Healthcare in Muggle Britain

[jocundasykes]

This is a quick guide for those who want to write about healthcare in the Muggle world, also to counter ‘Harry didn’t see the Snitch cos his aunt and uncle wouldn’t pay for his glasses’ that you occasionally come across.

Let's talk about money for a minute.

 

The NHS is ‘free at point of use’ (paid via taxes). This means that you don’t pay to see any doctor or nurse, or for any hospital stay. Except the car parks.

 

Prescriptions are presently £9.35 in England, and free in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

In England, 1961-1965 a prescription was two shillings. 1965-68 charges were abolished. In 1968 charges were reintroduced at 2 s 6d. So Marauders Era still had prescription charges.

You do not pay for prescriptions if you’re under 16, under 19 and education, 60+, if you can’t leave the house without help because of a physical disability, if you get certain benefits eg jobseekers, some war pensioners, pregnant or had a baby within past year, underactive thyroid, have diabetes or epilepsy. In 2009 onwards it became free if you had cancer

Contraception is always free  

As a comparison, Epipens are 700USD for two (as of 2021) or £95 for two if you buy them privately in the UK. If on the same prescription, free or £9.35 via the NHS.

 

The job titles here are a bit different. You’d see a ‘counsellor’ rather than ‘therapist’. A ‘psychiatrist’ is a medical doctor who diagnoses and prescribes for specialist conditions, psychologists can provide cognitive behavioural therapy, do neuropsychological testing, but they don’t prescribe. This is because they haven’t done a medical degree first, but a doctorate. On the whole, there are far fewer people with title of “Professor” in the UK compared to USA. It’s very hard to get this title. I’m not sure what hospital orderlies quite are but they don’t have an analogue here.

 

A dentist appointment is £24 (for a normal appt, x-rays if needed, a quick scale), £65 for fillings/root canal/extraction, or £283 for complicated treatments like crowns. In 1976, this range was £3.50-£12. All of this is free for children.

I don’t know of anyone who has whitened their teeth. Except famous people.
Hearing tests are free. Hearing aids are free. But they're on loan to you and are NHS property. You might pay if you lose them. 

Eye tests are free for children. Glasses are free for children. Unless you want branded Disney glasses.

 

Let’s talk about dicks for a moment… 8.5% of men are circumcised, 77-81% in USA

 

If you admit someone to a mental health unit for their own safety or the safety of others, this is called “sectioning” them (because it’s according to Section Something of the Mental Health Act).

 

And now a quick terminology list…

 

Adrenaline and noradrenaline, vs epinephrine and norepinephrine

When you need more medication you “renew your prescription” you don’t “refill” it

“Take some blood” not “blood draw” for a “blood test” not “bloodwork”

We generally use drug names rather than brand names. (Tylenol is just referred to as paracetamol)

Crutches are braced against your forearm, not the armpit

“Plaster” rather than “Bandaid”

“Cotton buds” rather than “Qtips”

“Surgical spirit” rather than “rubbing alcohol”

“Paramedic” rather than “EMT”

 

If you're gonna write Petunia as not taking Harry to the doctors or the opticians *because she can't afford it* then you might need to adjust this to *because she can't be arsed*.

 

Anyway I hope this is helpful, any questions just ask!

Comments

[goddess47]

That is *very* useful! Thanks!