rooms full of bleeding/vomiting people you see on ER often occur in Britain. The problems come when you have a medical problem that isn't urgent. For a while I had trouble focussing when reading, and the first appointment I could get with an NHS ophthalmologist was in something like 10 months' time.

I live midway between two hospitals, Whipps Cross (which is in London) and Harlow in Essex. The only time I needed urgent care I went to Harlow, where I was seen in about 90 minutes. I once accompanied someone to Whipps and the waiting time was 9 hours for non-acute cases.

A lot of the issues in the UK relating to health care depends on the demographic of the area. Whipps Cross is in an area where there is a higher proportion of people who have no GP - in the main immigrants from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, who wouldn't know to register with a doctor or who have chosen not to. So when something's wrong they go to A&E (for USians, A&E stands for 'Accident & Emergency' - the equivalent of ER) instead of to the GP.

Harlow, having a lower proportion of immigrants, tends to have lower waiting times in A&E. I suspect that's the position with your part of the world, chuckd. If you'd pitched up at The Royal London or Newham General you'd probably still be sitting there now. Glad to hear all is well with your foot.

Jan, I was that SURE there was about 5mm of steel in my foot... it snapped off! But, the x-rays were clean. Three doctors agreed.