Zacs, //A rhetorical question, no doubt.//
Not at all.
jourdain; I'm not certain of the status quo, you must check elsewhere, but we are of a pensionable age & it was a rule that the OAP (only that one) must be paid directly into a German bank for which we get Rolls- Royce healthcare, - all of which is paid for by the NHS.
I have my prostate & heart checked every 6 months, I have periodically complete health checks from top to toes, - I've had 3- in fact, I think here we shall be immortal :0)
One day last year I noticed when having a morning shower an unusual small discoloured patch on my waist, Mrs K, said it could be shingles starting, phoned the docs, they said come in at 11.00 am, my doctor confirmed it was the start of shingles, gave me a prescription & by midday I had received & taken the medication & it cleared immediately, (in case you don't know early treatment is important to alleviate the problem).
My daughter in England tells me she has to wait 3 weeks just for an appointment to see her doctor.